Clean Water Act; Contractor Access to Confidential Business Information

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5082-7]

Clean Water Act; Contractor Access to Confidential Business

Information

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of intended transfer of confidential business

information to contractors.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to transfer

to EPA contractors and subcontractors, technical and financial

confidential business information (CBI) collected from several metals

forming, finishing, and fabricating industries including the metal

products and machinery manufacturing, maintenance and rebuilding

industry. Transfer of the information will allow the contractors and

subcontractors to assist EPA in developing effluent limitations

guidelines and standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA) for the metal

products and machinery industry. The information being transferred was

collected under the authority of section 308 of the Clean Water Act.

Interested persons may submit comments on this intended transfer of

information to the address noted below.

DATES: Comments on the transfer of data are due October 11, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to Janet Goodwin, Engineering and

Analysis Division (4303), Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,

D.C. 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet Goodwin at the above address or

at (202) 260-7152.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has previously transferred to its

contractor Radian Corporation of Herndon, Virginia (and subcontractors)

information, including confidential business information (CBI),

concerning the metal products and machinery industry collected under

the authority of the Clean Water Act section 308.

The information transferred included: Questionnaire data collected

during a two phase survey of the metal products industry; the first

phase consisted of the screener questionnaire or the ``mini-data

collection portfolio (mdcp) which was conducted in 1990 (OMB No. 2040-

0148); the second phase was a more detailed questionnaire or data

collection portfolio (dcp) that was sent in 1991 to a randomly selected

sample identified through the responses to the mdcp (OMB No. 2040-

0148). EPA also transferred site visit and field sampling data

collected during 1990 through 1993. In addition, Radian has received

similar records and data developed in support of the following effluent

guidelines regulations:

Porcelain Enameling (data collection 1977 through 1979),

Coil Coating (data collection 1977 through 1979),

Aluminum Forming (data collection 1978 through 1981),

Battery Manufacturing (data collection 1978 through 1983),

Copper Forming (data collection 1978 through 1979),

Electroplating (data collection 1974 through 1979),

Metal Finishing (data collection 1974 through 1979),

Metal Molding and Casting (data collection 1977 through

1983),

Nonferrous Metals Forming and Metal Powders (data

collection 1983 through 1985),

Nonferrous Metals Manufacturing, Phases I and II (data

collection 1978 through 1985),

Plastics Molding and Forming (data collection 1980 through

1987), and

Hot Dip Coating Subcategory of the Iron and Steel

regulation (data collection 1986).

Radian has also received files gathered during studies of the

beryllium copper forming industry (data collection during 1986), the

platemaking industry (data collection during 1984), and the printing

and publishing industry (data collection 1977 through 1979). EPA

determined that this transfer was necessary to enable the contractor

and subcontractors to perform their work under EPA Contract No. 68-C0-

0005 and related subcontracts by assisting EPA in developing effluent

limitations guidelines and standards for the metal products and

machinery industry. Notice to this effect was provided to the affected

companies at the time the data was collected or through Federal

Register notice.

Today, EPA is giving notice that it has entered into a new contract

No. 68-C4-0024 with Radian Corporation of Herndon, VA and Radian Corp.

has entered into additional contracts with its subcontractors: Westat,

Inc. of Rockville, MD; Amendola Engineering, Inc. of Lakewood, OH; CAI

Engineering of Oakton, VA; Information Systems Solutions International,

Inc. of Vienna, VA and Marasco Newton Group, Inc. of Arlington, VA. to

develop effluent limitations guidelines and standards for the metal

products and machinery phase I industry. The effective date of the new

contract is October 1, 1994. Radian Corp. will provide technical

support such as completion of the public docket for the proposed

rulemaking and completion of the work on the draft proposed technical

development document. The contractor shall also provide support on post

proposal efforts, including assisting with public meetings, responding

to comments, filling data gaps that arise through comments on the

proposed rule, and assisting with the assembly of the rulemaking record

for the final rule.

The subcontractors will assist the prime by providing specific

expertise. Westat, Inc. will assist with any surveys that may be

required in future work, data management and statistical analysis.

Amendola Engineering, Inc. will provide assistance in pollution

prevention and water pollution control. CAI Engineering provides metal

products industrial wastewater and hazardous waste engineering

expertise, surface treatment process design and pollution prevention

expertise and wastewater treatment system design expertise. Information

Systems Solutions International, Inc. offers information and data

management services and Marasco Newton Group, Inc. provides information

management services.

In accordance with 40 CFR part 2, subpart B, the previously

collected information described above (including confidential business

information) will be transferred to Radian Corp. EPA has determined

that this transfer is necessary to enable the contractor to perform

their work under EPA Contract No. 68-C4-0024.

The metal products and machinery manufacturing, rebuilding and

maintenance industry financial and economic data that were collected

through the dcp survey in 1991 (OMB No. 2040-0148) was transferred to

Abt Associates under Contract No. 68-C0-0080, which will expire

September 30, 1994. In accordance with 40 CFR part 2, subpart B, the

previously collected information described above (including

confidential business information) will be transferred to ERG, Contract

No. 68-C3-0302. ERG has subcontracted with Abt Associates to conduct

the economic analysis for the metal products and machinery industry.

EPA has determined that this transfer is necessary to enable the

contractor to perform their work under EPA contract No. 68-C3-0302.

Anyone wishing to comment on the above matters must submit comments

to the address given above by October 11, 1994.

Dated: September 26, 1994.

Mark A. Luttner,

Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water.

[FR Doc. 94-24254 Filed 9-29-94; 8:45 am]

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