This ICR covers the public reporting and record keeping requirements associated with Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reporting for the dioxin and dioxin-like compounds category. EPA collects information from facilities and enters it into TRI under the authority of section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) (42 U.S.C. 11001 et seq.) and section 6607 of the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA) (42 U.S.C. 11071 to 11079).
Currently, facilities subject to the TRI reporting requirements may either use the EPA Toxic Chemical Release Inventory Form R (EPA Form #9350-1, which is approved under OMB Number 2070-0093), or the EPA Toxic Chemical Release Inventory Form A Certification Statement (EPA Form #9350-2, which is approved under OMB Number 2070-0143). The Form R must be completed if a facility manufactures, processes, or otherwise uses any listed chemical above threshold quantities. For the Form A Certification Statement, EPA established an alternate threshold for those facilities with low annual reportable amounts of a listed toxic chemical. A facility that meets the appropriate reporting thresholds, but estimates that the total annual reportable amount of the chemical does not exceed 500 pounds per year, can take advantage of an alternate manufacture, process, or otherwise use threshold of 1 million pounds per year for that chemical, provided that certain conditions are met, and submit the Form A Certification Statement instead of the Form R. Facilities may submit information on multiple chemicals on a single Form A Certification Statement. Facilities are currently prohibited from using the Form A Certification Statement for dioxin reporting. Facilities are required to fill out the Form R when reporting for dioxin and dioxin-like compounds and are required to fill out Form R Schedule 1 if they have any of the information collected on that schedule.
This ICR is for the Form R Schedule 1, which is a schedule addition to the Form R that allows for the reporting of the gram quantities for the individual members of the dioxin and dioxin-like compounds category when such data are available. EPA currently requires that dioxin and dioxin-like compounds be reported in units of total grams for the entire category, and requires facilities to provide a single distribution of the dioxin and dioxin-like compounds for the data reported by the facility. EPA is revising the reporting for this category by requiring facilities to report the mass quantity of each individual member of the category instead of reporting the single distribution of the members of category. This information is in addition to the total grams data currently reported for the entire category. As with all reporting under EPCRA section 313, facilities should use readily available data collected pursuant to other provisions of law to calculate this information, or where such data are not readily available, must make reasonable estimates of the amounts involved. See 42 U.S.C. 11042 (g)(2). Facilities are not required to conduct any testing or monitoring in order to submit this information. See 42 U.S.C. 11042 (g)(2).
US Code:
42 USC 11001
Name of Law: Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
The increase in burden is occurring due to the new information being collected on the Form R Schedule 1 which is necessary to fulfill EPA's responsibilities under EPCRA section 313(g). The Form R Schedule 1 provides additional data on dioxin and dioxin-like compounds by requiring facilities to report the mass quantity of each individual member of the category instead of reporting the single distribution of the members of category. The additional data can be used to calculate toxic equivalency (TEQ) values for the category, which will help data users to better understand the relative hazards associated with the reported quantities. Since TEQ values are a common way that mass quantities of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds are described; the ability to calculate TEQ values for TRI data will facilitate easier comparisons with other domestic and international data sources.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Dioxin and Dioxin-Like Compounds; Toxic Equivalency Information; Community Right-to-Know Toxic Chemical Release Reporting (Final rule)