Per 5 CFR 1320.3(f)(1), the agency is reminded to display a current OMB Control number on all forms and instructions, both paper and electronic versions. In addition, the agency must adhere to 1320.7(b) and provide a statement to the public on all forms and instructions, both paper and electronic versions. Upon resubmission, the agency should re-estimate the burden for paper and electronic submissions based on the usage from respondents.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
05/31/2019
36 Months From Approved
05/31/2019
2,020,017
0
1,763,362
2,639,210
0
3,473,577
38,784,093
0
3,067,511
Section 3002(a)(5) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to â...establish requirements respecting...use of a manifest system and any other reasonable means necessary to assure that all such hazardous waste generated is designated for treatment, storage, or disposal, and arrives at treatment, storage, or disposal facilities...for which a permit has been issued...â Under this authority, EPA published regulations for a manifest system on February 26, 1980 (45 FR 12724). EPA established requirements for manifest completion, transmittal, and recordkeeping for hazardous waste generators at 40 CFR Part 262, Subpart B, for transporters at Part 263, Subpart B, and for treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs) at Parts 264 and 265, Subpart E. EPA also requires the use of the Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest (UHWM or manifest). Since then, EPA has modified the manifest regulations on a number of occasions.
On February 7, 2014, EPA finalized a rule to establish new requirements that will authorize the use of electronic manifests (or e-Manifests) as a means to track offsite shipments of hazardous waste from a generatorâs site to the site of the receipt and disposition of the hazardous waste (79 FR 7518-7563). The final e-Manifest rule also implemented the provisions of the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act, P.L. 112-195, which directs EPA to establish a national electronic manifest system (or e-Manifest system).
EPA is now finalizing a rule (called the âfinal fee ruleâ) establishing the methodology the Agency will use to determine and revise the user fees applicable to the electronic and paper manifests to be submitted to the national electronic manifest system (e-Manifest system) that EPA is developing under the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act. After the e-Manifest systemâs implementation date, certain users of the hazardous waste manifest will be required to pay a prescribed fee for each electronic and paper manifest they use and submit to the national system so that EPA can recover the costs of developing and operating the national e-Manifest system. EPA is also finalizing several amendments to the regulations governing the use of electronic hazardous waste manifests and the completion of manifests.
This ICR describes the hazardous waste manifest regulations, including the e-Manifest final rule and final fee rule. It also estimates the annual hour and cost burden to respondents and EPA under these requirements for both paper and electronic manifests.
This ICR estimates an 834,367 hour decrease from the currently approved ICR. This decrease results from both adjustments due to Agency discretion and program changes as follows. The adjustments due to Agency discretion result from the fact that EPA revised the number of generators preparing manifests for federal hazardous waste shipments as well as the number of manifests per generator in this ICR. The program changes result from the fact that the previous ICR considered only the existing paper-based manifest system, whereas this ICR addresses the existing paper-based manifest system as well as to electronic manifesting, which results in substantial savings to respondents. These savings are partially offset, however, because the e-Manifest Act extends the scope of the e-Manifest program to wastes subject to manifest tracking under state law. As such, the scope of this ICR was broadened to include electronic manifests accompanying state hazardous waste. Further, this ICR estimates user fees for paper and electronic manifests in accordance with the final fee rule (fees are reflected as O&M costs in this ICR).
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.