Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Generator Standards Applicable to Laboratories Owned by Eligible Academic Entities (Renewal)

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), “Generator Standards Applicable to Laboratories Owned by Eligible Academic Entities (Renewal)” (EPA ICR No. 2317.03, OMB Control No. 2050-0204) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through March 31, 2016. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (80 FR 76467) on December 9, 2015 during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. 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.

DATES:

Additional comments may be submitted on or before April 13, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-RCRA-2015-0731, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by email to rcra-docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB via email to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov. Address comments to OMB Desk Officer for EPA.

EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the public docket without change including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Josh Smeraldi, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (mail code 5304P), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 703-308-0441; fax number: 703-308-0514; email address: Smeraldi.josh@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Supporting documents which explain in detail the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

Abstract: The EPA has finalized an alternative set of generator requirements applicable to laboratories owned by eligible academic entities, as defined in the final rule. The rule, which establishes a Subpart K within 40 CFR part 262, provides a flexible and protective set of regulations that address the specific nature of hazardous waste generation and accumulation in laboratories owned by colleges and universities, and teaching hospitals and non-profit research institutes that are either owned by or formally affiliated with a college or university. In addition, the rule allows colleges and universities and these other eligible academic entities formally affiliated with a college or university the discretion to determine the most appropriate and effective method of compliance with these requirements by allowing them the choice of managing their hazardous wastes in accordance with the alternative regulations as set forth in Subpart K or remaining subject to the existing generator regulations.

Form Numbers: None.

Respondents/affected entities: Private colleges and universities as well as State, Local, or Tribal Governments.

Respondent's obligation to respond: Required to obtain or retain a benefit (Sections 2002, 3001, 3002, 3004 of RCRA).

Estimated number of respondents: 132.

Frequency of response: On occasion.

Total estimated burden: 35,813 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).

Total estimated cost: $1,806,663 (per year), includes $138,687 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.

Changes in the estimates: There is an increase of 8,094 hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. This increase is due to an increase in the number of respondents from 99 to 132.