[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 96 (Friday, May 18, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28041-28043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-9599]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0281; FRL-8316-4]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Final Rule for Implementation of the New Source Review 
(NSR) Program for Particulate Matter Less Than 2.5 Micrometers (PM2.5); 
EPA ICR No. 1230.21; OMB Control No. 2060-0003

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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

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 for an update to an existing approved Information 
Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 
Before submitting this 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 July 17, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2007-0281, by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: (202) 566-9744.
     Mail: Air and Radiation Docket Information Center, EPA 
Docket Center (EPA/DC), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 
2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA 
West (Air Docket), Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC. Such deliveries are accepted only 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-
2007-0281. The EPA's policy is that all comments received will be 
included in the public docket without change and may be made available 
online at 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 to be protected through 
www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The 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 us without 
going through 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 or any form of encryption and be free of 
any defects or viruses. For additional information about the EPA public 
docket visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Raj Rao, Air Quality Policy Division, 
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (C504-03), U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; 
telephone number: (919) 541-5344; fax number: (919) 541-5509; e-mail 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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

    The EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket 
ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0281, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in-person viewing at the Air and Radiation 
Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC 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.

[[Page 28042]]

    Use www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft collections 
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 the docket ID number identified 
in this document.

What Information Particularly Interests EPA?

    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.

To What Information Collection Activity or ICR Does This Apply?

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
major sources of air pollutants that emit PM2.5 and must 
apply for and obtain a preconstruction permit under the major New 
Source Review (NSR) program. In addition, State and local air 
regulatory agencies (``reviewing authorities'') who administer the 
major NSR program are potentially affected entities.
    Title: Final Rule for Implementation of the New Source Review (NSR) 
Program for Particulate Matter Less Than 2.5 Micrometers 
(PM2.5).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1230.21 and OMB Control No. 2060-0003.
    ICR status: This ICR is for an update to an existing, approved 
information collection activity. 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: The major NSR program is a preconstruction review and 
permitting program for new major sources of air pollutants and major 
modifications at existing major sources. The program is required under 
parts C and D of title I of the Clean Air Act. The types of information 
collection activities associated with the major NSR program are those 
necessary for the preparation and submittal of construction permit 
applications (by major sources) and the issuance of final permits (by 
the State and local reviewing authorities). For EPA to carry out its 
required oversight function of reviewing construction permits and 
assuring adequate implementation of the program, it must have available 
to it information on proposed construction and modifications. The major 
NSR rule changes addressed in this ICR add PM2.5 and its 
precursors to the list of pollutants that must be addressed in a major 
NSR permit action, but do not otherwise change the requirements of the 
program.
    Burden Statement: The public reporting and recordkeeping burden for 
this collection of information is estimated to increase by an average 
of 52 hours per major NSR permit over the currently approved level of 
668 hours per permit. The annual burden for reviewing authorities to 
administer a major NSR program is estimated to increase by an average 
of 144 hours over the currently approved level of 1,117 hours per year 
(equivalent to an average increase of 21 hours per major NSR permit 
over the currently approved level of 166 hours per permit).
    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: 753 major NSR 
permits per year obtained by sources; 112 State and local reviewing 
authorities. These values are unchanged from the currently approved ICR 
for the major NSR program.
    Estimated frequency of response: On occasion (unchanged from 
currently approved ICR).
    Estimated increase in annual burden hours: The incremental increase 
in annual burden estimated to result from the revisions to the major 
NSR regulations totals about 39,000 hours for sources and 16,000 hours 
for reviewing authorities. The currently approved ICR for the entire 
NSR program (major and minor) includes about 3.5 million hours per year 
for sources and about 2.4 million hours per year for reviewing 
authorities.
    Estimated increase in annual costs: The incremental increase in 
annual costs attributable to the major NSR rule revisions is about $4.3 
million for sources, which includes an estimated burden cost of $2.55 
million and an estimated cost of $1.72 million for preconstruction 
monitoring for the

[[Page 28043]]

subset of permitted sources required to perform such monitoring. The 
currently approved ICR for the entire NSR program (major and minor) 
includes about $228 million in annual burden costs and about $9 million 
in annual preconstruction monitoring costs for sources.
    The incremental annual cost increase for reviewing authorities is 
estimated at $700,000, all as a result of the increased burden hours. 
The currently approved ICR for the entire NSR program includes about 
$103 million per year for reviewing authorities.

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. When the final rule is 
published in the Federal Register, 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.

    Dated: May 8, 2007.
William T. Harnett,
Director, Air Quality Policy Division, Office of Air Quality Planning 
and Standards, Office of Air and Radiation.
 [FR Doc. E7-9599 Filed 5-17-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P