[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 112 (Tuesday, June 12, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32289-32291]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-11303]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0015; FRL-8325-4]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; State Operating Permit 
Regulations (Renewal); EPA ICR No. 1587.07, OMB Control No. 2060-0243

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 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 July 12, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2004-0015, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method), by email to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket 
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Air and Radiation Docket and 
Information Center, Mail Code 2822T, 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

[[Page 32290]]

17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Herring, Air Quality Policy 
Division (C504-05), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; 
telephone number: (919) 541-3195; fax number: (919) 541-5509; 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 February 9, 2007 (72 FR 6233), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments during the 
comment period. 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-2004-0015, 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 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 Docket is 202-
566-1742.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at 
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 www.regulations.gov as EPA receives them and without change, 
unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other 
information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For 
further information about the electronic docket, go to 
www.regulations.gov.
    Title: State Operating Permit Regulations (Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1587.07, OMB Control No. 2060-0243.
    ICR Status: This ICR was originally scheduled to expire on March 
31, 2007, but an emergency extension granted by OMB on March 13, 2007 
extended the expiration date to June 30, 2007. 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 
part 9.
    Abstract: Title V of the Clean Air Act (Act) requires States to 
develop and implement a program for issuing operating permits to all 
sources that fall under any Act definition of ``major'' and certain 
other non-major sources that are subject to Federal air quality 
regulations. The Act further requires EPA to develop regulations that 
establish the minimum requirements for those State operating permits 
programs, to oversee implementation of the State programs, and to 
operate a Federal operating permits program in areas not subject to an 
approved State program.
    The EPA regulations setting forth requirements for the State 
operating permits programs are at part 70, title 40, chapter I of the 
Code of Federal Regulations. These are referred to as the ``Part 70 
Operating Permit Regulations,'' which are the subject of the ICR 
addressed in this notice.
    In implementing title V of the Act and EPA's part 70 operating 
permits regulations, State and local permitting agencies must develop 
programs and submit them to EPA for approval (section 502(d)), and 
sources subject to the program must develop operating permit 
applications and submit them to the permitting authority within 1 year 
after program approval (section 503). Permitting authorities will then 
issue permits (section 503(c)) and thereafter enforce, revise, and 
renew those permits at no more than 5-year intervals (section 502(d)). 
Permit applications and proposed permits will be provided to, and are 
subject to review by, EPA (section 505(a)). All information submitted 
by a source and the issued permit shall also be available for public 
review except for confidential information which will be protected from 
disclosure (section 503(e)). Sources will semi-annually submit 
compliance monitoring reports to the permitting authorities (section 
504(a)). The EPA has the responsibility to oversee implementation of 
the program and to administer a Federal operating permits program in 
the event a program is not approved for a State (section 502(d)(3)) or 
if EPA determines the permitting authority is not adequately 
administering its approved program (section 502(i)(4)). The activities 
to carry out these tasks are considered mandatory and necessary for 
implementation of title V and the proper operation of the operating 
permits program. This notice provides updated burden estimates from a 
previously approved ICR.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for the part 70 collection of information is estimated to 
average 248 hours per permitted source, and the annual burden for 
permitting authorities to administer a part 70 program is estimated to 
average 12,050 hours (about 80 hours per permitted source). 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: Respondents to this information 
collection come from two groups: (1) Sources required to obtain an 
operating permit and (2) permitting authorities.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 16,818 sources and 112 permitting 
authorities.
    Frequency of Response: Initially, annually, and every five years.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 5,525,639 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $220,996,244, includes $0 annualized 
capital or O&M costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 416,091 hours in 
the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. This increase in burden for sources and 
permitting authorities is due to expected changes in the existing 
information collection activities to be

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performed by sources, primarily an increase in permit renewal activity.

    Dated: June 5, 2007.
Sara Hisel-McCoy,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
 [FR Doc. E7-11303 Filed 6-11-07; 8:45 am]
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