Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Information Collection Request for Iron and Steel Foundries

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5898-9]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB

Review; Comment Request; Information Collection Request for Iron and

Steel Foundries

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501

et seq.), this notice 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 Iron and Steel Foundries, EPA ICR Number 1809.01. The ICR

describes the nature of the information collection and its expected

burden and cost; where appropriate, it includes the actual data

collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 27, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY CALL: Sandy Farmer at EPA, (202) 260-

2740, and refer to EPA ICR No 1809.01.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Information Collection Request for Iron and Steel Foundries;

EPA ICR No. 1809.01. This is a new collection.

Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are

iron and steel foundries, which are facilities primarily engaged in

manufacturing iron and steel castings. The Standard Industrial

Classification (SIC) codes for these facilities include 3321 (gray and

ductile iron foundries), 3322 (malleable iron foundries), 3324 (steel

investment foundries), and 3325 (steel foundries, not elsewhere

classified).

Abstract: The EPA is charged under section 112 of the Clean Air Act

(the Act) with developing national emission standards for listed

hazardous air pollutants (HAP). Preliminary information indicates that

there are major sources of HAP in the iron and steel foundry source

categories. These categories were listed pursuant to section 112(c) of

the Act on July 16, 1992, and section 112(d) of the Act requires the

Administrator to promulgate regulations establishing emission standards

for this source category. Standards must be promulgated by November 15,

2000. The responses to the survey are mandatory and are being collected

under the authority of section 114 of the Act.

[[Page 50607]]

The Emission Standards Division (ESD) of the Office of Air Quality

Planning and Standards plans to use the survey responses to develop

legally defensible maximum achievable control technology (MACT)

standards. The focus of the survey is on determinations of HAP

emissions, emission controls, and control performance, which are

critical elements in the development of technology-based standards.

Other questions in the survey provide information that ESD will use to

develop reasonable estimates of impacts associated with potential

standards, including emission reductions, cost, and economic impacts.

Specifically, the information will be used by ESD to develop

estimates of emissions of HAP, make determinations with respect to

probable ``major'' sources, and develop MACT standards for both new and

existing foundries. The data base compiled from the results will be

used to make a determination of the MACT floor for existing sources

based on the average emission limitation achieved by the best-

performing 12 percent of sources. The results will also aid in

identifying the best controlled sources for a determination of MACT for

new foundries. In addition, the data base will be invaluable to make

defensible estimates of the impacts of the standards, including

emissions and emission reductions, costs of control options and their

cost effectiveness, and economic impacts. Because many foundries meet

the definition of small entities, the survey is necessary for EPA to

meet the requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 and the

Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.

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

Federal Register notice required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting

comments on this collection of information was published on June 3,

1997 (62 FR 30322); three comments were received. All three commenters

supported the need for the survey to gather information to develop MACT

standards and recommended an expeditious distribution to allow EPA to

meet statutory deadlines.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping

burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 24

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.

Respondents/Affected Entities: Iron and steel foundries.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 742.

Frequency of Response: 1.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 5,681 hours.

Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $0.

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 1809.01 in any correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE Regulatory

Information Division (2137), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460.

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and

Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA 725 17th Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: September 23, 1997.

Joseph Retzer,

Director, Regulatory Information Division.

[FR Doc. 97-25650 Filed 9-25-97; 8:45 am]

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