[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 138 (Tuesday, July 20, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43411-43412]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-16450]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OAR-2004-0089; FRL-7789-7]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Retrofit/Rebuild Requirements for 1993 and Earlier 
Model Year Urban Buses, EPA ICR Number 1702.04, OMB Control Number 
2060-0302

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

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 a 
continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request to renew an existing 
approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on November 30, 
2004. 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 September 20, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OAR-2004-
0089, to 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Nydia Y. Reyes-Morales, Mail Code 
6403J, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 343-9264; fax number: 
(202) 343-2804; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this 
ICR under Docket ID number OAR-2004-0089, which is available for public 
viewing at the Air and Radiation Docket 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 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 obtain 
a copy of the draft collection of information, 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 within 
60 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 http://www.epa.gov./edocket.
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
manufacturers of retrofit equipment and urban bus fleet operators.
    Title: Retrofit/Rebuild Requirements for 1993 and Earlier Model 
Year Urban Buses.
    Abstract: Section 219(d) of the Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990, 
required that the EPA promulgate regulations for urban buses that: (a) 
Operate in Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) or consolidated MSA's 
with a 1980 population of 750,000 or more (the program could be 
expanded in the future to MSA's of less than 750,000, under section 
219(c) of the CAA); (b) are not subject to the 1994 or later urban bus 
standards; and (c) have their engines replaced or rebuilt after January 
1, 1995. The CAA Amendments require the subject urban buses be 
retrofitted to comply with an emission standard that reflects the best 
retrofit technology and maintenance practices reasonably achievable. 
Under these provisions, EPA has set requirements for pre-1994 model 
year urban buses that are effective after January 1, 1995, when urban 
bus engines are rebuilt or replaced. The program requires that the 
particulate emissions level of the urban bus engines be reduced to a 
level below the engines' original particulate level through the use of 
retrofit/rebuild equipment that is certified by EPA. The program will 
phase itself out as pre-1994 urban buses are retired from fleets. 
Responses to the collection of information are mandatory. All the 
information required by this collection is needed for the 
implementation and the activities of various EPA programs. The 
information is collected by the Engine Programs Group, Certification 
and Compliance Division, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, 
Office of Air and Radiation. Specific certification information 
submitted by manufacturers is held as confidential. Confidentiality of 
proprietary information is granted in accordance with the Freedom of 
Information Act, EPA regulations at 40 CFR 2, and class determinations 
issued by EPA's Office of General Counsel.
    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.
    The EPA would like to solicit comments 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.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and record keeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 
hours per response for 159 respondents. Respondents will incur in 
estimated total operation and maintenance costs of $105,700. No capital 
start-up costs or purchase of service costs are associated with this 
information collection. Burden

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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.

    Dated: July 13, 2004.
Robert Brenner,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 04-16450 Filed 7-19-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P