[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 88 (Friday, May 8, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21680-21682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-10763]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0162; FRL-8902-8]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Regional Haze Regulations; EPA ICR No. 1813.07, OMB
Control No. 2060-0412
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to
submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection
Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is
scheduled to expire on October 31, 2009. Before submitting the ICR to
OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific
aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before July 7, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2003-0162 by one of the following methods:
www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for
submitting comments.
Email: [email protected].
Fax: (202) 566-9744.
Mail: Agency Information Collection Request Activities:
Proposed Collection and Comment Request for the Regional Haze
Regulations Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Air and Radiation
Docket and Information Center, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave.,
NW., Washington, DC 20460. Please include a total of two copies.
Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center, Public Reading Room, EPA
West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of
operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of
boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2003-0162. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at
www.regulations.gov, including any
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personal information provided, unless the comment includes information
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit
information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through
www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The www.regulations.gov Web site is an
``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your
identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of
your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without
going through www.regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be
automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is
placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you
submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name
and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any
disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA
may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid
the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of
any defects or viruses. For additional information about EPA's public
docket visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Todd Hawes, Air Quality Policy
Division, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, (C539-04),
Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
27711; telephone number: (919) 541-5591; fax number: (919) 541-0824; e-
mail address: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
How Can I Access the Docket and/or Submit Comments?
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0162, which is available for online viewing at
www.regulations.gov, or in person at the Air Docket in the EPA Docket
Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW,
Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The
telephone number for the Reading Room is 202-566-1744, and the
telephone number for the Air Docket is 202-566-1742.
Use www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft collection of
information, submit or view public comments, access the index listing
of the contents of the docket, and to access those documents in the
public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system,
select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number identified in this
document.
What Information is EPA Particularly Interested in?
Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act,
EPA specifically solicits comments and information to enable it to:
(i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
(ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information
to be collected; and
(iv) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.
What Should I Consider When I Prepare My Comments for EPA?
You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your
comments:
1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific
examples.
2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used
that support your views.
4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified
under DATES.
7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal
Register citation.
What Information Collection Activity or ICR Does this Apply to?
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
state, local and tribal air quality agencies; regional planning
organizations; facilities potentially regulated under the regional haze
rule.
Title: Regional Haze Regulations; EPA ICR No. 1813.07, OMB Control
No. 2060-0412
ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1813.07, OMB Control No. 2060-0412.
ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on October
31, 2009. 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. The OMB control numbers for EPA's
regulations in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal
Register when approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, and are displayed
either by publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate
means, such as on the related collection instrument or form, if
applicable. The display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA
regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
Abstract: This ICR is for activities related to the implementation
of EPA's 1999 regional haze rule, for the time period between October
31, 2009 and October 30, 2012, and renews the previous ICR. The
regional haze rule, as authorized by sections 169A and 169B of the
Clean Air Act (CAA), requires states to develop implementation plans to
protect visibility in 156 federally-protected Class I areas. Tribes may
choose to develop implementation plans. For this time period, states
will be completing their implementation plans to comply with the rule.
Before any agency, department, or instrumentality of the federal
government engages in, supports in any way, provides financial
assistance for, licenses, permits, or approves any activity, that
agency has the affirmative responsibility to ensure that such action
conforms to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) required under the
regional haze rule. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person
is not required to respond to, a collection of information request
unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB
control numbers for EPA's regulations in 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR
part 9 and 48 CFR chapter 15. Section 176(c) of the CAA (42 U.S.C. 7401
et seq.) requires that all federal actions conform with the SIP
requirements. Depending on the type of action, the federal entities
must collect
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information themselves, hire consultants to collect the information or
require applicants/sponsors of the federal action to provide the
information.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 37
hours per response. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or
disclose or provide information to or for a federal agency. This
includes the time needed to review instructions; develop, acquire,
install, and utilize technology and systems for the purposes of
collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and
maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information;
adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable
instructions and requirements which have subsequently changed; train
personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information; search
data sources; complete and review the collection of information; and
transmit or otherwise disclose the information.
The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate,
which is only briefly summarized here:
Estimated total number of potential respondents: 859.
Frequency of response: Annual.
Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.
Estimated total annual burden hours: 31,841 hours.
Estimated total annual costs: $1,965,000. This includes an
estimated burden cost of $1,965,000 and an estimated cost of $0 for
capital investment or maintenance and operational costs.
Are There Changes in the Estimates From the Last Approval?
There are only minor revisions to the cost estimates since the last
renewal of this ICR (July 11, 2006; 71 FR 39104). The last collection
request anticipated the program progressing from the planning stages to
implementation. That transition has been somewhat delayed as most
states were late in getting their implementation plans submitted by the
December 2007 deadline. Also, the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the D.C. Circuit to vacate (on July 11, 2008) and subsequently
remand (on December 23, 2008) the Clean Air Interstate Rule has added
much uncertainty to the implementation phase of the program.
Consequently, the amount of effort anticipated in July 2006 remains the
same today, and burden estimates are essentially unchanged, except for
revised labor and wage rates using 2007 cost estimates. Also, in 2006,
it was estimated that one tribe would submit a SIP; however no tribes
elected to submit SIPs and the number of respondents has been reduced
by one.
What is the Next Step in the Process for This ICR?
EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, EPA will
issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any
questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Dated: April 29, 2009.
Jenny N. Edmonds,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. E9-10763 Filed 5-7-09; 8:45 am]
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