[Federal Register: December 20, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 243)]
[Notices]
[Page 75457-75458]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20de05-51]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[RCRA-2005-0016, FRL-8010-6]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements Under EPA's
National Partnership for Environmental Priorities, EPA ICR Number
2076.02, OMB Control Number 2050-0190
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
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 EPA is planning to submit a
continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request for an existing approved
collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2006. 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 February 21, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number RCRA-
2005-0016, to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-
mail to RCRA-docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center,
Environmental Protection Agency, RCRA Docket, mail code 5305T, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Newman Smith, Office of Solid Waste
(5302W), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 703-308-8757; fax number: 703-
308-8433; e-mail address: smith.newman@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this
ICR under Docket ID number RCRA-2005-0016, which is available for
public viewing at the RCRA Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC),
EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., 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 obtain a copy of the draft
collection of information, 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 within
60 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
comment contains copyrighted material, 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.
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
those which generate, store, and treat hazardous waste.
Title: Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements Under EPA's
National Program for Environmental Priorities (formerly, Reporting and
Recordkeeping Requirements under EPA's National Waste Minimization
partnership Program)
Abstract: EPA currently has an ongoing national program that,
through source reduction, reuse, and recycling, encourages a reduction
in use or the minimization of release of hazardous chemicals.
Participation in the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities
(previously the National Waste Minimization Partnership Program) is
completely voluntary. EPA will use five
[[Page 75458]]
forms to collect information from participants, called partners, which
can be prepared and submitted in a hard copy or electronically.
Participation begins when the first of these forms, an Enrollment Form,
is submitted and accepted by EPA. The form asks for basic site
identification information as well as information on the company's
chemical reduction goals under the program.
Partners will also have an opportunity to complete and submit the
second optional form titled Application for Certificate of
Accomplishment. They may submit this form when they accomplish the
goals they established for their initial participation in the program.
These certificate applications will enable the Agency to confirm a
partners' progress and to measure the overall success of the program.
Evaluation and acceptance of these certificate applications is also the
basis the Agency uses to recognize partner accomplishments in a formal
(e.g., at an awards ceremony or by congratulatory letter) manner, if
appropriate. This partner recognition is important as a motivation in
enlisting new partners and in encouraging current partners to declare
additional reduction goals.
A third form is an optional, one-time Case Studies Submission Form.
This form enables a partner to describe its waste minimization
techniques, implementation problems, lessons learned, benefits, and
relevant implications. The case studies will assist the Agency in
better understanding waste minimization approaches and technologies.
The information may also help the Agency in sharing lessons learned and
effective strategies among the facilities generating hazardous waste,
in order to promote continued and effective waste minimization efforts.
Sharing effective waste reduction strategies with others is a
fundamental objective of the partnership program.
The fourth and fifth forms provide current partners the opportunity
to revise current goals or to submit additional goals. They are titled
the Add Our New Goals Form and the Goal Revision Form. Other than their
titles, both forms are actually the same as the enrollment form
described above.
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.
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 annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 14
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.
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.
Dated: December 13, 2005.
Matthew Hale,
Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. E5-7558 Filed 12-19-05; 8:45 am]
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