Rules and Regulations. Notice

Agency: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Action: Notice
Citation: FR Doc. 2025-20050 · EPA-HQ-SFUND-2013-0549; FRL-13082-01-OMS

Summary

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), Notification of Episodic Releases of Oil and Hazardous Substances (EPA ICR Number 1049.16, OMB Control Number 2050-0046) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through November 30, 2025. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on April 17, 2025 during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.

Dates

Comments must be submitted on or before December 18, 2025.

Supplementary Information

This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through November 30, 2025. 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. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on April 17, 2025 during a 60-day comment period (90 FR 16127). The Agency received one comment that was not substantive to the content of this ICR renewal. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. 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: Section 103(a) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended, requires the person in charge of a facility or vessel to immediately notify the National Response Center (NRC) of a hazardous substance release into the environment if the amount of the release equals or exceeds the substance's reportable quantity (RQ) limit. The RQs for the hazardous substance can be found in table 302.4 of 40 CFR 302.4. Section 311 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) as amended, requires the person in charge of a facility or vessel to immediately notify the NRC of an oil spill into U.S. navigable waters if the spill causes a sheen, violates applicable water quality standards, or causes a sludge or emulsion to be deposited beneath the surface of the water or upon adjoining shorelines. The reporting of a hazardous substance release that is at or above the substance's RQ allows the Federal government to determine whether a Federal response action is required to control or mitigate any potential adverse effects to public health or welfare or the environment. Likewise, the reporting of oil spills allows the Federal government to determine whether cleaning up the oil spill is required to mitigate or prevent damage to public health or welfare or the environment. The hazardous substance release and oil discharge information collected under CERCLA section 103(a) and CWA section 311 also is available to EPA program offices and other Federal agencies that use the information to evaluate the potential need for additional regulations, new permitting requirements for specific substances or sources, or improved emergency response planning. Release notification information, which is stored in WebEOC, a web-based crisis management system which supports response management for significant incidents and daily operations in the Regional Response Centers and EPA's Headquarters Emergency Operations Center (EOC), is available to state and local government authorities as well as the general public. State and local government authorities and the regulated community use release information for purposes of local emergency response planning. Members of the general public, who have access to release information through the Freedom of Information Act, may request release information for purposes of maintaining an awareness of what types of releases are occurring in different localities and what actions, if any, are being taken to protect public health and welfare and the environment. This request for comments relates to the renewal of the existing approved ICR. Form numbers: None. Respondents/affected entities: Facilities and vessels that may have releases of any hazardous substances or oil at or above its RQ. Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory under CERCLA section 103(a). Estimated number of respondents: 21,789. Frequency of response: As releases occur from a facility or a vessel. Total estimated burden: 22,225 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b). Total estimated cost: $1,486,297 (per year), which includes no capital or operation and maintenance costs associated with this ICR. Changes in estimates: There is an increase of 2,386 hours in the total estimated annual respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. This increase is due to updated labor rates and the number of annual responses has increased from the prior ICR renewal of 19,450 to this renewal which estimates 21,789 annual responses. Courtney Kerwin, Director, Information Engagement Division. [FR Doc. 2025-20050 Filed 11-17-25; 8:45 am]