[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 132 (Tuesday, July 11, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39104-39105]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-10843]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0162, FRL-8195-5]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Information Collection Request 
for Proposed Regional Haze Regulations (Renewal); EPA ICR No. 1813.06, 
OMB Control No. 2060-0421

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

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 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. The ICR, which is abstracted below, 
describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated 
burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before August 10, 
2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2003-0162, to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), by e-mail to [email protected] or by mail to: 
EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, OAR Docket, Mail 
Code B102, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) 
OMB by mail to: 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: Kathy Kaufman, U.S. EPA, Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards, Air Quality Policy Division, Mail Code 
C539-02, Research Triangle Park, NC; telephone number: (919) 541-541-
0102; fax number: (919) 541-4589; 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 March 13, 2006 (71 FR 12696), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. Any 
additional comments on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB 
within 30 days of this notice.
    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 OAR 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 Reading Room is 202-566-1744, and the 
telephone number for the Air and Radiation Center is 202-566-1742.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://www.regulations.gov to submit or view public comments, access the index 
listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those documents in 
the docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, 
select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number identified 
above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public comments, whether 
submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public 
viewing at http://www.regulations.gov 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. For further information about the 
electronic docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Information Collection Request for Proposed Regional Haze 
Regulations (Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No.1813.06, OMB Control No. 2060-0421.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on July 31, 2006. Under 
OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the 
collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 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 parts 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

[[Page 39105]]

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.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 38 
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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: The major categories of respondents 
directly affected include the States, Tribes, and Federal land managers 
(FLMs). The States and, if they so choose, the Tribes will develop an 
implementation plan under 40 CFR 51.308. In addition Western States 
have the option of developing Regional Haze strategies for 
SO2 emissions under 40 CFR 51.309.
    In addition, during this ICR renewal period, other entities, at the 
discretion of the States and Tribes, may respond to a request of the 
States or Tribes to fulfill obligations of the 1999 Regional Haze Rule. 
For example, there may be private sector respondents in particular 
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and North American Industrial 
Classification System (NAICS) Codes and production process categories 
that are asked to assess and determine if they are BART eligible 
sources and make a preliminary BART determination.\1\
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    \1\ Sources that are part of categories listed in the Clean Air 
Act (section 169A) and emitting more than 250 tons per year and 
constructed during the August 1962 to August 1977 time period are 
BART eligible.
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    The FLMs will work as partners with the RPOs from the perspective 
of Class I area land managers. Their policy focus will be on prescribed 
fire policy, and quantification of reasonable progress goals. On the 
technical side, they will assess air quality monitoring data and work 
with the RPOs and EPA to determine impacts on visibility in their Class 
I areas and natural background conditions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 860.
    Frequency of Response: Annual.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 32,551.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $1,856.000, which includes $0 
annualized capital startup costs, $0 annual O&M Costs, and $1,856,000 
annual labor costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 24,054 hours in 
the total estimated hourly burden and in the cost burden of $657,383 
currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens. This 
decrease in burden is a program adjustment, reflecting changes in labor 
rates, changes in the activities conducted due to the normal 
progression of the program, and better information regarding the 
numbers of respondents and the fact that the role of industrial 
respondents is increasing as the program moves from the planning stages 
to the implementation stages.

    Dated: June 23, 2006.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
 [FR Doc. E6-10843 Filed 7-10-06; 8:45 am]
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