[Federal Register: March 9, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 47)]
[Notices]
[Page 14138-14139]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09mr01-41]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-6950-8]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request; Notification of Episodic Releases of Oil and
Hazardous Substances
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 the following Information
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: ``Notification of Episodic
Releases of Oil and Hazardous Substances,'' OMB No. 2050-0046;
expiration date February 28, 2001. The ICR describes the nature of the
information collection and its expected burden and cost; where
appropriate, it includes the actual data collection instrument.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 9, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Send comments, referencing EPA ICR No. 1049.09 and OMB
Control No. 2050-0046, to the following addresses: Sandy Farmer, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Collection Strategies Division (Mail
Code 2822), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; and to
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: For a copy of the ICR contact Sandy
Farmer at EPA by phone at (202) 260-2740, by E-mail at
Farmer.sandy@epamail.epa.gov, or download off the Internet at http://
www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No. 1049.09. For technical
questions about the ICR contact Lynn Beasley, (703) 603-9086.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Notification of Episodic Releases of Oil and Hazardous
Substances, EPA ICR Number 1049.09, expiring February 28, 2001. This is
a request for extension of a currently approved collection.
Abstract: Section 103(a) of CERCLA, as amended, requires the person
in charge of a facility or vessel to immediately notify the National
Response Center (NRC) of a hazardous substance release into the
environment if the amount of the release equals or exceeds the
substance's reportable quantity (RQ) limit. The RQ of every hazardous
substance can be found in Table 302.4 of 40 CFR 302.4. Section 311 of
the CWA, as amended, requires the person in charge of a vessel to
immediately notify the NRC of an oil spill into U.S. navigable waters
if the spill causes a sheen, violates applicable water quality
standards, or causes a sludge or emulsion to be deposited beneath the
surface of the water or upon adjoining shorelines. The reporting of a
hazardous substance release that is above the substance's RQ allows the
Federal government to determine whether a Federal response action is
required to control or mitigate any potential adverse effects to public
health or welfare or the environment. Likewise, the reporting of oil
spills allows the Federal government to determine whether cleaning up
the oil spill is necessary to mitigate or prevent damage to public
health or welfare or the environment. The hazardous substance and oil
release information collected under CERCLA section 103(a) and CWA
section 311 also is available to EPA program offices and other Federal
agencies who use the information to evaluate the potential need for
additional regulations, new permitting requirements for specific
substances or sources, or improved emergency response planning. Release
notification information, which is stored in the national Emergency
Response Notification System (ERNS) database, is available to State and
local government authorities as well as the general public. The
database resides at the National Response Center. The web address for
the National Response Center is: http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/index.html.
State and local government authorities and the regulated community use
release information for purposes of local emergency response planning.
Members of the general public, who have access to release information
through the Freedom of Information Act, may request release information
for purposes of maintaining an awareness of what types of releases are
occurring in different localities and what actions, if any, are being
taken to protect public health and welfare and the environment.
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 are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter 15. The
Federal Register document required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting
comments on this collection of information was published initially
published on June 13, 2000 (65 FR 37128); three comments were received.
That Federal Register document was subsequently withdrawn on August 22,
2000 (65 FR 50985) so that additional information could be included in
the Information Collection Request. The Federal Register document
required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this collection
of information was republished on December 5, 2000 (65 FR 75930); two
comments were received.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and record keeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 4.1
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
[[Page 14139]]
information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.
Respondents/Affected Entities: Facilities or vessels that
manufacture, process, transport, or use specified hazardous substances
and oil.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 23,726.
Frequency of Response: When a reportable release occurs.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 97,277 hours.
Estimated Total Annualized Capital, Operating/Maintenance Cost
Burden: 0.
Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the
accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods
for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of
automated collection techniques to the addresses listed above. Please
refer to EPA ICR No. 1049.09 and OMB Control No. 2050-0046 in any
correspondence.
Dated: February 27, 2001.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 01-5857 Filed 3-8-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P