OMB Approves TSCA ICR Consolidation

On Wednesday, the OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) announced that it had approved a new information collection request (ICR) from the EPA for “Section 8 of the Toxic Substances Control Act”. This ICR consolidates the reporting requirements of two active and one previous ICR covering reporting requirements under Section 8 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). It covers the reporting requirements for:

• Allegations of Significant Adverse Reactions to Human Health or the Environment TSCA section 8(c),

• Chemical Specific Rules TSCA section 8(a),

• Health and Safety Data Reporting, Submission of Lists and Copies of Health and Safety Studies TSCA section 8(d), and

• TSCA 8a Preliminary Assessment Information Rule (PAIR)

The abstract in the announcement makes an interesting point:

“EPA is consolidating ICRs currently approved under control numbers 2070-0004, 2070-0017, and 2070-0054, and formerly approved under 2070-0067 to streamline the presentation of the paperwork burden estimates for these various activities, which will in turn facilitate and reduce the administrative burden for both the public reviewers and the Agency in terms of reviewing and updating the ICR every three (3) years as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., as well as allow for a better assessment of the paperwork burden and costs associated with reporting and recordkeeping activities established under TSCA section 8 for specific chemical substances.”

Any reduction in either the public or governmental paperwork burden is almost certainly a good thing.