[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 81 (Thursday, April 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24952-24954]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10101]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0162; FRL-9665-9]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Regional Haze Regulations; EPA ICR No. 1813.08

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 the 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 October 31, 2012. Before submitting 
the ICR to OMB for review and approval, the EPA is soliciting comments 
on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described 
below.

DATES: Comments. Written comments must be received on or before June 
25, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2003-0162, by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.

[[Page 24953]]

     Email: [email protected]. Attention Docket ID No. 
EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0162.
     Fax: (202) 566-9744. Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2003-0162.
     Mail: EPA Docket Center, EPA West (Air Docket), Attention 
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0162, Environmental Protection Agency, 
Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center (Air Docket), Attention 
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0162, Environmental Protection Agency, 
1301 Constitution Avenue NW., Room 3334, Washington, DC. 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-
2003-0162. The 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 the 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 the 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, the 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 the EPA cannot read your comment due to technical 
difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, the EPA may not 
be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use 
of special characters and any form of encryption, and be free of any 
defects or viruses. For additional information about the EPA's public 
docket, visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the 
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some 
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such 
as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
in www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the EPA Docket Center EPA/DC, 
EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The 
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 Public 
Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the EPA 
Docket Center is (202) 566-1742.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Gobeail McKinley (919) 541-5246, 
[email protected], Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, 
Air Quality Policy Division, Mail Code C539-04, Research Triangle Park, 
NC 27711.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

How can I access the docket and/or submit comments?

    The EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket 
ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0162, which is available for online viewing at 
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 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 the EPA particularly interested in?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, the 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, the EPA is requesting comments 
from very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples 
of specific additional efforts that the 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 the 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 the 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 
state, local and tribal air quality agencies, regional planning 
organizations and facilities potentially regulated under the regional 
haze rule.
    Title: Regional Haze Regulations; EPA ICR No. 1813.08, OMB Control 
No. 2060-0412.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1813.08, OMB Control No. 2060-0412.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on October 
31,

[[Page 24954]]

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 the 
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 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: This ICR is for activities related to the implementation 
of the EPA's regional haze regulations, for the time period between 
October 31, 2012, and October 30, 2015, and renews the previous ICR. 
The regional haze rule codified at 40 CFR parts 308 and 309, as 
authorized by sections 169A and 169B of the Clean Air Act (CAA), 
requires states to develop implementation plans to protect visibility 
in 156 federally-protected Class I areas. Tribes may choose to develop 
implementation plans. For this time period, states will be revising 
their implementation plans to comply with the regulations. An agency 
may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, 
a collection of information request unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for the EPA's 
regulations in 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR chapter 
15.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 320 
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:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 34.
    Frequency of response: Every 5 years.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 4,080 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $198,084. This includes an estimated 
burden cost of $198,084 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 are revisions to the cost estimates since the last renewal of 
this ICR (August 26, 2009; 74 FR 43118). The last collection request 
anticipated the program progressing from the planning stages to 
implementation. The last renewal estimate was 31,841 hours and 
$2,563,000. The current estimate represents a decrease in hours and in 
the costs. The change in burden is a program adjustment, reflecting 
changes in labor rates, changes in the activities conducted due to the 
normal progression of the program, and the fact that the aggregate 
initial regional haze SIPs and best available retrofit technology 
(BART) determinations will have been acted upon by the EPA by November 
2012 and the states will be shifting their focus to development of 
interim progress reports required by the regional haze rule.

What is the next step in the process for this ICR?

    The 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, the 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 20, 2012.
Mary E. Henigin,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2012-10101 Filed 4-25-12; 8:45 am]
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