[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 227 (Monday, November 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71293-71294]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-6601]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OAR-2003-0034; FRL-8002-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Reporting Requirements Under 
EPA's Voluntary Aluminum Industrial Partnership (VAIP) (Renewal), EPA 
ICR Number 1867.03, OMB Control Number 2060-0411

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 December 31, 
2005. 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 28, 
2005.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OAR-2003-
0034, to (1) 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, 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, 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: Sally Rand, Office of Atmospheric 
Programs, 6207J, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-343-9739; 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 August 25, 2005 (70 FR 49920), 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-2003-0034, 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 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 www.epa.gov/edocket.
    Title: Reporting Requirements Under EPA's Voluntary Aluminum 
Industrial Partnership (VAIP) (Renewal).
    Abstract: EPA's Voluntary Aluminum Industrial Partnership (VAIP) 
was initiated in 1995 and is an important voluntary program 
contributing to the overall reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases. 
This program focuses on reducing direct greenhouse gas emissions 
including perfluorocarbon (PFC) and carbon dioxide (CO2) 
emissions from the production of primary aluminum. Seven of the eight 
U.S. producers of primary aluminum participate in this program. PFCs 
are very potent greenhouse gases with global warming potentials several 
thousand times that of carbon dioxide and they persist in the 
atmosphere for thousands of years. CO2 is emitted from 
consumption of the carbon anode. EPA has developed this ICR to renew 
authorization to collect information from companies in the VAIP. 
Participants voluntarily agree to the following: Designating a VAIP 
liaison; undertaking technically feasible and cost-effective actions to 
reduce PFC and direct CO2 emissions; and reporting to EPA, 
on an annual basis, the PFC and CO2 emissions or production 
parameters use to estimate emissions. The information contained in the 
annual

[[Page 71294]]

reports of VAIP members is used by EPA to assess the success of the 
program in achieving its goals. The information contained in the annual 
reports may be considered confidential business information and is 
maintained as such. 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.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 98 
hours 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: Primary Production of Aluminum.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 7.
    Frequency of Response: Annually.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 689.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $51,478, which includes $0 annualized 
capital/startup costs, $0 annual O&M costs, and $51,478 annual labor 
costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 105 hours in the 
total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. This increase is due to additional incremental 
effort to collect and report annual direct carbon dioxide 
(CO2) emissions data in addition to perfluorocarbon (PFC) 
data. Direct CO2 emissions result from the consumption of 
the carbon anode during the production of primary aluminum.

    Dated: November 16, 2005.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E5-6601 Filed 11-25-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P