[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 67 (Thursday, April 8, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17915-17917]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-7970]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0079: FRL-9135-2]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard, 
EPA ICR No. 2236.03, OMB Control No. 2060-0594

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 EPA is planning to 
submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection 
Request (ICR) 2236.03--8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality 
Standard to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is 
scheduled to expire on July 31, 2010. Before submitting the 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 June 7, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2003-0079, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: (202) 564-9744.
     Mail: Environmental Protection Agency, Air and Radiation 
Docket, Mailcode 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 
20460. Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal 
hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for 
deliveries of boxed information. Please include a total of two copies.
     Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center, Public Reading Room, EPA 
West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20004. 
Such deliveries are only accepted 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-
2003-0079. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
http://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 protected through www.regulations.gov 
or e-mail. The http://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 EPA without going through http://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, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or 
viruses. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit 
the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. H. Lynn Dail, Air Quality Policy 
Division, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Mail Code C539-
01, Environmental Protection Agency, T.W. Alexander Drive, Research 
Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: (919) 541-2363; fax number: 
(919) 541-0824; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

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

    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0079, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Air 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 
8:30 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 Docket is 202-566-1742.
    Use http://www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft 
collection of information, submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access

[[Page 17916]]

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 is EPA Particularly Interested in?

    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.

What Information Collection Activity or ICR Does This Apply to?

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
states and regional offices. They are potentially affected by the 
attainment demonstration, Reasonable Further Progress (RFP) State 
Implementation Plan (SIP) submission, and Reasonable Available Control 
Technology (RACT) SIP submission for the non-attainment areas. Local, 
state, and federal agencies are part of the North American Industrial 
Classification System Code number 924110. There are other entities that 
may be indirectly affected, as they may comment on the draft 
submissions before they are forwarded to EPA's regional offices. These 
include potentially regulated entities, representatives of special 
interest groups, and individuals.
    Title: 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard 
Implementation Rule.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2236.03, OMB Control No. 2060-0594.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on July 31, 
2010. 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 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), after 
appearing in the Federal Register when approved, are listed in 40 CFR 
part 9. They 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 PRA requires the information found in this ICR number 
2236.02 to assess the burden (in hours and dollars) of the 8-hour Ozone 
National Ambient Air Quality Standard Implementation (NAAQS) Rule as 
well as the periodic reporting and record keeping necessary to maintain 
the rule. The rule was proposed on June 2, 2003, (68 FR 32802) and 
promulgated in two Phases: Phase 1 published on April 30, 2004, (69 FR 
23951) and Phase 2 published on November 29, 2005 (70 FR 71612). The 
preamble to the proposed and final regulations addressed the 
administrative burden in general terms. The preamble to the final Phase 
2 rule stated that an ICR would be prepared (70 FR 71692). The rule 
includes requirements that involve collecting information from states 
with areas that have been designated nonattainment for the 8-hour ozone 
NAAQS. The time period covered in this ICR is a 3 year period from 
August 1, 2010, through July 31, 2013. These information collection 
milestones include state submission of an attainment demonstration SIP, 
a RFP SIP submission, and a RACT SIP. However, not all of the 
milestones and associated burden and administrative costs estimates 
apply to every designated nonattainment area. Areas with cleaner air 
quality have fewer requirements.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 317 
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.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
    Respondents/Affected Entities: State and local governments.
    Estimated total number of respondents: 39.
    Frequency of response: Annual.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 6,667 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $434,000. This includes an estimated 
burden cost of $0 for capital investment or maintenance and operational 
costs.

Are There Changes in the Estimates From the Last Approval?

    There is a decrease of 278,666 hours in the total estimated 
respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This decrease reflects EPA's information that the 
number of non-attainment areas has decreased as areas have come into 
compliance with the standards and that the burden associated with the 
remaining non-attainment areas is less because of the work they have 
done previously to comply with the standards.

[[Page 17917]]

What Is the Next Step in the Process for This ICR?

    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. At that time, 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: April 1, 2010.
Stephen D. Page,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2010-7970 Filed 4-7-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P