[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 183 (Monday, September 22, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55045-55046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-24008]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OAR-2003-0097; FRL-7561-8]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Mobile Air Conditioner 
Retrofitting Program, EPA ICR Number 1774.03, OMB Control Number 2060-
0350

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 an Information Collection 
Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing 
approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on September 30, 
2003. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or 
sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending 
at OMB. This ICR describes the nature of the information collection and 
its estimated burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before October 22, 
2003.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OAR-2003-
0097, to (1) EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail 
to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Air and Radiation Docket and 
Information Center, Mail Code 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB at: Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: 
Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dave Godwin, Global Programs Division, 
Office of Atmospheric Programs, Mail Code 6205J, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (202) 564-3517; fax number: (202) 565-2155; e-mail 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On June 27, 2003 (68 FR 38322), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received one comment (two are 
shown on the EDOCKET site; however, one is an exact duplicate of the 
other). The comment requested clarification on five points; these are 
addressed individually in the supporting statement.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. OAR-2003-0097, which is available for public viewing at the Air and 
Radiation Docket and Information Center in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/
DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. 
The EPA Docket Center 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 and Radiation Docket and Information 
Center is (202) 566-1742. An electronic version of the public docket is 
available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) at http://www.epa.gov/edocket. 
Use EDOCKET to submit or view public comments, access the index listing 
of the contents of the public 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 
above.
    Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB 
within 30 days of this notice. EPA's policy is that public comments, 
whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available 
for public viewing in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and without change, 
unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other 
information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA 
identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide 
a reference to that material in the version of the comment that is 
placed in EDOCKET. The entire printed comment, including the 
copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket. Although 
identified as an item in the official docket, information claimed as 
CBI, or whose disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not 
included in the official public docket, and will not be available for 
public viewing in EDOCKET. For further information about the electronic 
docket, see EPA's Federal Register notice describing the electronic 
docket at 67 FR 38102 (May 31, 2002), or go to www.epa.gov/edocket.
    Title: Mobile Air Conditioner Retrofitting Program.
    Abstract: Section 612 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) requires EPA to 
promulgate rules making it unlawful to replace any ozone-depleting 
substance with any substitute that the Administrator determines may 
present adverse effects to human health or the environment where the 
Administrator has identified an alternative that (1) reduces the 
overall risk to human health and the environment, and (2) is currently 
or potentially available. In 1994, the Significant New Alternatives 
Policy (SNAP) Program was enacted, enabling the Agency to review 
available substitutes for ozone-depleting substances and determine 
their acceptability. The SNAP program includes review of potential 
alternatives to ozone-depleting refrigerants used for air conditioning 
motor vehicles. EPA is concerned that the existence of several 
substitutes in this end-use may increase the likelihood of significant 
refrigerant cross-contamination and potential failure of both air 
conditioning systems and recovery/recycling equipment. In addition, 
continuing the smooth transition to the use of substitutes strongly 
depends on the continued purity of the recovered, recycled and/or 
reclaimed R-12 supply. The purpose of this Information Collection 
Request (ICR) is to estimate the burden associated with the 40 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) part 82 requirement that service technicians 
label mobile air conditioners with information about new refrigerants 
when they retrofit a system. These labels acknowledge that the 
retrofitting has been completed and that the mobile air conditioner 
should no longer use chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerant. In addition, 
the labels provide essential information to technicians about the 
specific refrigerant used in the air conditioning system. The following 
information is required on the label:
    [sbull] The name and address of the technician and the company 
performing the retrofit.
    [sbull] The date of the retrofit.
    [sbull] The trade name, charge amount, and, when applicable, the 
numerical designation of the refrigerant as determined under the latest 
version of Standard 34 of the American Society of Heating, 
Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Inc.
    [sbull] The type, manufacturer, and amount of lubricant used.
    [sbull] If the refrigerant is or contains an ozone-depleting 
substance, the phrase ``ozone depleter''.
    [sbull] If the refrigerant displays flammability limits as measured 
according to latest version of Standard E681 of the American Society 
for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International, the statement ``This

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refrigerant is FLAMMABLE. Take appropriate precautions.''

This information assists the technician in avoiding service practices 
that might result in cross-contamination, system failure and/or system 
performance degradation. Responses to the collection information are 
mandatory (section 612 of the CAA and 40 CFR part 82).
    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 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and are identified on 
the form and/or instrument, if applicable.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 5 
minutes 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; 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: New and used car dealers, Gas 
service stations, Top and body repair shops, General automotive repair 
shops, and Automotive repair shops not elsewhere classified, including 
air conditioning and radiator specialty shops.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 87,000.
    Frequency of Response: Once per and upon retrofit of a motor 
vehicle air conditioner.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 83,333 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $5,933,333, which includes $100,000 
annualized capital or O&M costs and $5,833,333 labor costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 333,334 hours per 
year in the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB 
Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens. The decrease is because the EPA 
estimates fewer CFC-12 motor vehicle air conditioners will be 
retrofitted in the next three years than the previous three years.

    Dated: September 11, 2003.
Doreen Sterling,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 03-24008 Filed 9-18-03; 12:01 pm]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P