[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 10, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11675-11677]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6093]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5976-1]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Information Collection Request Reinstatement

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit the 
following continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) reinstatement 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): National Emission 
Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Petroleum Refineries (OMB 
Control Number 2060-0340; EPA ICR Number 1692.03) which expired July 
31, 1996. 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 May 11, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted in duplicate to the attention 
of Air Docket No. A-93-48 at: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 
M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460. The Air and Radiation Docket and 
Information Center is located in Room M-1500, Waterside Mall (Ground 
Floor), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20460. Dockets may be inspected from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday. A reasonable fee may be charged for 
copying docket materials. Copies of the complete ICR and accompanying 
appendices may be obtained from the Air and Radiation Docket at the 
above address or by contacting Ms. JoLynn Collins, telephone number: 
(919) 541-5671, facsimile number: (919) 541-0246, E-mail number: 
[email protected]. Electronic copies of the ICR are 
available from the EPA Public Access gopher (gopher.epa.gov) at the 
Environmental Sub-set entry for this document under ``Rules and 
Regulations.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. James Durham, Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, telephone number: (919) 
541-5672, facsimile number: (919) 541-0246, E-mail number: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Electronic Submission of Comments: 
Electronic comments can be sent directly to EPA at: A-and-R-
[email protected]. Electronic comments must be submitted as an 
ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of 
encryption. Comments and data will also be accepted on disks in 
WordPerfect 6.1 file format or ASCII file format. All comments and data 
in electronic form must be identified by the docket number A-93-48. 
Electronic comments on this proposed rule may be filed online at many 
Federal Depository Libraries.
    Affected entities: Entities affected by this action are those which 
own or operate petroleum refineries that emit hazardous air pollutants 
(HAP's) from process vents, storage vessels, wastewater streams and 
equipment leaks within new or existing petroleum refineries.
    Title: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for 
Petroleum Refineries--Reinstatement. (OMB No. 2060-0340; EPA ICR Number 
1692.03) expired 7/31/96.
    Abstract: On August 18, 1995, EPA promulgated a regulation under 
section 112 of the Clean Air Act (Act) for

[[Page 11676]]

petroleum refineries that emit HAP's. This regulation was published in 
60 FR 43244, August 18, 1995, and is codified at 40 CFR 63, subpart CC.
    In the preamble to the promulgated regulation, it was stated that 
EPA would continue to work with the petroleum industry as well as other 
interested parties to identify opportunities for reduction in the 
monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting burden of the rule. The EPA 
has received and reviewed suggestions for revisions to monitoring, 
recordkeeping, and reporting requirements. Revisions that EPA 
determined will reduce burden without altering the stringency of the 
rule or the ability for it to be enforced have been made. This effort 
was undertaken to ensure that the information being requested is the 
minimal information necessary to demonstrate that compliance with 
subpart CC has been achieved.
    The information being requested includes a one-time report of start 
of construction, anticipated and actual start-up dates, and physical or 
operational changes to existing facilities; notification of compliance 
status reports; periodic reports; and event triggered (e.g., 
notification of installation of a new control device or reconstruction 
of an existing control device, notification of an intent to perform a 
performance test) reports. The periodic reports provide information on 
monitored control device parameters when they are outside of 
established ranges and on instances where inspections revealed 
problems. Records (e.g., parameter monitoring data, records of annual 
storage vessel inspections) are required to be maintained on-site for a 
minimum of 5 years.
    Effective enforcement of the standards is necessary due to the 
hazardous nature of benzene (a known human carcinogen) and the other 
HAP's emitted from petroleum refineries. The required records and 
reports are necessary: (1) To enable EPA to identify new and existing 
sources subject to the standards, and (2) to assist EPA and State 
agencies to which enforcement has been delegated in determining 
compliance with the standards. The EPA uses the reports to identify 
facilities that may not be in compliance with the standards. Based on 
reported information, EPA can decide which facilities should be 
inspected and what records or specific emission sources should be 
inspected at each facility. The required records also provide an 
indication as to whether facility personnel are operating and 
maintaining control equipment properly.
    Section 114 of the Act allows EPA to require inspections, 
monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting to ensure compliance with a 
section 112 emission standard. Section 114(a)(1) specifically states:

    The Administrator may require any person who owns or operates 
any emission source . . . who is subject to the provisions of this 
Act on a one-time, periodic, or continuous basis to--
    1. establish and maintain such records;
    2. make such reports;
    3. install, use, and maintain such monitoring equipment, and use 
such audit procedures, or methods;
    4. sample such emissions;
    5. keep records on control equipment parameters, production 
variables or other indirect data when direct monitoring of emissions 
is impractical;
    6. submit compliance certifications in accordance with section 
114(a)(3); and
    7. provide such other information as the Administrator may 
reasonably require.

    In order to retain effective enforcement (section 114 of the Act) 
of the petroleum refinery NESHAP (section 112 of the Act) response to 
this information collection is mandatory.
    The ICR reinstatement does not include any burden for third-party 
or public disclosures not previously reviewed and approved by OMB. Any 
information submitted to the Agency for which a claim of 
confidentiality is made will be safeguarded according to the Agency 
policies set forth in Title 40 Chapter 1, Part 2, Subpart B--
Confidentiality of Business Information (see 40 CFR part 2; 40 FR 
36902, September 1, 1976; amended by 43 FR 39999, September 28, 1978; 
43 FR 42251, September 28, 1978, 44 FR 17674, March 23, 1979).
    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 parts 9 and 48, CFR Chapter 15.

    The EPA would like to solicit comments to:
    1. 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;
    2. Reevaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information and the burden 
reduction associated with revisions to recordkeeping and reporting 
requirements, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and
    4. 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.

    Burden Statement: The total burden hours associated with this 
collection for all respondents have decreased by 120 thousand hours 
from the current ICR estimate of 608 thousand total hours per year to 
488 thousand total hours per year. This change reflects a decrease in 
technical hours because of a reduction in technical hours needed for 
the following:
    1. Gathering information, monitoring and inspecting;
    2. Processing, compiling, and reviewing information;
    3. Completing reports; and
    4. Recording and disclosing information.
    However, the annual burden cost associated with this collection has 
increased from the current ICR estimate of 19.5 million total dollars 
per year to 20.5 million total dollars per year due to the use of 
higher, but more accurate, labor rates.
    The total estimated and annualized Operations and Maintenance costs 
are $570,000, which represents service costs for contractors conducting 
testing.
    The total annual respondent burden for this ICR is estimated to be 
488 thousand hours. The number of respondents is estimated to be 165. 
On average, each respondent would submit 2 responses per year. The 
average burden per respondent is 3 thousand hours per year for this 
ICR. Note that this estimate includes the annual recordkeeping burden 
associated with the NESHAP.
    Statistical methods are not used in this data collection because 
this data collection targets a specific, defined industry subject to 
the petroleum refineries NESHAP. This collection of information is 
required to demonstrate compliance with the petroleum refineries 
NESHAP, therefore, the use of information technology is not 
appropriate.
    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 collection, 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

[[Page 11677]]

to respond to a collection of information; search data sources; 
complete and review the collection of information; and transmit or 
otherwise disclose the information.

    Dated: February 12, 1998.
Henry Thomas,
Acting Director, Office Of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 98-6093 Filed 3-9-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P