Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; National Volatile Organic Compound Emission Standards for Automobile Refinish Coatings

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

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: Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for National Volatile Organic Compound Emission Standards for Automobile Refinish Coatings, EPA No. 1765.02, OMB No. 2060-0353, expires March 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 February 24, 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.Sandy@epamail.epa.gov or download off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/​icr and refer to EPA ICR No. 1765.02. For technical questions about the ICR contact Mark Morris at (919) 541-5416.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for National Volatile Organic Compound Emission Standards for Automobile Refinish Coatings (OMB Control No. 2060-0353; EPA ICR No. 1765.02), expiring March 31, 2000. This is a request for extension of a currently approved collection.

Abstract: The information collection includes initial and periodic reporting necessary for the EPA to ensure compliance with Federal standards for volatile organic compounds in automobile refinish coatings. Respondents are manufacturers and importers of automobile refinish coatings and coating components. Responses to the collection are mandatory under 40 CFR part 59, subpart B-National Volatile Organic Compound Emission Standards for Automobile Refinish Coatings.

The information collection includes initial and periodic reporting necessary for the EPA to ensure compliance with the promulgated federal rule for automobile refinish coatings. The rule will be enforced through random sampling of coatings to determine VOC content. All manufacturers and importers of coatings and coating components subject to this rule must submit an initial report. The initial report must include the name and mailing address of the manufacturer or importer. The rule requires that containers of all subject automobile refinish coatings and coating components display the date of manufacture or a code indicating the date of manufacture. All manufacturers and importers of subject coatings and coating components must submit an explanation of all date codes used on automobile refinish coating and coating component containers. Date code explanations can be submitted with the initial report. Thereafter, respondents must submit explanations of any new date codes within 30 days of their first use. The EPA is required under section 183(e) of the Clean Air Act (Act) to regulate VOC emissions from the use of consumer and commercial products. Pursuant to section 183(e)(3), the EPA published a list of consumer and commercial products and a schedule for their regulation (60 FR 15264). Automobile refinish coatings were included in Group 1 of the list, and the standards for such coatings were promulgated on September 11, 1998 (63 FR 48806).The reports required under the rule enable the EPA to identify all coating and coating component manufacturers and importers in the United States, and to determine which coatings and coating components are subject to the rule based on dates of manufacture. Agency enforcement personnel will use the information collected to identify manufacturers and importers subject to the rule and to determine which coatings and coating components are subject to the rule by dates of manufacture.

All information submitted to the EPA for which a claim of confidentiality is made will be safeguarded according to the Agency policies set forth in 40 CFR part 2, subpart B—Confidentiality of Business Information.

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 August 27, 1999 (64 FR 46906); no comments were received.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2.2 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: Manufacturers and importers of coatings/components for Automobile Refinishing.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 10.

Frequency of Response: Annual.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 22 hours.

Estimated Total Annualized Capital, Operating/Maintenance 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. 1765.02 and OMB Control No. 2060-0353 in any correspondence. Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Information, Collection Strategies Division (2822), 1200 Pennsylvania, NW, 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.