[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 25 (Thursday, February 6, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7180-7181]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02571]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2005-0161; FRL-9906-21-OAR]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Production Outlook Reports for Un-Registered Renewable Fuels Producers

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to 
submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Production Outlook 
Reports for Un-Registered Renewable Fuels Producers'' (EPA ICR No. 
2409.02, OMB Control No. 2060-0640 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.). Before doing so, EPA is 
soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed 
information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension 
of the ICR, which is currently approved through May 31, 2014. 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: Comments must be submitted on or before April 7, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2005-0161, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), or 
by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail 
Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    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

[[Page 7181]]

Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Geanetta Heard, Fuels Compliance 
Center, 6406J, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. 
NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-343-9017; fax number: 
202-565-2085; 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.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA is soliciting 
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. 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. At that time, EPA will issue another Federal Register notice 
to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to 
submit additional comments to OMB.
    Abstract: With this information collection request (ICR), we are 
seeking permission to accept production outlook reports from domestic 
or foreign renewable fuel producers who are not currently regulated 
parties under the RFS2 program. The respondents for this ICR are not 
regulated parties under the RFS2 program and are therefore, not 
required to register or report under the RFS2 regulations. Submission 
of production outlook information to EPA under this ICR will be on a 
voluntary basis.
    The information that respondents provide will allow EPA to more 
accurately project cellulosic biofuel volumes for the following 
calendar year, and these volume projections will form the basis of the 
percentage standards EPA sets under the RFS2 program. Without 
information from these respondents, EPA's volume projections are more 
likely to fall below actual projection volumes. Under such 
circumstances, actual supply for cellulosic biofuel will exceed the 
demand created by the standards EPA sets, and the value of cellulosic 
biofuel Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) will fall. RINs are 
marketable credits that correspond to a given volume of renewable fuel. 
Since RIN market price directly affects the economic viability of 
cellulosic biofuel production, low RIN prices could present economic 
difficulties to producers. Thus, it is in the interests of these 
respondents to provide this information to EPA, as doing so could 
ensure that the market price of RINs appropriately reflects the value 
of their cellulosic biofuel. This information also serves a more 
general program purpose, because it will assist EPA in setting the 
annual RFS2 standards more accurately for biomass-based diesel, 
advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel. Compiling this information 
may also assist respondents with their planning and compliance 
activities. We believe that many parties would wish to submit this 
information in order to receive better assistance in understanding and 
complying with the RFS2 regulations.
    Form Numbers: 5900-283 (RFS2 0900 Production Outlook Report).
    Respondents/affected entities: 35.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.
    Estimated number of respondents: 35 (total).
    Frequency of response: Yearly.
    Total estimated burden: 140 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 
5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $16,100 (per year), includes no annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: There is no increase of hours in the total 
estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by 
OMB. The respondent universe and responses also remained the same in 
this collection. There was in increase in cost to the industry of 
$6,160 per year due to better numbers used to calculate the industry 
burden and to account for inflation.

    Dated: January 28, 2014.
Byron Bunker,
Director, Compliance Division, Office of Transportation and Air 
Quality, Office of Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 2014-02571 Filed 2-5-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P