Federal Register: December 29, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 249)NoticesPage 71634-71635From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

DOCID:fr29de98-52

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

FRL-6211-7Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Best Management Practices for the Bleached Papergrade Kraft and Soda Subcategory and the Papergrade Sulfite Subcategory of the Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Point Source Category

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 the following Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Information Collection Request for Best Management Practices for the Bleached Papergrade Kraft and Soda Subcategory and the Papergrade Sulfite Subcategory of the Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Point Source Category (EPA ICR No. 1829.01).

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 28, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone at (202) 260-2740, by e-mail at farmer.sandy@epa.gov, or download the ICR off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No. 1829.01.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Best Management Practices for the Bleached Papergrade Kraft and Soda Subcategory and the Papergrade Sulfite Subcategory of the Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Point Source Category (EPA ICR No. 1829.01). This is a new collection.

Abstract: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established Best Management Practices (BMPs) provisions as part of final amendments to 40 CFR part 430, the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Point Source Category promulgated on April 15, 1998 (see 63 FR 18641-18643). These provisions, promulgated under the authorities of sections 304, 307, 308, 402, and 501 of the Clean Water Act, require that owners or operators of bleached papergrade kraft, soda and sulfite mills implement site-specific BMPs to prevent or otherwise contain leaks and spills of spent pulping liquors, soap and turpentine and to control intentional diversions of these materials. EPA has determined that these BMPs are necessary because the materials controlled by these practices, if spilled or otherwise lost, can interfere with wastewater treatment operations and lead to increased discharges of toxic, nonconventional, and conventional pollutants. For further discussion of the need for BMPs, see section VI.B.7 of the preamble to the amendments to 40 CFR part 430 (see 63 FR 18561-18566). The Federal Register document required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on 4/15/98(63 FR 18399); no comments were received.

EPA has structured the regulation to provide maximum flexibility to the regulated community and to minimize administrative burdens on National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit and pretreatment control authorities that regulate bleached papergrade kraft and soda and papergrade sulfite mills. Although EPA does not anticipate that mills will be required to submit any confidential business information or trade secrets as part of this ICR, all data claimed as confidential business information will be handled pursuant to 40 CFR part 2 when EPA is the permitting authority and applicable state rules and local ordinances when these entities are the permitting or control authorities.

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.

Burden Statement: The annual burden to prepare, certify, and update the BMP plan and to fulfill on-going BMP requirements is estimated to average approximately 941 hours per respondent. Annual Agency burden to assist state and local governments in the implementation of the BMP requirements is estimated at about 4 hours per respondent.

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 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 previously applicable instructions and requirements; train personnel to be able to respond to the collection of information; search data sources; complete and review the collection of

[Page 71635]information and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.

Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are those operations that chemically pulp wood fiber using kraft or soda methods to produce bleached papergrade pulp, paperboard, coarse paper, tissue paper, fine paper, and/or paperboard; those operations that chemically pulp wood fiber using papergrade sulfite methods to produce pulp and/or paper; and State permitting and local pretreatment control authorities.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 130.

Frequency of Response: Initial plus annual and as-needed to respond to leaks or spills and to update records. Initial and annual recurring burden for state permitting and local pretreatment control authorities.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 122,383 hours.

Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $7,255,000.

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 following addresses. Please refer to EPA ICR No. 1829.01 in any correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OP Regulatory Information Division (2137), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460; and Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: December 22, 1998. Joseph Retzer, Director, Regulatory Information Division.

FR Doc. 98-34416Filed12-28-98; 8:45 amBILLING CODE 6560-50-P