[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 48 (Monday, March 13, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12696-12698]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3517]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0162; FRL-8044-2]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submissions for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; EPA Information Collection Request for the 
Regional Haze Rule; EPA ICR No. 1813.06; OMB Control No. 2060-0421

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to 
submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection 
Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is 
scheduled to expire on July 31, 2006. 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 April 12, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2003-0612, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: 202-566-1741.
     Mail: OAR Docket, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
Mail Code B102, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460. 
Please include a total of 2 copies.
     Hand Delivery: EPA/DC, EPA West, Room B102, 1301 
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. Such deliveries are only 
accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special 
arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2003-0162. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you 
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site 
is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your 
identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of 
your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without 
going through http://www.regulations.gov your e-mail address will be 
automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is 
placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you 
submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name 
and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any 
disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to 
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA 
may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid 
the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of 
any defects or viruses. For additional information about EPA's public 
docket visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General questions concerning today's 
action should be addressed to Kathy Kaufman, U.S. EPA, Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards, Air Quality Strategies and Standards 
Division, Mail Code C504-02, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, 
telephone (919) 541-0102, e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

How Can I Access the Docket and/or Submit Comments?

    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0162, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov or in-person viewing at the Air Docket in 
the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room is open from 
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. 
The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744. 
This Docket Facility is open from Monday through Friday, excluding 
legal holidays. The Air Docket telephone number is (202) 566-1742.
    Use http://www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft 
collection of information, submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those 
documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once 
in the system, select ``search,'' then key in

[[Page 12697]]

the docket ID number identified in this document.

What Information is EPA Particularly Interested in?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA specifically 
solicits comments and information to enable it 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. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from 
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of 
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork 
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.

What Should I Consider When I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific 
examples.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.
    7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page 
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.

What Information Collection Activity or ICR Does this Apply to?

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
State, local, and Tribal air permitting agencies; regional planning 
organizations; certain facilities built between 1962 and 1977.
    Title: Regional haze regulations, ICR No. 1813.06, and OMB Control 
Number 2060-0421, expiration date: July 31, 2006. This is a request for 
extension of a currently approved collection.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1813.06, OMB Control No. 2060-0421.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on July 31, 
2006. 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 title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal 
Register when approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed 
either by publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate 
means, such as on the related collection instrument or form, if 
applicable. The display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA 
regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: This ICR is for activities related to the implementation 
of EPA's 1999 regional haze rule, for the time period between August 1, 
2006 and July 31, 2009. This ICR renews the previous ICR, which 
addressed the second three year time period after the rule was 
promulgated. The regional haze rule, as authorized by sections 169A and 
169B of the Clean Air Act, requires States to develop implementation 
plans to protect visibility in 156 federally-protected Class I areas. 
Tribes may choose to develop implementation plans. For this time 
period, States will be conducting technical analyses in support of 
development of reasonable progress goals and strategies for regional 
haze, as required by the rule. EPA has encouraged States to work 
together in regional planning organizations to develop and implement 
multi-state strategies.
    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.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 219 
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 which have subsequently changed; 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.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 205.
    Frequency of response: Annual.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 3.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 44,917 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $1,862,383.
    This represents an estimated burden cost. It does not include 
capital investment or maintenance and operational costs, as these types 
of costs will not be incurred during the 2006 to 2009 time period.

Are There Changes in the Estimates From the Last Approval?

    For the 2006 to 2009 time period, there will be an increase in the 
total estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in the 
ICR currently approved by OMB. This increase will reflect EPA's new 
estimates covering the time period from 2006 until 2009, during which 
time State and local air permitting agencies will be finalizing and 
submitting to EPA their Regional Haze State Implementation Plans 
(SIPs). As these estimates are updated, an annotated ICR will be placed 
into the docket.

What Is the Next Step in the Process for This ICR?

    The EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as 
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for 
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, EPA will 
issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the 
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any 
questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the 
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.


[[Page 12698]]


    Dated: February 28, 2006.
Scott Mathias,
Associate Director, Air Quality Policy Division, Office of Air Quality 
Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. E6-3517 Filed 3-10-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P