[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 226 (Wednesday, November 24, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68349-68350]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-26079]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OAR-2004-0082, FRL-7841-7]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Reporting and Recordkeeping 
Requirements Under EPA's Natural Gas STAR Program (Renewal), ICR Number 
1736.04, OMB Number 2060-0328

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 November 30, 
2004. 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 December 27, 
2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OAR-2004-
0082, to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by E-mail to 
[email protected], or by mail to: Environmental Protection Agency, 
EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Air and Radiation Docket and Information 
Center, MC 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Tingley, Natural Gas STAR 
Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 6207J, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 
343-9086; fax number: (202) 343-2208; 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 29, 2004 (69 FR 38893), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. OAR-2004-0082, 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 Avenue, 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, confidential business 
information (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.
    Title: Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements Under EPA's Natural 
Gas STAR Program (Renewal).
    Abstract: Natural Gas STAR is an EPA-sponsored, voluntary program 
that encourages natural gas companies to adopt cost effective methods 
for reducing methane emissions. Natural Gas STAR Partners agree to 
implement cost-effective Best Management Practices, which will save 
participants money and improve environmental quality. EPA needs to 
collect information to establish program participation and to obtain 
general information on new Natural Gas STAR Partners. EPA also uses the 
information collection to evaluate a Partner's progress and 
performance, assess overall program results, and develop technical 
guidance documents for the benefit of the industry. Information 
collection is accomplished through the use of an annual reporting 
process that allows companies to report their accomplishments in either 
a traditional hard-copy format or electronically. Participation in 
Natural Gas STAR is voluntary. Natural Gas STAR Partners may designate 
information submitted under this ICR as confidential business 
information. EPA will treat all such information as confidential 
business information and will not make the company or agency-specific 
information collected under this ICR available to the general public.
    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, and are 
identified on the form and/or instrument, if applicable.
    OMB has requested that EPA determine the extent to which reductions 
reported to the Natural Gas STAR Program would have occurred in the 
absence of the program. EPA has performed a sensitivity analysis in 
order to address this issue. Details are provided in the Supporting 
Statement for this notice.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 44 
hours per response. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial 
resources expended

[[Page 68350]]

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: Natural Gas Companies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 108.
    Frequency of Response: Varies.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 4,705.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $402,162, which includes $0 annualized 
capital/startup costs, $21 annual O&M costs, and $402,141 annual labor 
costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 646 hours in the 
total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. This increase is due to an increased number of 
program participants, but is tempered by a reduction in the amount of 
time spent filling out and submitting the annual report due to the 
introduction of on-line reporting in 2002.

    Dated: November 17, 2004.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 04-26079 Filed 11-23-04; 8:45 am]
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