[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 3369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01051]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2006-0947; FRL-9905-52-OEI]


Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; NOX Budget Trading Program To 
Reduce the Regional Transport of Ozone (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Information Collection Request 
Renewal for the NOX Budget Trading Program to Reduce the 
Regional Transport of Ozone'' (EPA ICR No. 1857.06, OMB Control No. 
2060-0445) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.). This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently 
approved through February 28, 2014. Public comments were previously 
requested via the Federal Register (78 FR 57153) on September 17, 2013 
during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 
days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given 
below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. 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.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before February 20, 
2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OAR-2006-0947, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), by email to [email protected], or by 
mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 
28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB 
via email to [email protected]. Address comments to OMB Desk 
Officer for EPA.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen VanSickle, Clean Air Markets 
Division, Office of Air and Radiation, (6204J), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number (202) 343-9220; fax number: (202) 343-2361; email 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents which explain in detail 
the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the 
public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at 
www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone 
number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Abstract: The NOX Budget Trading Program was a market-
based cap and trade program created to reduce emissions of nitrogen 
oxides (NOX) from power plants and other large combustion 
sources in the eastern United States. NOX is a prime 
ingredient in the formation of ground-level ozone (smog), a pervasive 
air pollution problem in many areas of the eastern United States. The 
NOX Budget Trading Program was established as an optional 
implementation mechanism for the NOX State Implementation 
Plan (SIP) Call and was designed to reduce NOX emissions 
during the warm summer months, referred to as the ozone season, when 
ground-level ozone concentrations are highest. In 2009 the program was 
replaced by the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) Ozone Season Trading 
Program. The renewal of this ICR is necessary primarily because some 
sources in certain States are still required to monitor and report 
emissions data to EPA under those states' NOX SIP Call 
rules. All data received by EPA will be treated as public information. 
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 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9.
    Form Numbers: EPA form number 7620-16.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are those which formerly participated in the NOX 
Budget Trading Program to Reduce the Regional Transport of Ozone and 
which continue to have reporting obligations under their states' 
NOX SIP Call rules that are not duplicated under other 
rules.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: mandatory (Sections 110(a) and 
301(a) of the Clean Air Act).
    Estimated number of respondents: EPA estimates that there are 122 
former NOX Budget Trading Program units that will continue 
to conduct monitoring in accordance with Part 75 solely under the 
NOX SIP call.
    Frequency of response: yearly, quarterly, occasionally.
    Total estimated burden: 57,586 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
    Total estimated cost: $8,066,616 (per year), includes $3,777,000 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is no increase in the hours in the 
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB.

John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2014-01051 Filed 1-17-14; 8:45 am]
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