[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 182 (Tuesday, September 22, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48335-48337]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-22738]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2009-0059]


Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping Requirements

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from 
the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed 
collections of information, including extensions and reinstatement of 
previously approved collections. This document describes a request for 
emergency clearance for a collection of information associated with 
product plan information to assist the agency in establishing corporate 
average fuel economy standards for model years 2012 through 2016 
passenger cars and light trucks. The establishment of those standards 
is required by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended by 
the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, Public Law 
110-140.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 23, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Comments must refer to the docket notice number cited at the 
beginning of this notice, and be submitted to: Mr. Ken Katz, Fuel 
Economy Division, Office of International Policy, Fuel Economy and 
Consumer Programs, at (202) 366-0846, facsimile (202) 493-2290, 
electronic mail: [email protected]. For legal issues, call Ms. Dorothy 
Nakama, Office of the Chief Counsel, at (202) 366-2992.
    It is requested, but not required, that 2 copies of the comment be 
provided.

[[Page 48336]]

    Commenters may also, but are not required to, submit their comments 
to the docket number identified in the heading of this document by any 
of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, M-30, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room 
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    You may call the Docket Management Facility at 202-366-9826.
    Regardless of how you submit your comments, you should mention the 
docket number of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Complete copies of the request for 
collection that is the subject of this notice may be obtained from Mr. 
Ken Katz at (202) 366-0846, facsimile (202) 493-2290, electronic mail: 
[email protected] or Ms. Dorothy Nakama at (202) 366-2992.
    The mailing address for both officials is: NHTSA, 1200 New Jersey 
Ave., SE., Washington, DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
before a proposed collection of information is submitted to OMB for 
approval, Federal agencies must first publish a document in the Federal 
Register providing a 60-day comment period and otherwise consult with 
members of the public and affected agencies concerning each proposed 
collection of information. The OMB has promulgated regulations 
describing what must be included in such a document. Under the OMB 
regulation (at 5 CFR 1320.8(d)), an agency must ask for public comment 
on the following:
    (i) 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) 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) How to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (iv) How to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including 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 this notice, we are soliciting public comment on the following 
collection of information of manufacturers' production plan data for 
model years (MYs) 2008-2020 in connection with NHTSA's establishing of 
passenger car and light truck CAFE standards for model years 2012-2016. 
We are asking OMB for processing through emergency procedures 
established at 5 CFR Section 1320.13, and have asked OMB to approve or 
disapprove this collection within a week.
    Title: 49 CFR Parts 531 and 533 Passenger Car Average Fuel Economy 
Standards--Model Years 2008-2020; Light Truck Average Fuel Economy 
Standards--Model Years 2008-2020; Production Plan Data.
    OMB Control Number: 2127-0665.
    Form Number: There are no standard forms associated with this 
collection of information.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: Ninety days from approval 
date.
    Type of Request: Emergency clearance.
    Summary of the Collection of Information: In this collection of 
information, NHTSA is requesting any updates to previously submitted 
future product plans from vehicle manufacturers, as well as production 
data through the recent past, including data about engines and 
transmissions for model year (MY) 2008 through MY 2020 passenger cars 
and light trucks and the assumptions underlying those plans. The 
submission of product plan information by manufacturers to NHTSA is 
voluntary.
    NHTSA requests information for MYs 2008-2020 to supplement other 
information used by NHTSA in developing a realistic forecast of the MY 
2012-2016 vehicle market, and in evaluating what technologies may 
feasibly be applied by manufacturers to achieve compliance with the MY 
2012-2016 standards. Information regarding earlier model years may help 
the agency to better account for cumulative effects such as volume- and 
time-based reductions in costs, and also may help to reveal product mix 
and technology application trends during model years for which the 
agency is currently receiving actual corporate average fuel economy 
(CAFE) compliance data. Information regarding later model years may 
help the agency gain a better understanding of how manufacturers' plans 
through MY 2016 relate to their longer-term expectations regarding 
Energy Independence and Security Act requirements, market trends, and 
prospects for more advanced technologies.
    NHTSA will also consider information from model years before and 
after MYs 2012-2016 when reviewing manufacturers' planned schedules for 
redesigning and freshening their products, in order to examine how 
manufacturers anticipate tying technology introduction to product 
design schedules and to consider how the agency should account for 
those schedules in its analysis for the final rule. In addition, the 
agency is requesting information regarding manufacturers' estimates of 
the future vehicle population, and fuel economy improvements and 
incremental costs attributed to this notice.
    Description of the Need for the Information and the Proposed Use of 
the Information:
    NHTSA needs the information described above to aid in assessing 
what CAFE standards should be established for model years 2012 through 
2016 passenger cars and light trucks.
    Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number 
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information):
    It is estimated that this collection affects approximately 22 motor 
vehicle manufacturers. The information that is the subject of this 
collection of information is collected once, for the final rule.
    Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden 
Resulting from the Collection of Information: The estimated burden is 
as follows:
    It is estimated that this collection affects approximately 22 
vehicle manufacturers. One major manufacturer (General Motors) 
estimated their burden to be approximately 4,300 hours. The burden to 
other manufacturers was estimated using sales weights relative to 
General Motors' total sales (e.g., if a manufacturer produces 50 
percent as many vehicles as General Motors, their burden is estimated 
to be 4,300 * 0.5 = 2150 hours). Therefore the burden to each 
manufacturer depends on the number of vehicles that manufacturer 
produces. The total estimated burden is 16,000 hours annually.

[[Page 48337]]



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Number of Affected Vehicle Manufacturers..............                22
Annual Labor Hours for Each Manufacturer To Prepare            Variable.
 and Submit Required Information......................
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    Total Annual Information Collection Burden........     16,000 hours.
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    The monetized cost associated with this information collection is 
determined by multiplying the total labor hours by an appropriate labor 
rate. For this information collection, we believe vehicle manufacturers 
will use mechanical engineers to prepare and submit the data. 
Therefore, we are applying a labor rate of $36.02 per hour which is the 
median national wage for mechanical engineers.\1\ Thus, the estimated 
monetized annual cost is 16,000 hours x $36.02 per hour = $576,320.
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    \1\ The national median hourly rate for mechanical engineers, 
May 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is $36.02. 
See http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/oes_nat.htm#b17-0000 (last 
accessed August 26, 2009).

    Authority:  44 U.S.C. 3506(c); delegation of authority at 49 CFR 
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1.50.

Julie Abraham,
Director, International Policy, Fuel Economy and Consumer Programs.
[FR Doc. E9-22738 Filed 9-17-09; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P