Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Access to TSCA Confidential Business Information

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Access to TSCA Confidential Business Information (Renewal)

DATES:

Comments may be submitted on or before April 27, 2026.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through March 31, 2026. 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 June 10, 2025, during a 60-day comment period (90 FR 24399). 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: The TSCA amendments of June 22, 2016, known as the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, expanded the categories of people to whom EPA may disclose TSCA confidential business information (CBI). The amendments authorize EPA to disclose TSCA CBI to state, tribal, and local governments; environmental, health, and medical professionals; and emergency responders, under certain conditions, including consistency with guidance that EPA is required to develop. Three guidance documents were developed, corresponding to the new authorities in TSCA section 14(d)(4), (5), and (6). The conditions for access vary under each of the provisions, but generally include the following: requesters must show that they have a need for the information related to their employment, professional, or legal duties; recipients of TSCA CBI are prohibited from disclosing or permitting further disclosure of the information to individuals not authorized to receive it (physicians/nurses may disclose the information to their patient); and except in emergency situations EPA must notify the entity that made the CBI claim at least 15 days prior to disclosing the CBI. In addition, under these new provisions, requesters (except in some emergency situations) are required to sign an agreement and may be required to submit a statement of need to EPA. In accordance with the requirements of TSCA section 14(c)(4)(B), the guidance documents cover the content and form of the agreements and statements required under each provision and include information on where and how to submit requests to EPA.

The ICR, which is available in the docket along with other related materials, provides a detailed explanation of the collection activities and the burden estimate that is only briefly summarized here:

Form number(s): None.

Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this ICR include government employees (federal, state, local, tribal), as well as medical professionals, such as doctors and nurses. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes for health care and social assistance is 62. North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes identified in question 12 of the ICR.

Respondent's obligation to respond: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits (15 U.S.C. 2607).

Estimated number of respondents: 6 (total).

Frequency of response: On occasion.

Total estimated burden: 89 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).

Total estimated cost: $6,585 (per year), which includes $0 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.

Changes in the estimates: There is no change in the total estimated respondent burden compared with that currently approved by OMB.