Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Community Right-to-Know Reporting Requirements Under Sections 311 and 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit the following proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): Community Right-to-Know Reporting Requirements under sections 311 and 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), EPA ICR Number 1352.08. This ICR renews a previously approved ICR No. 1352.07 (expires August 31, 2001, OMB Control Number 2050-0072). Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before April 9, 2001.

ADDRESSES:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office (Mailcode 5104A), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20460. Interested persons may obtain a copy of the ICR without charge by contacting the person in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sicy Jacob, 202-564-8019, fax no. 202-564-8233, or e-mail: Jacob.Sicy@epamail.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are those facilities required to prepare or have available an MSDS for a hazardous chemical under the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Entities more likely to be affected by this action may include chemical, non-chemical manufacturers, retailers, petroleum refineries, utilities, etc.

Title: Community Right-to-Know Reporting Requirements under sections 311 and 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), EPA ICR Number 1352.08.

Abstract: The authority for these requirements is sections 311 and 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), 1986 (42 U.S.C. 11011, 11012). EPCRA section 311 requires owners and operators of facilities subject to OSHA HCS to submit a list of chemicals or MSDSs (for those chemicals that exceed thresholds, specified in 40 CFR part 370) to the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC), Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and the local fire department (LFD) with jurisdiction over their facility. This is a one-time requirement unless a new facility becomes subject to the regulations or updating the information by facilities that are already covered by the regulations. EPCRA section 312 requires owners and operators of facilities subject to OSHA HCS to submit an inventory form (for those chemicals that exceed the thresholds, specified in 40 CFR part 370) to the SERC, LEPC, and LFD with jurisdiction over their facility. This activity is to be completed on March 1 of each year, on the inventory of chemicals in the previous calendar year.

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 EPA would like to solicit comments to:

(i) evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(ii) evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(iii) enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(iv) minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

Burden Statement: The average burden for MSDS reporting under 40 CFR 370.21 is estimated at 1.6 hours for new and newly regulated facilities and approximately 0.6 hours for those existing facilities that obtain new or revised MSDSs or receive requests for MSDSs from local governments. For new and newly regulated facilities, this burden includes the time required to read and understand the regulations, to determine which chemicals meet or exceed reporting thresholds, and to submit MSDSs or lists of chemicals to SERC, LEPCs, and local fire departments. For existing facilities, this burden includes the time required to submit revised MSDSs and new MSDSs to local officials. The average reporting burden for facilities to perform Tier I or Tier II inventory reporting under 40 CFR 370.25 is estimated to be approximately 3.1 hours per facility, including the time to develop and submit the information. There are no recordkeeping requirements for facilities under EPCRA sections 311 and 312.

The average burden for state and local governments to respond to requests for MSDSs or Tier II information under 40 CFR 370.30 is estimated to be 0.17 hours per request. The average burden for state and local governments for managing and maintaining the reports is estimated to be 32.25 hours. The average burden for maintaining and updating the 312 database is 320 hours.

The total burden to facilities over the three-year information collection period is estimated to be 5,182,000 hours, at a cost of $166 million, with an associated state and local burden of 401,100 hours at a cost of $8.1 million.

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.