Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, National Emission Standard for Mercury

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6508-2]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB

Review; Comment Request, National Emission Standard for Mercury

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 Standard

for Mercury, OMB 2060-0097, expiration date January 31, 2000. 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 January 13, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For a copy of the ICR contact 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 and refer to EPA ICR No. 0113.07. For technical

questions about the ICR contact Melissa Raack at (202) 564-7039.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: National Emission Standard for

Mercury, (OMB Control No. 2060-0097; EPA ICR No. 0113.07) expiring

January 31, 2000. This is a request for extension of a currently

approved collection.

Abstract: Abstract: The National Emission Standards for Hazardous

Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Mercury emissions (40 CFR part 61, subpart

E) were proposed on December 7, 1971, promulgated on April 6, 1973, and

amended on October 14, 1975 and March 19, 1987. These standards apply

to all stationary sources which process mercury ore to recover mercury,

use mercury chlor-alkali cells to produce chlorine gas and alkali metal

hydroxide, and incinerate or dry wastewater treatment plant sludge.

Approximately 142 sources (133 sludge incineration and drying plants

and 12 mercury-cell chlor-alkali plants) are currently subject to the

standard; and no additional sources are expected to become subject to

the standard in the next three years. Mercury is the pollutant

regulated under this standard. Owners or operators of the affected

facilities described must make the following one-time-only reports:

notification of the date of construction or reconstruction;

notification of the anticipated and actual dates of startup;

notification of any physical or operational change to an existing

facility which may increase the regulated pollutant emission rate;

notification of the date of the initial performance test; and the

results of the initial performance test. Owners or operators are also

required to maintain records of the occurrence and duration of any

startup, shutdown, or malfunction in the operation of an affected

facility, or any period during which the monitoring system is

inoperative. A written report of each period for which hourly monitored

parameters fall outside their established limits is required semi-

annually for mercury-cell chlor-alkali plants. These notifications,

reports and records are required, in general, of all sources subject to

NESHAP.

In the Administrator's judgment, mercury emissions from mercury ore

processing facilities, mercury chlor-alkali plants, including the cell

room ventilation system, and sludge incineration and drying plants

cause or contribute to air pollution that may reasonably be anticipated

to endanger public health or welfare.

In order to ensure compliance with the standards promulgated to

protect public health, adequate recordkeeping and reporting is

necessary. In the absence of such information enforcement personnel

would be unable to determine whether the standards are being met on a

continuous basis, as required by the Clean Air Act. Recordkeeping and

reporting are mandatory under this regulation. Records of emission test

results and other data needed to determine total emissions shall be

maintained at the source and made available for inspection for a

minimum of two years.

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 June 22,

1999 ( 64 FR 33284); one comment was received; however, there was no

comment received on adjusting the burden figures.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping

burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1,104

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: Owners/operators of sources which

process mercury.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 142.

[[Page 69759]]

Frequency of Response: semiannual for existing sources (chlor-

alkali facilities).

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 26,504 hours.

Estimated Total Annualized Capital, O&M 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. 0113.07 and OMB Control No. 2060-0097 in any correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of

Environmental Information, Collection Strategies Division (2822), 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.

Oscar Morales,

Director, Collection Strategies Division.

[FR Doc. 99-32383 Filed 12-13-99; 8:45 am]

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