[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 30 (Monday, February 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7390-7391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3362]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6535-7]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Operating Permits Regulations

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 notice announces that the following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: 40 CFR part 70 Operating 
Permits Regulations, OMB Control Number 2060-0243, expiration date: 
February 29, 2000. The ICR describes the nature of the information 
collection and its expected burden and cost; where appropriate, it 
includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 15, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: For a copy of the ICR, contact Sandy Farmer at 
EPA by phone at 202-260-2740, by e-mail at [email protected], or 
download off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA 
ICR No. 1587.05. For technical questions about the ICR, contact Roger 
Powell at (919) 541-5331.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Part 70 Operating Permits Regulations (OMB Control No. 2060-
0243) expiring 02/29/00. This is a renewal of a currently approved 
collection.
    Abstract: In implementing title V of the Clean Air (Act) and EPA's 
part 70 operating permits regulations, State and local permitting 
agencies must development programs and submit them

[[Page 7391]]

to EPA for approval (section 502(d) of the Act) and sources subject to 
the program must prepare operating permit applications and submit them 
to the permitting authority within 1 year after approval of the program 
by EPA (section 503 of the Act). Permitting authorities will then issue 
permits (section 503(c) of the Act) and thereafter enforce, revise, and 
renew those permits at no more than 5-year intervals (section 502(d) of 
the Act). Permit applications and proposed permits will be provided to, 
and are subject to review by, EPA (section 505(a) of the Act). All 
information submitted by a source and the issued permit shall also be 
available for public review except for confidential information which 
will be protected from disclosure (section 503(e) of the Act) and the 
public shall be given public notice of, and an opportunity for comment 
on, permit actions (section 502(b)(6) of the Act). Sources will semi-
annually submit compliance monitoring reports to the permitting 
authorities (section 504(a) of the Act). The EPA has the responsibility 
to oversee implementation of the program (section 502(d)(3) of the 
Act).
    The activities that will occur during the period of this ICR 
include:
     Permitting authorities issuing the remaining permits;
     Sources submitting semi-annual monitoring and annual 
compliance certification reports;
     Permitting authorities reviewing those reports;
     Sources submitting applications for permit revisions;
     Permitting authorities processing permit revisions;
     Sources applying for permit renewal;
     Permitting authorities renewing permits;
     Newly subject sources submitting permit applications; and
     Permitting authorities issuing new permits.
    All of these activities involve information transmittal in the form 
of applications and permit actions and information in the form of 
applications and draft permits are made available for public review and 
comment. The activities to carry out these tasks are considered 
mandatory and necessary for implementation of title V and the proper 
operation of the operating permits program. The information will also 
be available for public inspection at any time in the offices of the 
permitting authorities.
    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 and 48 CFR Chapter 15. The 
Federal Register Notice required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting 
comments on this collection of information was published on October 18, 
1999 (64 FR 56207). No comments were received.
    Burden statement: The annual public reporting and record keeping 
burden for this collection of information cannot be estimated in terms 
of an average hours per response due to the large number or 
respondents, the variation in the circumstances for each respondent, 
and the varied nature of the activities of the program. In terms of 
average burden per respondent, the ICR estimates the 112 permitting 
authorities will average 14,152 hours per year implementing this 
program. The 20,924 estimated part 70 sources will average 153 hours 
per year complying with this program. 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; 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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: State and local permitting 
authorities and sources subject to the part 70 operating permits 
program.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 21,036.
    Frequency of Response: The activities included in this ICR cover 
all aspects of implementing the part 70 operating permits program. 
Reporting includes the semi-annual monitoring reports and the annual 
compliance certification reports from sources to permitting authorities 
and the annual report of enforcement activities from the permitting 
authorities to EPA. All other activities are either one-time 
occurrences or on an as-needed basis (i.e., permit revisions).
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 4,779,620 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Non-labor Cost Burden: $0.
    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. Please 
refer to EPA ICR No. 1587.05 and OMB Control No. 2060-0243 in any 
correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of 
Environmental Information, Collection Strategies Division (2822), 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 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: February 10, 2000.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division, Office of Environmental 
Information.
[FR Doc. 00-3362 Filed 2-11-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P