Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; NESHAP for Vinyl Chloride

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6006-5]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB

Review; Comment Request; NESHAP for Vinyl Chloride

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 document announces that the following Information

Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: National Emission Standards

for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Vinyl Chloride, OMB control

#2060-0071 expiration June 30, 1998. 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 June 1, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For a copy of the ICR, call Sandy

Farmer at EPA, by phone at (202) 260-2740, by E-Mail at

Farmer.S[email protected] or download off the Internet at http://

www.epa.gov/icr/icr.htm, and refer to EPA ICR No. 0186.08

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: NESHAP for Vinyl Chloride Subpart F, OMB Control No. 2060-

0071; EPA ICR No. 0186.08 expiring 06/30/98. This is a request for

extension of a currently approved collection.

Abstract: The National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air

Pollutants (NESHAP) for vinyl chloride (VC) were proposed on December

24, 1975, promulgated on October, 21, 1976, and amended on June 7,

1977, September 30, 1986, September 23, 1988 and December 23, 1992.

These standards apply to exhaust gases and oxychlorination vents at

ethylene dichloride (EDC) plants; exhaust gases at vinyl chloride

monomer (VCM) plants; and exhaust gases, reactors opening losses,

manual vent valves, and stripping residuals at polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

plants. The standards also apply to relief valves and fugitive emission

sources at all three types of plants. In the Administrator's judgement,

vinyl chloride emissions from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethylene

dichloride (EDC), and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) plants cause or

contribute to air pollution that may reasonably be anticipated to

result in an increase in mortality or an increase in serious

irreversible, or incapaciting reversible illness. Vinyl chloride is a

known human carcinogen which causes a rare cancer of the liver. There

is no reason to believe that operators of plants affected by this

NESHAP would maintain low emissions without regulations under the Clean

Air Act.

In order to ensure compliance with the standard, adequate record

keeping and reporting is necessary. This information enables the Agency

to: (1) Ensure that facilities affected continue to operate the control

equipment and use proper work practices to achieve compliance; (2)

notification of startup indicates to enforcement personnel when a new

facility has been constructed and is thus subject to the standards; and

(3) provides a means for ensuring compliance. The standards require

daily measurements from the continuous monitoring system and of the

reactor pressure and temperature. Establishment of a continuous

monitoring program is a high priority of the Agency. The continuous

monitoring system monitors VC emissions from the stack to judge

compliance with the numerical limits in the standards. The parameters

are used to judge the operation of the reactor so that the source and

EPA will be aware of improper operation and maintenance. The standards

implicitly require the initial reports required by the General

Provisions of 40 CFR 61.7 and 61.9. These initial reports include

application for approval of construction or modification, and

notification of startup. The standards also require quarterly reporting

of vinyl chloride emissions from stripping, reactor openings, and

exhausts. Reports must be submitted within 10 days of each valve

discharge and manual vent valve discharge. All reports are sent to the

delegated State authority. In the event that there is no such delegated

State authority, the reports are sent directly to the EPA Regional

Office.

The owner/operator must make the following one-time-only reports;

application for approval of construction or modification; notification

of startup; application of waiver of testing (if desired by source);

and an initial report. The initial report includes a list of the

equipment installed for compliance, a description of the physical and

functional characteristics off each piece of equipment, a description

of the methods which have been incorporated into the standard operation

procedures for measuring or calculating emissions, and a statement that

equipment and procedures are in place and are being used. Generally,

the one-time only reports are required of all sources subject to

NESHAP.

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 document required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting

comments on this collection of information was published on 12/02/97

(62 FR 63703); no comments were received.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and record keeping

burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 92

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

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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: Following Plants: Ethylene

Dichloride, Vinyl Chloride Monomer, Polyvinyl Chloride.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 44.

Frequency of Response: Quarterly.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 16,159 hours.

Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $1,980,000.

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. 0186.08 and OMB Control No. 2060-0071 in any

correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE 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: April 24, 1998.

Joseph Retzer,

Director, Regulatory Information Division.

[FR Doc. 98-11512 Filed 4-29-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P