[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 32 (Thursday, February 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9233-9235]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3688]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0034; FRL-9633-2]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Reporting Requirements Under EPA's Voluntary Aluminum 
Industrial Partnership (VAIP)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

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) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is 
scheduled to expire on April 30, 2012. 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 April 16, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2003-0034, by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 202-566-9744.
     Mail: Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center, Public Reading Room, EPA 
Headquarters West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue 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.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2003-0034. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
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 email. The 
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 email comment 
directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov your email 
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.

[[Page 9234]]

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: Sally Rand, Climate Change Division, 
Office of Atmospheric Programs, 6207J, Environmental Protection Agency, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 
202-343-9739; fax number: 202-343-2202; email 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-2003-0034, 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 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 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?

    Docket ID No.: EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0034.
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
those engaged in primary aluminum production.
    Title: Reporting Requirements under the Voluntary Aluminum 
Industrial Partnership (VAIP).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1867.05, OMB Control No. 2060-0411.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on April 30, 
2012. 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's Voluntary Aluminum Industrial Partnership (VAIP) 
was initiated in 1995 and is an important voluntary program 
contributing to the overall reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases. 
This program focuses on reducing direct greenhouse gas emissions 
including perfluorocarbon (PFC) and carbon dioxide (CO2) 
emissions from the production of primary aluminum. Seven of the eight 
U.S. producers of primary aluminum participate in this program. PFCs 
are very potent greenhouse gases with global warming potentials several 
thousand times that of carbon dioxide and they persist in the 
atmosphere for thousands of years. CO2 is emitted from 
consumption of the carbon anode. EPA has developed this ICR to renew 
authorization to collect information from companies in the VAIP. 
Participants voluntarily agree to the following: Designate a VAIP 
liaison; set emission reduction goals, undertake technically feasible 
and cost-effective actions to reduce PFC and direct CO2 
emissions, and share information on best practices to reduce emissions. 
The information is used by EPA to support the sector-wide adoption of 
cost-effective technically feasible greenhouse gas emissions and assess 
the success of the program in achieving its goals.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 30.0 
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 training systems for the purposes 
of collecting, validating, and verifying emission reduction 
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 emission 
reduction 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:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 7
    Frequency of response: Annual.

[[Page 9235]]

    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 
One per respondent per year.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 30 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $10,000. This includes an estimated 
burden cost of $10,000 and an estimated 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 60 hours in the total estimated respondent 
burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by 
OMB. This decrease reflects that effective in 2010, all producers of 
primary aluminum are subject to mandatory reporting under EPA's 
Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GGRP). Emissions data collection and 
reporting efforts are no longer components of the voluntary activities 
covered by this information collection request. Consequently, the 
overall burden has decreased from 90 hours to 30 hours with the 
corresponding decrease in the previously estimated reporting burden.

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: February 10, 2012.
Rona Birnbaum,
Acting Director, Climate Change Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-3688 Filed 2-15-12; 8:45 am]
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