57446
Federal
Register
/
Vol.
68,
No.
192
/
Friday,
October
3,
2003
/
Notices
Dated:
September
29,
2003.
Angelo
Carasea,
Designated
Federal
Officer,
NACEPT
Superfund
Subcommittee.
[
FR
Doc.
03
 
25135
Filed
10
 
2
 
03;
8:
45
am]

BILLING
CODE
6560
 
50
 
P
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
AGENCY
[
OPPT
 
2003
 
0034;
FRL
 
7328
 
9]

Draft
Instructions
for
Reporting
for
the
2006
Partial
Updating
of
the
TSCA
Chemical
Inventory
Database;
Request
for
Comment
and
Notice
of
Public
Meeting
AGENCY:
Environmental
Protection
Agency
(
EPA).
ACTION:
Notice.

SUMMARY:
EPA
is
convening
a
public
meeting
to
receive
comments
from
persons
reporting
data
required
by
the
Inventory
Update
Rule
on
the
draft
instructions
for
reporting
in
2006.
The
instructions
have
been
revised
in
response
to
amendments
to
40
CFR
part
710
promulgated
on
January
7,
2003,
which
substantially
modify
the
information
which
must
be
reported
for
the
partial
updating
of
the
TSCA
Chemical
Inventory
Database
beginning
in
2006.
The
meeting
is
open
to
the
public.
DATES:
The
public
meeting
will
commence
at
10:
30
a.
m.
on
Wednesday,
October
15,
2003,
and
end
at
approximately
3
p.
m.
on
the
same
day.
ADDRESSES:
The
public
meeting
will
be
held
at
the
Le
Meridien
Chicago,
521
North
Rush
Street,
at
Michigan
Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60611.
This
meeting
is
being
held
in
conjunction
with
the
2003
TSCA
Fundamentals
Workshop
sponsored
by
the
Synthetic
Organic
Chemicals
Manufacturing
Association.
Information
on
this
workshop
is
available
at
www.
socma.
com/
Conferences/
TSCAWorkshop.
htm.

FOR
FURTHER
INFORMATION
CONTACT:
For
general
information
contact:
Barbara
Cunningham,
Acting
Director,
Environmental
Assistance
Division
(
7408M),
Office
of
Pollution
Prevention
and
Toxics,
Environmental
Protection
Agency,
1200
Pennsylvania
Ave.,
NW.,
Washington,
DC
20460
 
0001;
telephone
number:
(
202)
554
 
1404;
e­
mail
address:
TSCA­
Hotline@
epa.
gov.
For
technical
information
contact:
Fredric
C.
Arnold,
Economics,
Exposure,
and
Technology
Division
(
7406M),
Office
of
Pollution
Prevention
and
Toxics,
Environmental
Protection
Agency,
1200
Pennsylvania
Ave.,
NW.,
Washington,
DC
20460
 
0001;
telephone
number:
(
202)
564
 
8521;
e­
mail
address:
arnold.
fred@
epa.
gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION:

I.
General
Information
A.
Does
this
Action
Apply
to
Me?
You
may
be
potentially
affected
by
this
action
if
you
manufacture
chemical
substances
currently
subject
to
reporting
under
the
Inventory
Update
Rule
(
IUR)
as
amended
on
January
7,
2003,
and
codified
as
40
CFR
part
710.
Persons
who
process
chemical
substances
but
who
do
not
manufacture
or
import
chemical
substances
are
not
required
to
comply
with
the
requirements
of
40
CFR
part
710.
Potentially
affected
entities
may
include,
but
are
not
limited
to:
Chemical
manufacturers
and
importers
currently
subject
to
IUR
reporting,
including
manufacturers
and
importers
of
inorganic
chemical
substances
(
NAICS
codes
325,
32411).
This
listing
is
not
intended
to
be
exhaustive,
but
rather
provides
a
guide
for
readers
regarding
entities
likely
to
be
affected
by
this
action.
Other
types
of
entities
not
listed
in
this
unit
could
also
be
affected.
The
North
American
Industrial
Classification
System
(
NAICS)
codes
have
been
provided
to
assist
you
and
others
in
determining
whether
this
action
might
apply
to
certain
entities.
To
determine
whether
you
or
your
business
may
be
affected
by
this
action,
you
should
carefully
examine
the
applicability
provisions
at
40
CFR
710.48.
If
you
have
any
questions
regarding
the
applicability
of
this
action
to
a
particular
entity,
consult
the
technical
contact
person
listed
under
FOR
FURTHER
INFORMATION
CONTACT.

B.
How
Can
I
Get
Copies
of
this
Document
and
Other
Related
Information?
1.
Docket.
EPA
has
established
an
official
public
docket
for
this
action
under
docket
ID
number
OPPT
 
2003
 
0034.
The
official
public
docket
consists
of
the
documents
specifically
referenced
in
this
action,
any
public
comments
received,
and
other
information
related
to
this
action.
Although,
a
part
of
the
official
docket,
the
public
docket
does
not
include
Confidential
Business
Information
(
CBI)
or
other
information
whose
disclosure
is
restricted
by
statute.
The
official
public
docket
is
the
collection
of
materials
that
is
available
for
public
viewing
at
the
EPA
Docket
Center,
Rm.
B102­
Reading
Room,
EPA
West,
1301
Constitution
Ave.,
NW.,
Washington,
DC.
The
EPA
Docket
Center
is
open
from
8:
30
a.
m.
to
4:
30
p.
m.,
Monday
through
Friday,
excluding
legal
holidays.
The
EPA
Docket
Center
Reading
Room
telephone
number
is
(
202)
566
 
1744
and
the
telephone
number
for
the
OPPT
Docket,
which
is
located
in
EPA
Docket
Center,
is
(
202)
566
 
0280.
2.
Electronic
access.
You
may
access
this
Federal
Register
document
electronically
through
the
EPA
Internet
under
the
``
Federal
Register''
listings
at
http://
www.
epa.
gov/
fedrgstr/.
An
electronic
version
of
the
public
docket
is
available
through
EPA's
electronic
public
docket
and
comment
system,
EPA
Dockets.
You
may
use
EPA
Dockets
at:
http://
www.
epa.
gov/
edocket/
to
submit
or
view
public
comments,
access
the
index
listing
of
the
contents
of
the
official
public
docket,
and
to
access
those
documents
in
the
public
docket
that
are
available
electronically.
Although,
not
all
docket
materials
may
be
available
electronically,
you
may
still
access
any
of
the
publicly
available
docket
materials
through
the
docket
facility
identified
in
Unit
I.
B.
1.
Once
in
the
system,
select
``
search,''
then
key
in
the
appropriate
docket
ID
number.

II.
Background
EPA
is
convening
a
public
meeting
to
receive
comments
on
the
Instructions
for
Reporting
for
the
2006
Partial
Updating
of
the
TSCA
Chemical
Substance
Inventory.
EPA
is
required
by
section
8(
b)
of
the
Toxic
Substances
Control
Act
(
TSCA)
to
compile
and
update
an
inventory
of
chemical
substances
manufactured
or
imported
in
the
United
States.
Every
4
years,
manufacturers
(
including
importers)
of
certain
chemical
substances
on
the
Chemical
Substances
Inventory
have
been
required
to
report
data
specified
in
the
TSCA
section
8(
a)
Inventory
Update
Rule
(
IUR),
40
CFR
part
710.
Past
updates
included
information
on
the
chemical's
production
volume,
sitelimited
status,
and
plant
site
information.
Amendments
to
the
IUR
promulgated
on
January
7,
2003
(
68
FR
848)
(
FRL
 
6767
 
4)
expanded
the
data
reported
on
certain
chemicals
to
assist
EPA
and
others
in
screening
potential
exposures
and
risks
resulting
from
manufacturing,
processing,
and
use
of
TSCA
chemical
substances.
At
the
same
time,
EPA
amended
the
IUR
regulations
to
increase
the
production
volume
threshold
which
triggers
reporting
requirements
from
10,000
pounds
per
year
to
25,000
pounds
per
year
and
established
a
new
higher
threshold
of
300,000
pounds
per
year
above
which
manufacturers
must
report
additional
information
on
down­
stream
processing
and
use
of
their
chemical
substances.
The
2003
amendments
to
the
IUR
also
revoked
the
exemption
from
reporting
for
inorganic
chemical
substances,

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OPPT
NCIC
2003
October
3
7:
52AM
57447
Federal
Register
/
Vol.
68,
No.
192
/
Friday,
October
3,
2003
/
Notices
provided
a
partial
exemption
from
reporting
of
processing
and
use
information
for
chemical
substances
of
low
current
interest,
and
continued
the
current
exemption
from
reporting
for
polymers,
microorganisms,
and
naturally
occurring
chemical
substances.
These
changes
modify
requirements
for
information
collected
in
calendar
year
2005
and
submitted
in
2006
and
thereafter.
The
public
meeting
may
be
of
interest
to
persons
currently
reporting
under
the
IUR
and
to
manufacturers
of
inorganic
chemical
substances.
The
public
meeting
will
include
a
series
of
presentations
by
representatives
of
EPA
on
the
instructions
for
reporting
for
the
2006
partial
updating
of
the
TSCA
chemical
inventory
database.
Presentation
topics
will
include
reporting
requirements,
instructions
for
completing
the
reporting
form,
how
to
assert
confidentiality
claims,
and
how
to
submit
completed
reports
to
EPA.
After
each
presentation,
persons
attending
the
public
meeting
will
be
invited
to
comment
on
the
clarity,
completeness,
and
usefulness
of
the
instructions.
Comments
may
also
be
submitted
in
writing
following
the
public
meeting;
comments
should
be
submitted
within
30
days
after
the
meeting
to
receive
timely
attention.
The
purpose
of
the
public
meeting
is
to
receive
input
for
improving
the
instructions;
subsequent
meetings
are
planned
for
2004
to
provide
training
to
persons
who
must
report
in
2006
under
the
IUR.
Persons
planning
to
attend
the
public
meeting
are
encouraged
to
register
with
the
technical
contact
person
identified
under
FOR
FURTHER
INFORMATION
CONTACT.
Persons
registering
for
the
meeting
will
receive
by
e­
mail
a
copy
of
the
draft
instructions
prior
to
the
meeting.
Prior
registration
is
not
required
to
attend
the
focus
group
meeting.
There
is
no
charge
for
attending
this
public
meeting.

List
of
Subjects
Environmental
protection,
chemicals,
reporting
and
recordkeeping
requirements.

Dated:
September
25,
2003.

Margaret
Schneider,

Acting
Director,
Office
of
Pollution
Prevention
and
Toxics.
[
FR
Doc.
03
 
25275
Filed
10
 
2
 
03;
8:
45
am]

BILLING
CODE
6560
 
50
 
S
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
AGENCY
[
FRL
 
7565
 
1]

Agency
Policy
and
Guidance:
Draft
Small
Local
Governments
Compliance
Assistance
Policy
AGENCY:
Environmental
Protection
Agency.
ACTION:
Request
for
public
comment.

SUMMARY:
The
U.
S.
Environmental
Protection
Agency
(
EPA)
today
seeks
public
comment
on
proposed
revisions
to
its
1995
Policy
on
Flexible
State
Enforcement
Responses
to
Small
Community
Violations
(
the
Small
Communities
Policy).
The
Small
Communities
Policy
encourages
states
to
enhance
protection
of
public
health
and
the
environment
by
providing
comprehensive
environmental
compliance
assistance
to
the
72%
of
American
communities
that
are
home
to
2,500
or
fewer
permanent
residents.
If
the
actions
of
the
state
to
provide
compliance
assistance
and
the
actions
of
the
small
community
to
achieve
compliance
stay
within
the
parameters
of
the
Small
Communities
Policy,
EPA
will
generally
defer
to
the
state's
decision
to
reduce
or
waive
the
noncompliance
penalty
that
EPA
guidance
would
normally
require
the
state
to
assess
for
the
small
community's
violations.
During
the
course
of
the
compliance
assistance,
the
small
community
must
work
in
good
faith
with
the
state
to:
(
1)
Evaluate
the
small
community's
compliance
status
and
identify
all
of
its
environmental
violations;
(
2)
develop
a
priority­
based
schedule
for
the
small
community
to
achieve
compliance
with
all
applicable
environmental
requirements
as
soon
as
practicable;
and
(
3)
build
the
technical,
managerial,
and
financial
capacity
the
small
community
needs
to
achieve
and
sustain
comprehensive
environmental
compliance.
The
central
tenets
of
the
Small
Communities
Policy
are:
1.
Good
faith
efforts;
2.
enforceable
commitments;
and
3.
comprehensive
compliance
with
all
environmental
requirements.
The
1995
Small
Communities
Policy
can
be
downloaded
from
the
Internet
at
http://
www.
epa.
gov/
compliance/
resources/
policies/
incentives/
smallcommunity/
scpolicy.
pdf.
EPA
now
proposes
a
number
of
revisions
intended
to
extend
the
scope
of
the
Small
Communities
Policy.
The
policy
will
be
retitled
the
Small
Local
Governments
Compliance
Assistance
Policy
to
clarify
EPA's
intent
that
the
policy
benefit
units
of
local
government.
To
make
the
benefits
of
the
Small
Local
Governments
Compliance
Assistance
Policy
available
to
a
greater
number
of
small
local
governments,
EPA
proposes
to:
1.
Defer
to
states'
decisions
to
reduce
or
waive
the
normal
noncompliance
penalties
of
local
governments
with
3,300
or
fewer
permanent
residents
 
if
the
actions
of
the
state
to
provide
compliance
assistance
and
the
actions
of
the
local
government
to
achieve
compliance
are
consistent
with
the
parameters
established
by
the
Small
Local
Governments
Compliance
Assistance
Policy.
2.
Defer
to
states'
decisions
to
reduce
or
waive
the
normal
noncompliance
penalties
of
local
governments
with
between
3,301
and
10,000
permanent
residents
 
if
a
state
has
followed
guidelines
in
the
Small
Local
Governments
Compliance
Assistance
Policy
to
determine
that
the
technical,
managerial,
and
financial
capacity
of
the
local
government
is
so
limited
that
the
local
government
is
unlikely
to
achieve
and
sustain
comprehensive
environmental
compliance
without
the
state's
assistance;
and
if
the
actions
of
the
state
to
provide
compliance
assistance
and
the
actions
of
the
local
government
to
achieve
compliance
are
consistent
with
the
parameters
established
by
the
policy.
To
make
the
benefits
of
the
Small
Local
Governments
Compliance
Assistance
Policy
available
in
a
wider
range
of
circumstances,
EPA
proposes
to
defer
to
states'
decisions
to
reduce
or
waive
the
normal
noncompliance
penalties
for
eligible
local
governments
that
enter
into
an
enforceable
agreement
to:
1.
correct
known
violations;
and
2.
develop
and
implement
Environmental
Management
Systems
for
their
governmental
operations.
EPA
also
proposes
to
defer
to
states'
decisions
to
reduce
or
waive
the
normal
noncompliance
penalties
for
eligible
local
governments
with
between
3,301
and
10,000
permanent
residents
that
enter
into
enforceable
agreements
either
to
achieve
comprehensive
environmental
compliance
or
to
develop
and
implement
environmental
management
systems
within
the
``
fenceline''
of
a
subset
of
their
government
operations.
EPA
also
seeks
public
comment
on
whether
and
how
the
Agency
could
implement
a
policy
similar
to
the
Small
Local
Governments
Compliance
Assistance
Policy
for
its
compliance
assistance
and
enforcement
activities
where
EPA
directly
implements
a
program,
where
EPA
retains
primary
enforcement
authority,
or
where
EPA
takes
action
after
consulting
with
a
State
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