Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Hazardous Waste Combustors; Revised Standards; Final RulePart 1

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5955-7]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB

Review; Comment Request; Hazardous Waste Combustors; Revised Standards;

Final Rule--Part 1

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 new Information

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

and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Hazardous Waste Combustors;

Revised Standards; Final Rule--Part 1, EPA No. 1840.01. The ICR

describes the nature of the information collection and its expected

burden and cost.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 27, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone at (202)

260-2740, by email at [email protected], or download off the

Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No. 1840.01.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Hazardous Waste Combustors; Revised Standards; Final Rule--

Part 1, EPA No. 1840.01. This is a new collection.

Abstract: On April 19, 1996, EPA proposed revised standards for

hazardous waste combustors (HWCs) (61 FR 17358), defined as

incinerators, cement kilns, and light-weight aggregate kilns that burn

hazardous waste. These rules were proposed under joint authority of the

Resource Conservation and Recovery (RCRA) and the Clean Air Act (CAA),

as amended. The proposal fulfills the Agency's commitments to meet CAA

requirements and also to upgrade the emission standards for hazardous

waste burning facilities, as outlined in the 1994 Hazardous Waste

Combustion Strategy.

In the rulemaking entitled ``Hazardous Waste Combustors; Revised

Standards; Final Rule--Part 1,'' EPA finalizes some of the requirements

[[Page 4250]]

contained in the earlier proposal. This ICR covers reporting and

recordkeeping provisions of the new requirements. The changes to the

RCRA regulations: (1) outline provisions for excluding generators of

comparable/syngas fuel from the definition of solid waste under 40 CFR

part 261; and (2) provide new RCRA permit modification provisions to

make it easier for facilities to make changes to existing permits when

adding air pollution equipment or making other changes in equipment or

operation needed to comply with the upcoming air emission standards.

In addition to the RCRA changes, under the CAA the rule establishes

40 CFR part 63, subpart EEE, which applies to HWCs. As a first step in

establishing national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants

(NESHAPs) for HWCs (these standards were proposed on April 19, 1996 at

61 FR 17358), part 63, subpart EEE provides public notification and

regulatory notification of intent to comply (NIC) provisions. These

provisions require HWCs to submit materials to EPA outlining their plan

to comply with the forthcoming NESHAP standards, which will be

promulgated at a later date. These provisions also allow for extensions

to the compliance period to promote the installation of cost effective

pollution prevention technologies to replace or supplement emission

control technologies for meeting the emission standards.

EPA is collecting the information for this rule to ensure adequate

environmental protection. The information being collected is primarily

for facilities to demonstrate to EPA that they meet the necessary

criteria for regulatory exemptions. The information is necessary for

EPA to ensure that the specified facilities are appropriately

regulated, but that duplicate regulation is not taking place. EPA also

requires the HWC notification procedures to ensure stakeholder

involvement and to ensure that facilities are preparing to comply with

the forthcoming NESHAPs for HWCs. Responses to this information

collection are mandatory according to the Resource Conservation and

Recovery Act.

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

proposed rule was published on April 19, 1996 (61 FR 17358); and no

comments were received on the information requirements.

Burden Statement: For those generators applying for the comparable/

syngas fuel exemption, the average annual respondent reporting burden

is estimated to be 0.5 hours per facility and the average annual

recordkeeping burden is estimated to be 24.9 hours per facility. For

burners of comparable/syngas fuels, there is no reporting burden and

the annual recordkeeping burden is 3.3 hours per facility. For HWCs

complying with the notification of intent to comply regulations, the

average annual reporting burden (to EPA) is 60.4 hours per facility and

the average annual recordkeeping burden is 9.0 hours per facility.

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: Hazardous waste combustors.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 315.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 12,905 hours.

Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $1,660,000.

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. 1840.01 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: January 22, 1998.

Joseph Retzer,

Director, Regulatory Information Division.

[FR Doc. 98-2084 Filed 1-27-98; 8:45 am]

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