ICR Appendix B: EPA Invitation for Public Consultations

APPENDIX B

Public Consultations

Consultation Request Accompanying December 2008 Federal Register Notice

Subject: EPA Proposed Information Collection Request: Pressed Wood Manufacturing Industry Survey
From: USEPA Formaldehyde
12/27/2008 09:36 AM

Dear Stakeholder:
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a notice in the Federal Register announcing
the Agency’s intention to submit a request for a new Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is entitled: “Pressed Wood Manufacturing Industry
Survey.” Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on
specific aspects of the proposed information collection.
EPA plans to survey pressed wood manufacturers to collect information on the categories and volume of
pressed wood manufactured; the types of resins used in the manufacturing process; the formaldehyde
emissions levels from the pressed wood; recent or planned changes to reduce formaldehyde emissions and
the resulting costs; and any issues that may affect the ability to reduce formaldehyde emissions.
EPA will use the information obtained through this industry survey, along with information submitted in
response to EPA’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Formaldehyde Emissions from Pressed
Wood Products that published in the Federal Register on December 3, 2008, to develop an industry
profile, and to assess the costs and benefits of potential federal actions regarding formaldehyde emissions
from pressed wood products.
You may find the Federal Register notice and the draft ICR attached.
For more information, please contact William Silagi of my staff at [email protected] or 202-5648788.

Sincerely,
Robert E. Lee, Ph.D.
Director
Economics, Exposure, and Technology Division

Recipients of Consultation Request Accompanying December 2008 Federal Register Notice

Composite Panel Association
Thomas A. Julia, President
[email protected]
Composite Panel Association
John Bradfield
[email protected]
Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Association
Kip Howlett
[email protected]
American Fiberboard Association
Louis Wagner
[email protected]
North American Laminate Flooring Association
Bill Dearing
[email protected]
The Hardwood Federation
Grace Terpstra
[email protected]
APA-Engineered Wood Association
Kurt Bigbee
[email protected]
APA-Engineered Wood Association
Steve Zylkowski
[email protected]
Structural Board Association
[email protected]

Consultation Request Accompanying February 2009 Federal Register Notice

Date:

February 20, 2009

From:

USEPA Formaldehyde

To:

[Addressees as selected]

Subject:
Extension of Comment Period and Request for Assistance; Pressed Wood Manufacturing
Industry Survey ICR

On December 24, 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Notice in
the Federal Register (73 FR 79083) titled “Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed
Collection; Comment Request; Pressed Wood Manufacturing Industry Survey; EPA ICR No. 2328.01,
OMB Control No. 2070-new.” (See http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-TOX/2008/December/Day24/t30499.htm) The Notice refers to EPA's intention to request Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
clearance for an information collection request (ICR) related to reporting and recordkeeping requirements
for a survey of the pressed wood manufacturing industry.
On February 20, 2009, EPA published a Notice in the Federal Register (74 FR 7889) extending
the public comment period on the ICR by 30 days, from February 23, 2009 to March 25, 2009. The
Federal Register notice extending the comment period is attached.
In addition to public notice and comment requirement initiated by the December 24, 2008 Notice,
OMB regulations at 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1) require agencies to consult with members of the public about
specific aspects of an ICR before submitting it to OMB for review and approval.
As part of this required consultation, EPA is contacting you to solicit your input. Note that if you
take this opportunity to provide input, your name, affiliation, e-mail address, phone number and any
information you provide (e.g., copies of e-mails) will be incorporated and attached to the ICR supporting
statement, which will be a public document. In addition, the OMB Desk Examiner for the ICR in
question may contact you to verify the accuracy of any comments EPA identifies in the ICR.
EPA solicits your input on the following questions:
Are the data EPA seeks under this ICR available from any public source, or already collected by another
EPA office or by another agency? If so, where can the data be found?
Is it clear what is required for data submission? If not, are there any suggestions for clarifying
instructions?
Would respondents be interested in an electronic data submission option? Would respondents be more
inclined to report using an electronic medium than on paper and what benefits would they realize (e.g.,
burden reduction, greater efficiency in compiling information, etc)? How does TSCA CBI affect the
choice or use of an electronic medium?

Do you agree with EPA's estimated burden and costs (the ICR addresses only the costs associated with
paperwork)? Are the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) labor rates accurate? If you have any reason to
consider the BLS labor rates as used by EPA inaccurate or inappropriate, explain your rationale.
You can access the Federal Register Notice, the ICR supporting document, and any public comments
received to date at http://www.regulations.gov:
- select Advanced Docket Search link
- enter EPA-HQ-OPPT-2008-0717 in the Docket ID field
- scroll down to Submit
- then click on the Docket ID in the search results for a listing of the documents within the docket
Your timely response will be greatly appreciated. If you have any comments in response to the above
questions, or with respect to any other part of the information collection, please respond by return e-mail
to [email protected] or via http://www.regulations.gov by March 25, 2009. EPA will consider your
comments, as well as any other public comment received in response to the Federal Register Notice
identified above, in preparing a final document for OMB review.
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
William Silagi
Economic and Policy Analysis Branch
U.S. EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
Mail Code 7406M, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: (202) 564-8788
[email protected]

Recipients of Consultation Request Accompanying February 2009 Federal Register Notice

Composite Panel Association
Thomas A. Julia, President
[email protected]
Composite Panel Association
John Bradfield
[email protected]
Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Association
Kip Howlett
[email protected]
American Fiberboard Association
Louis Wagner
[email protected]
North American Laminate Flooring Association
Bill Dearing
[email protected]
The Hardwood Federation
Grace Terpstra
[email protected]
APA-Engineered Wood Association
Kurt Bigbee
[email protected]
APA-Engineered Wood Association
Steve Zylkowski
[email protected]
Structural Board Association
[email protected]