Sections 750.10-750.15 apply to all rulemakings under authority of section 6(e)(3)(B) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), 15 U.S.C. 2605(e)(3)(B) with respect to petitions filed pursuant to § 750.11(a).

(a) Who may file. Any person seeking an exemption from the PCB manufacturing ban imposed by section 6(e)(3)(A) of TSCA may file a petition for exemption. Petitions must be submitted on an individual basis for each manufacturer or individual affected by the 1979 manufacturing ban.

(b) Where to file. All petitions pertaining to:

(1) PCB use, which includes storage for use or reuse, manufacture, processing related to manufacture and use, and distribution in commerce related to use or processing for use, must be submitted to: OPPT Document Control Officer (7407T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.

(2) PCB disposal, which includes cleanup, storage for disposal, processing related to disposal, distribution in commerce related to disposal or processing for disposal, and decontamination, must be submitted to: Document Control Officer, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (5305P), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania, NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.

(c) Content of petition. Each petition shall contain the following:

(1) Name, address and telephone number of petitioner.

(2) Description of PCB ban exemption requested, including items to be manufactured and nature of manufacturing process—such as smelting.

(3) Location(s) of manufacturing sites requiring exemption.

(4) Length of time requested for exemption (maximum length of exemption is 1 year).

(5) Amount of PCB chemical substance or PCB mixture (by pounds and/or volume) to be manufactured or used during requested exemption period and the manner of release of PCB's into the environment associated with such manufacture or use.

(6) The basis for the petitioner's contention that under section 6(e)(3)(B)(i) of TSCA “an unreasonable risk of injury to health or environment would not result” from the granting of his petition for exemption.

(7) The basis for the petitioner's contention that he meets the criterion of section 6(e)(3)(B)(ii) of TSCA concerning substitutes for PCB's.

(8) Quantification of the reasonably ascertainable economic consequences of denial of the petition for exemption from the 1979 manufacturing ban and an explanation of the manner of computation.

(d) Request for further information. The Agency reserves the right to request further information as to each petition prior to or after publication of the notice of proposed rulemaking required by § 750.13.

(e) Renewal requests. (1) Any petitioner who has been granted an exemption under section 6(e)(3)(B) of TSCA, on or after May 25, 1994, and who seeks to renew that exemption without changing its terms, must submit a letter by certified mail to EPA requesting that the exemption be granted for the following year.

(i) This letter must contain a certification by the petitioner that the type of activities, the procedures for handling the PCBs, the amount of PCBs handled, and any other aspect of the exemption have not changed from the original exemption petition request.

(ii) This letter must be received by EPA at least 6 months prior to the expiration of the existing exemption.

(iii) If a petitioner fails to make a submission or the submission is not timely under this section, the exemption will expire 1 year from the effective date of granting that exemption.

(iv) EPA will address a timely submission of a renewal request by rulemaking and either grant or deny the request.

(2) Any petitioner who has been granted an exemption on or after May 25, 1994, and who seeks to increase the amount of PCBs handled or to change the type of activities, the procedures for handling the PCBs, and any other aspect of their existing exemption must submit a new exemption petition to EPA. The existing exemption activity may continue until the new submission is addressed by rulemaking, provided the activity conforms to the terms of the current exemption approved by EPA, and the petitioner complies with the conditions of paragraph (e)(1) of this section.

(3) Any petitioner who has been granted a TSCA section 6(e)(3)(B) exemption in a rule prior to May 25, 1994, and who seeks to increase the amount of PCBs handled or to change the type of activities, the procedures for handling the PCBs, and any other aspect of their existing exemption must submit a new exemption petition to EPA. The existing exemption activity may continue until the new submission is addressed by rulemaking, provided the activity conforms to the terms of the original exemption approved by EPA.

All petitions received pursuant to § 750.11(a) will be consolidated into one rulemaking with one informal hearing held on all petitions.

Rulemaking for PCB exemptions filed pursuant to § 750.11(a) shall begin with the publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register. The notice shall state in summary form the required information described in § 750.11(c). Due to time constraints, the notice need not indicate what action EPA proposes to take on the exemption petitions.

The Agency encourages the submission of nonconfidential information by petitioners and commenters. The Agency does not wish to have unnecessary restrictions on access to the rulemaking record. However, if a petitioner or commenter believes that he can only state his position through the use of information claimed to be confidential, he may submit it. Such information must be separately submitted for the rulemaking record and marked “confidential” by the submitter. For the information claimed to be confidential, the Agency will list only the date and the name and address of the petitioner or commenter in the public file, noting that the petitioner or commenter has requested confidential treatment. The information claimed to be confidential will be placed in a confidential file. A petitioner must also file a nonconfidential petition with a nonconfidential summary of the confidential information to be placed in the public file. Similarly, a commenter must supply a nonconfidential summary of the information claimed to be confidential to be placed in the public file. Any information not marked as confidential will be placed in the public file. Information marked confidential will be treated in accordance with the procedures in part 2, subpart B of this title.

(a) [Reserved]

(b) EPA will grant or deny petitions under TSCA section 6(e)(3)(B) submitted pursuant to § 750.11.

(c) In determining whether to grant an exemption to the PCB ban, the Agency shall apply the two standards enunciated in TSCA section 6(e)(3)(B).