Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals,
[Federal Register: February 6, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 25)]
[Notices]
[Page 6961-6962]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06fe08-50]
[[Page 6961]]
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-SFUND-2007-0888; FRL-8526-3]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Superfund Site Evaluation and Hazard Ranking System (Renewal); EPA ICR No. 1488.07, OMB Control No. 2050-0095
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (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. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.
DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before March 7, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ- SFUND-2007-0888 to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by e-mail to superfund.docket@epa.gov, or by mail
to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Superfund Docket, Mail Code 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail 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: Randy Hippen, Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation, Mail Code 5204-P, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 703-603-8829; fax number: 703-603-9104; e-mail address: hippen.randy@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 September 4, 2007 (72 FR 50679), EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. Any additional comments on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice.
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-SFUND-2007-0888, which is available for online viewing at http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Superfund Docket in
the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC 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 Superfund Docket is 202-566-0276.
Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing at http://www.regulations.gov as EPA receives
them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, confidential business information (CBI), or other information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For further information about the electronic docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
Title: Superfund Site Evaluation and Hazard Ranking System (Renewal).
ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 1488.07, OMB Control No. 2050-0095.
ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on February 29, 2008. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 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 title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed either by publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
Abstract: Section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, 1980 and 1986) amends the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) to include criteria prioritizing releases throughout the U.S. before undertaking remedial action at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. The Hazard Ranking System (HRS) is a model that is used to evaluate the relative threats to human health and the environment posed by actual or potential releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants. The HRS criteria take into account the population at risk, the hazard potential of the substances, as well as the potential for contamination of drinking water supplies, direct human contact, destruction of sensitive ecosystems, damage to natural resources affecting the human food chain, contamination of surface water used for recreation or potable water consumption, and contamination of ambient air.
EPA Regional offices work with States and Tribes to determine those sites for which the State or Tribe will conduct the Superfund site evaluation activities and the HRS scoring. Under this ICR, State or Tribal authorities will apply the HRS throughout a multi-phase site evaluation process. Evaluation results are used to identify which sites brought to the attention of the Superfund Program may warrant cleanup work and to help determine whether a site is eligible to be included on the National Priorities List (NPL). Only sites on the NPL are eligible for Superfund-financed remedial actions. EPA reimburses the States and Tribes 100 percent of their costs, except for record maintenance. Responses to this collection are required to obtain or retain a benefit.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 226.9 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 which have subsequently changed; 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: States (including U.S. Territories) and Tribes.
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Estimated Number of Respondents: 60.
Frequency of Response: On occasion, averaging 11 responses per year per respondent.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 148,873.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $11,740,260, however all these costs are reimbursed by the Federal Government through cooperative agreements, resulting in no net cost to respondents for this ICR.
Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 1,412 hours in the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens. This decrease represents an adjustment to the estimates and is primarily due to a decline in the estimated number of assessment activities to be performed by respondents.
Dated: January 30, 2008. Sara Hisel-McCoy, Director, Collection Strategies Division. [FR Doc. E8-2155 Filed 2-5-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
