[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 209 (Tuesday, October 28, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63979-63980]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-25679]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0094; FRL-8735-2]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Reporting Requirements Under 
EPA's Climate Leaders Partnership (Renewal); EPA ICR No. 2100.03, OMB 
Control No. 2060-0532

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 November 28, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2002-0094, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (preferred 
method), by e-mail to [email protected], or by mail to: 
EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Air and Radiation 
Docket and Information Center, MC 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, 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: Manuel J. Oliva, Climate Protection 
Partnerships Division, Office of Atmospheric Programs, 6202J, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200

[[Page 63980]]

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 
343-9094; fax number: (202) 565-2134; 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 May 30, 2008 (73 FR 31087), 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-2002-0094, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in-person viewing at the Air and Radiation 
Docket and Information Center in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA 
West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue, 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, Confidential Business Information (CBI), or other information 
whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For further 
information about the electronic docket, go to www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Reporting Requirements under EPA's Climate Leaders 
Partnership (Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2100.03, OMB Control No. 2060-0532.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on October 31, 2008. 
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, and included on the related 
collection instrument or form, if applicable.
    Abstract: In an effort to aid implementation of U.S. commitments in 
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the 
President announced a Climate Change Strategy on February 14, 2002, 
wherein he set a national U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity goal of 
18 percent by 2012. Part of that strategy challenges companies to set 
GHG reduction goals by working with EPA through the voluntary Climate 
Leaders program. EPA has developed this renewal ICR to ensure that the 
program remains credible by obtaining continued authorization to 
collect information from Climate Leaders Partners to ensure the 
partners are meeting their GHG goals over time. Companies that join 
Climate Leaders voluntarily agree to the following: Completing and 
submitting a Partnership Agreement; negotiating a corporate GHG 
reduction goal; submitting a GHG inventory management plan; 
participating in an onsite review of the inventory management plan, and 
reporting to EPA, on an annual basis, the company's GHG emissions 
inventory, and progress toward their GHG reduction goal via Climate 
Leaders Annual GHG Inventory Summary and Goal Tracking Form. The 
information contained in the inventories of the companies that join 
Climate Leaders may be considered Confidential Business Information 
(CBI) and is maintained as such. EPA uses the data obtained from the 
companies to assess the success of the program in achieving its GHG 
reduction goals. Responses to the information collection are voluntary.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to equal 19,636 
hours and to average 87 hours per respondent. 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: Climate Leaders Partner 
Corporations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 225.
    Frequency of Response: Annually, on occasion, one-time.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 19,636.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $1,847,826, which includes $0 
annualized capital/startup costs; $105 annualized Operating and 
Maintenance (O&M) costs and $1,847,721 annualized labor costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 7,681 hours in 
the total estimated burden compared with that identified in the ICR 
currently approved by OMB. Although the reporting requirements of the 
Climate Leader Partnership have been streamlined to reduce the 
individual burden for each reporter, the increase in overall costs are 
due to the continued growth in the number of companies participating in 
the Partnership. EPA has collaborated with partners to develop these 
revised reporting requirements, which are better suited for 
establishing and tracking progress of corporate GHG reduction goals. 
This change is result of a more interactive program approach between 
EPA and Climate Leaders Partners and a larger number of partners in the 
program since the currently approved ICR.

    Dated: October 23, 2008.
Deborah Williams,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
 [FR Doc. E8-25679 Filed 10-27-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P