[Federal Register: August 16, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 157)]
[Notices]
[Page 48126-48127]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16au05-64]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[RCRA-2005-0005; FRL-7953-2]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment Request; RCRA Expanded Public
Participation (Renewal), EPA ICR Number 1688.05, OMB Control Number
2050-0149
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection
Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing
approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on August 31,
2005. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or
sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending
at OMB. This ICR describes the nature of the information collection and
its estimated burden and cost.
DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before September 15,
2005.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number RCRA-
2005-0005, to (1) EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by
e-mail to RCRA-docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: Environmental Protection
Agency, EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), RCRA Docket, mail code 5305T, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB at: Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Norma Abdul-Malik, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460;
telephone number: (703) 308-8753; fax number: (703) 308-8617; e-mail
address: abdul-malik.norma@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR
1320.12. On April 7, 2005 (70 FR 17686), EPA sought comments on this
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments.
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
No. RCRA-2005-0005, which is available for public viewing at the RCRA
Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public
Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading
Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the RCRA Docket is
(202) 566-0270. An electronic version of the public docket is available
through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) at http://www.epa.gov/edocket. Use
EDOCKET to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of
the contents of the public docket, and to access those documents in the
public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system,
select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number identified above.
Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB
within 30 days of this notice. EPA's policy is that public comments,
whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available
for public viewing in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and without change,
unless the
[[Page 48127]]
comment contains copyrighted material, confidential business
information (CBI), or other information whose public disclosure is
restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment containing
copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that material in
the version of the comment that is placed in EDOCKET. The entire
printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be available
in the public docket. Although identified as an item in the official
docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose disclosure is otherwise
restricted by statute, is not included in the official public docket,
and will not be available for public viewing in EDOCKET. For further
information about the electronic docket, see EPA's Federal Register
notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102 (May 31, 2002),
or go to http://www.epa.gov/edocket.
Title: RCRA Expanded Public Participation (Renewal).
Abstract: Section 7004(b) of RCRA gives EPA broad authority to
provide for, encourage, and assist public participation in the
development, revision, implementation, and enforcement of any
regulation, guideline, information, or program under RCRA. In addition,
the statute specifies certain public notices (i.e., radio, newspaper,
and a letter to relevant agencies) that EPA must provide before issuing
any RCRA permit. The statute also establishes a process by which the
public can dispute a permit and request a public hearing to discuss it.
EPA carries out much of its RCRA public involvement at 40 CFR parts 124
and 270.
In 1995, EPA expanded the public participation requirements under
the RCRA program by promulgating the RCRA Expanded Public Participation
Rule (60 FR 63417; December 11, 1995). The rule responded to calls by
the Administration and stakeholders (e.g., States and private citizens)
to provide earlier and better public participation in EPA's permitting
programs, including procedures for more timely information sharing. In
particular, the rule requires earlier public involvement in the
permitting process (e.g., pre-application meetings), expanded public
notice for significant events (e.g., notices of upcoming trial burns),
and more opportunities for the exchange of permitting information
(e.g., information repository).
The required activities and information are needed to help assure
timely and effective public participation in the permitting process.
The requirements are intended to provide equal access to information to
all stakeholders in the permitting process: the permitting agency, the
permit applicant, and the community where a facility is located. Some
facilities may be required to develop information repositories to allow
for expanded public participation and access to detailed facility
information as part of the permitting process.
EPA sought to reduce the reporting frequency to the minimum that is
necessary to ensure compliance with the rule. It would not be possible
to collect this information less frequently and still assure that the
requirements of permit and public involvement regulations are met by
owners or operators. The reporting frequency is essential to assure
that any changes in the trial burn plans or in the anticipated permit
application contents are made known to EPA and to the public.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's
regulations in 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and are identified on
the form and/or instrument, if applicable.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 91
hours per response. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This
includes the time needed to review instructions; develop, acquire,
install, and utilize technology and systems for the purposes of
collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and
maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information;
adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable
instructions and requirements; train personnel to be able to respond to
a collection of information; search data sources; complete and review
the collection of information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the
information.
Respondents/Affected Entities: Facility owners or operators
applying for an initial Part B permit or a Part B permit renewal.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 33.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 3,005 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $176,311, which includes $546
annualized capital/startup costs, $2,863 O&M costs, and $172,902 annual
labor costs.
Changes in the Estimates: There is no change in the total estimated
burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR
Burdens.
Dated: August 8, 2005.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 05-16198 Filed 8-15-05; 8:45 am]
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