[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 97 (Friday, May 17, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24931-24933]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12483]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request
(ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature
of the information collection and its expected cost and burden; where
appropriate, it includes the actual data collection instrument.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 17, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY CALL: Sandy Farmer at EPA, 202-260-
2740, and refer to EPA ICR No. 1626.03.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: ``National Recycling and Emissions Reduction Program'' (OMB
Control Number 2060-0256; EPA Control Number 1626.05). This is a
request for an extension of a currently approved collection.
Abstract: In 1993, EPA promulgated regulations under Section 608 of
the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (Act) for the recycling of CFCs
and HCFCs in air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. These
regulations were published in 58 FR 28660, and are codified at 40 CFR
Part 82, subpart F (Sec. 82.150 et seq.). The reasons the information
is being collected, the way the information is to be used, and whether
the requirements are mandatory, voluntary, or required to obtain a
benefit, are described below. The ICR renewal does not include any
burden for third-party or public disclosures not previously reviewed
and approved by OMB. 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 are listed in 40 CFR Part 9. The Federal Register
Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on this
collection of information was published on February 13, 1996.
Equipment Testing Organizations
Equipment testing organizations must apply to EPA to become
approved. Approved equipment testing organizations must maintain
records of the tests performed and their results, and must submit a
list of all certified equipment to EPA annually. Testing organizations
must notify EPA whenever a new model of equipment is certified or
whenever an existing certified model fails a recertification test.
Information collected from equipment certifiers is required to ensure
that recycling and recovery equipment meets the performance standards
of the regulation and that all approved testing laboratories have the
equipment and expertise to test equipment to these standards.
Servicing and Disposal Establishments
Persons maintaining, servicing, repairing, or disposing of
appliances must certify to EPA that they have acquired certified
recycling or recovery equipment and are complying with the requirements
of the rule. This certification must be renewed in the event of a
change of ownership of the service or disposal establishment. In
addition, service establishments are required to maintain adequate
documentation of technician certification. These requirements help the
Agency to target its enforcement efforts.
Reclaimers
Refrigerant reclaimers must maintain records of the names and
addresses of persons sending them material for reclamation as well as
the quantity of the material (the combined mass of refrigerant and
contaminants) sent. In addition, reclaimers must maintain records of
the mass of refrigerant reclaimed and the mass of waste products.
Reclaimers must report this information (total quantities) to the
Agency annually. This information helps the Agency track refrigerant
use to ensure that no refrigerant is vented at service or disposal.
Refrigerant Wholesalers
Wholesalers must maintain records indicating the names of
purchasers, dates of sales, and quantities of refrigerant purchased.
This information helps the Agency to track refrigerant use and identify
points of noncompliance. The Agency believes that wholesalers already
maintain such records. In addition to normal business records,
wholesalers have to maintain records verifying that purchasers of
refrigerant are properly certified. These records will be used by EPA
inspectors to ensure that refrigerants are only sold to certified
technicians. This is to guarantee that individuals who purchase
refrigerant are aware of the legal restrictions on its use.
Disposers
Persons disposing of small appliances, room air conditioners, and
MVACs must maintain copies of signed statements attesting that the
refrigerant has been removed prior to final disposal of each appliance.
This information helps EPA to verify that refrigerant is recovered at
some point during the disposal process even if the final disposer does
not have recovery equipment.
[[Page 24932]]
Technicians
In order for technicians to use recycling and recovery equipment,
they have to pass a certification test. Technicians have to maintain a
wallet-sized certification card. The test is necessary to ensure that
technicians understand refrigerant recovery procedures and regulations.
The card is necessary to ensure that only certified technicians perform
work on air conditioning and refrigeration equipment or purchase
refrigerants.
Technician Certification Programs
Organizations operating technician certification programs have to
apply to EPA to have their program approved. Approved technician
certification programs have to maintain records including the names of
certified technicians and the unique numbers assigned to each
technician certified through their programs. Approved technician
certification programs also have to submit a report to EPA every six
months including the pass/fail rate and testing schedules.
The application process ensures that the technician certification
programs meet minimum standards for generating, tracking, and grading
tests, and keeping records. Record maintenance allows both the Agency
and the certification program to verify certification claims and
monitor the certification process. The semiannual reports give the
Agency the ability to evaluate certification programs and modify the
certification test if necessary.
Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Equipment Owners
Owners of refrigeration or air conditioning equipment that contain
more than 50 pounds of refrigerant must maintain records of the
quantity of refrigerant used during each service procedure performed
for the equipment. This ensures that owners can determine when they are
subject to leak repair requirements. In addition, equipment owners who
decided not to repair leaks must develop and maintain a record of a
plan that states that the equipment will be either retired, replaced or
retrofitted. The development of such a plan ensures that equipment
owners intend to take action to reduce emissions.
Owners of Industrial Process Refrigeration
Under an amendment to the section 608 rule that was promulgated on
August 8, 1995 (60 FR 40420), owners of industrial process
refrigeration equipment who wish to receive an extension or exclusion
under the leak repair amendment are subject to the following reporting
and recordkeeping requirements. (The Office of Management and Budget
approved the amendment to the ICR reflecting this amendment on
September 28, 1995.)
(1) Those persons wishing to extend leak repair compliance beyond
the required 30 days must maintain and submit to EPA information
identifying the facility, the leak rate, the method used to determine
the leak rate and full charge, the date a leak rate greater than
allowable was discovered, the location of the leaks, any repair work
completed thus far and date completed, a plan to fix other outstanding
leaks to achieve allowable leak rate, reasons why greater than 30 days
is needed, and an estimate of when repair work will be completed. Any
dates and results of static and dynamic tests must also be maintained
and submitted to EPA.
(2) Those persons wishing to extend retrofit compliance beyond the
required one year must maintain and submit to EPA information
identifying the facility, the leak rate, the method used to determine
the leak rate and full charge, the date a leak rate of greater than the
allowable rate was discovered, the location of leaks, any repair work
that has been completed thus far and date completed, a plan to complete
the retrofit or replacement of the system, the reasons why more than
one year is necessary, the date of notification to EPA, an estimate of
when retrofit or replacement work will be completed, if time changes
for original estimates occur, documentation of the reason why, and the
date of notification to EPA regarding a change in the estimate of when
the work will be completed.
(3) Those persons wishing to exclude purged refrigerants that are
destroyed from the annual leak rate calculations must maintain records
on-site to support the amount of refrigerant claimed sent for
destruction. These records must include flow rate, quantity or
concentration of the refrigerant in the vent stream, and periods of
purge flow.
(4) Those persons wishing to calculate the full charge of an
affected appliance by establishing a range based on the best available
data, regarding the normal operating characteristics and conditions for
the appliance, must maintain records on-site to support the methodology
used in selecting or modifying the particular range.
The sum of these changes represents an increase in reporting
requirements only for those persons wishing to receive an extension or
exclusion under the leak repair amendment.
These reporting and recordkeeping requirements allow determinations
to be made regarding requested extensions and exclusions under the
amendments to the leak repair provisions, which were written in
response to industry concerns and with the concurrence of industry.
Specifically, the amendments allow for persons to extend their
compliance deadlines, to exclude destroyed purged refrigerants from
leak rate calculations, or to use a range rather than calculate the
full charge, when certain circumstances exist. EPA would be unable to
make determinations as to the viability of a claim regarding the need
for an extension without the information under the recordkeeping and
reporting requirements. In negotiating the settlement agreement with
members of CMA, those members agreed with the proposed recordkeeping
and reporting requirements.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average .18
hours per response. This estimate 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; 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.
Affected Entities: Entities affected by this action are
refrigeration and air conditioning service and repair shops, plumbing,
heating, and air conditioning contractors, refrigerated transport
service dealers, scrap metal recyclers, and automobile dismantlers and
recyclers. Additional entities affected include Clean Air Act Section
608 technician certifications programs, equipment certification
programs, refrigerant wholesalers and reclaimers, and other
establishments that perform refrigerant removal at service and
disposal.
Estimated No. of Respondents: 2,276,142.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 419,546 hours.
Frequency of Collection: Occasional, annual, and semiannual.
Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the
accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods
for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of
automated collection techniques, to the following addresses.
[[Page 24933]]
Please refer to EPA ICR No. 1626.05 and OMB No. 2060-0256 in any
correspondence.
Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE Regulatory
Information Division (2137), 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460
and
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20503.
Dated: May 14, 1996.
Joseph Retzer,
Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 96-12483 Filed 5-16-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-M