Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools and Asbestos Model Accreditation Plans

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: Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools and Asbestos Model Accreditation Plans; EPA ICR No. 1365.09, OMB No. 2070-0091. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection activity and its estimated burden and costs.

DATES:

Additional comments may be submitted on or before April 1, 2011.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2010-00568 to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method) or by mail to: Document Control Office (DCO), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code: 7407T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB at: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Pamela Myrick, (acting) Director, Environmental Assistance Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 7408-M, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-9838; e-mail address: TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12. On September 27, 2010 (75 FR 59261), EPA sought comments on this renewal ICR. EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments during the comment period. Any additional comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice.

EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID No. EPA EPA-HQ-OPPT-2010-0568, which is available for online viewing at http://www.regulations.gov,, or in person inspection at the OPPT Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading Room is 202-566-1744, and the telephone number for the Pollution Prevention and Toxics Docket is 202-566-0280. Use http://www.regulations.gov to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select “search,” then key in the docket ID number identified above.

EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing in http://www.regulations.gov as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, confidential business information (CBI), or other information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that material in the version of the comment that is placed in http://www.regulations.gov. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket. Although identified as an item in the official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the official public docket, and will not be available for public viewing in http://www.regulations.gov. For further information about the electronic docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov.

Title: Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools and Asbestos Model Accreditation Plans.

ICR Status: This is a request to renew an existing approved collection that is scheduled to expire on March 31, 2011. Under 5 CFR 1320.12(b)(2), the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB.

Abstract: The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) authorizes EPA to promulgate rules appropriate for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to conduct inspections, develop management plans, and design or conduct response actions with respect to the presence of asbestos-containing materials in school buildings. AHERA also requires states to develop model accreditation plans for persons who perform asbestos inspections, develop management control plans, and design or conduct response actions. This information collection addresses the burden associated with reporting and recordkeeping requirements imposed on LEAs by the asbestos in schools rule, and reporting and recordkeeping requirements imposed on state agencies and training providers related to the model accreditation plan rule.

Responses to the collection of information are mandatory (see 40 CFR 763 subpart E). Respondents may claim all or part of a notice as CBI. EPA will disclose information that is covered by a CBI claim only to the extent permitted by, and in accordance with, the procedures in 40 CFR part 2.

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 in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register, are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and included on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to range between about 5.5 hours and 140 hours per response, depending upon the category of the respondent. Burden is defined in 5 CFR 1320.3(b).

Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are local education agencies (LEAs, e.g., elementary or secondary public school districts or a private school or school system); asbestos training providers to schools and educational systems; and state education departments or commissions or state public health departments or commissions.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

Estimated average number of responses for each respondent: 1.

Estimated No. of Respondents: 133,980.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,592,888 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Costs: $86,972,753.

Changes in Burden Estimates: This request reflects an increase of 62,288 hours (from 2,530,600 hours to 2,592,888 hours) in the total estimated respondent burden from that currently in the OMB inventory. This increase reflects EPA's estimates of an increased number of LEAs and training providers affected by this information collection. Most of this increase is associated with an increase in the number of schools with nonfriable asbestos-containing materials (ACM). The Supporting Statement provides details on the change in burden estimate. The change is an adjustment.