[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 66 (Wednesday, April 6, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19090-19092]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-8161]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-1016 ; FRL-9290-4]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; National Refrigerant Recycling 
and Emissions Reduction Program (Renewal)

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 May 6, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2010-1016 to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our 
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, Mail Code 28221T, 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 17th Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Newberg; Stratospheric 
Protection Division, Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Atmospheric 
Programs; Mail Code 6205J; Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 
343-9870; fax number: (202) 343-9729 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 December 14, 2010 (75 FR 77864), 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 -2010-1016, which is available for online viewing at http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Office of 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 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone

[[Page 19091]]

number for the Reading Room is 202-566-1744, and the telephone number 
for the Office of Air and Radiation Docket is 202-566-1742.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://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 http://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 http://www.regulations.gov.
    Title: National Refrigerant Recycling and Emissions Reduction 
Program (Renewal)
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1626.11, OMB Control No. 2060-0256.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2011. 
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: EPA has developed regulations under the Clean Air Act 
Amendments of 1990 (the Act) establishing standards and requirements 
regarding the use and disposal of class I and class II ozone-depleting 
substances used as refrigerants during the service, maintenance, 
repair, or disposal of refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment. 
Section 608(c) of the Act states that effective July 1, 1992 it is 
unlawful for any person in the course of maintaining, servicing, 
repairing, or disposing of refrigeration or air-conditioning equipment 
to knowingly vent or otherwise knowingly release or dispose of any 
class I or class II substance used as a refrigerant in the equipment in 
a manner which permits the substance to enter the environment.
    In 1993, EPA promulgated regulations under section 608 of the Act 
for the recycling of ozone-depleting refrigerants recovered during the 
servicing and disposal of air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. 
These regulations were published on May 14, 1993 (58 FR 28660) and 
codified in 40 CFR part 82, subpart F (Sec.  82.150 et seq.).
    The regulations require persons servicing refrigeration and air-
conditioning equipment to observe certain service practices that reduce 
emissions of ozone depleting refrigerants. The regulations also 
establish certification programs for technicians, recycling and 
recovery equipment, and off-site refrigerant reclaimers. In addition, 
EPA requires that ozone depleting refrigerants contained ``in bulk'' in 
appliances be removed prior to disposal of the appliances and that all 
refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, except for small 
appliances and room air conditioners, be provided with a servicing 
aperture that facilitates recovery of the refrigerant. Moreover, the 
Agency requires that substantial refrigerant leaks in equipment be 
repaired when they are discovered. These regulations significantly 
reduce emissions of ozone depleting refrigerants, and therefore aid 
U.S. and global efforts to minimize damage to the ozone layer and the 
environment as a whole.
    To facilitate compliance with and enforcement of section 608 
requirements, EPA requires reporting and record keeping requirements of 
technicians; technician certification programs; equipment testing 
organizations; refrigerant wholesalers and purchasers; refrigerant 
reclaimers; refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment owners; and 
other establishments that perform refrigerant removal, service, or 
disposal. The recordkeeping requirements and periodic submission of 
reports to EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Atmospheric 
Programs, occur on an annual, biannual, one-time or occasional basis 
depending on the nature of the reporting entity and the length of time 
that the entity has been in service. Specific reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements were published in 58 FR 28660 and codified 
under 40 CFR part 82, subpart F (i.e., Sec.  82.166). These reporting 
and recordkeeping requirements also allow EPA to evaluate the 
effectiveness of the refrigerant regulations, and help the Agency 
determine if we are meeting the obligations of the Unites States, under 
the 1987 Montreal Protocol, to reduce use and emissions of ozone-
depleting substances to the lowest achievable level.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 3 
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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected are 
those that recover, recycle, reclaim, sell or distribute in interstate 
commerce ozone-depleting refrigerants that contain chlorofluorocarbons 
(CFCs) or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs); and those that service, 
maintain, repair, or dispose of appliances containing CFC or HCFC 
refrigerants. In addition, the owners or operators of appliances 
containing more than 50 pounds of CFC or HCFC refrigerants are 
regulated.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 663,669.
    Frequency of Response: Primarily annually, with the exception of 
technician testing organizations that are required to report 
biannually.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 2,404,913.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $96,364,851, which includes $0 
annualized capital or O&M costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is no increase of hours in the 
total estimated individual respondent burden compared with that 
identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB. This is due to the 
fact that there have been no changes in any program requirement, no 
changes in EPA's estimates of the time required to submit reports and 
maintain records, and no changes in EPA's estimates of the overall 
number of respondents. However, due to a correction of miscalculated 
estimates in the ICR currently approved by OMB, there is a change in 
the estimated number of

[[Page 19092]]

respondents from that identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB. 
There is also an increase in the estimated total annual cost as a 
result of changes in EPA's estimates of labor rates.

    Dated: March 31, 2011.
John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2011-8161 Filed 4-5-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P