[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 162 (Thursday, August 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49511-49513]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-19876]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OECA-2014-0523; FRL 9915-42-OECA]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Air Stationary Source Compliance and Enforcement 
Information Reporting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 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 Jan 31, 
2015. 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 October 20, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-

[[Page 49512]]

OECA-2014-0523, 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: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket 
Center, [Enter Name of Docket Here], Mail Code 28221T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460 Hand Delivery: EPA Docket 
Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., 
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-OECA-
2014-0523. 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. 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 EPA's public docket visit the EPA Docket Center 
homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David A. Meredith, Enforcement 
Targeting and Data Division, Office of Compliance, (2222A), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-4152; 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-OECA-2014-0523, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Enforcement and 
Compliance Docket and Information Center (ECDIC) in the EPA Docket 
Center (EPA/DC), EPA WJC-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 ECDIC is 202-566-1752.
    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?

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
State, Local, Territorial, Indian Nations, and Commonwealth 
governments.
    Title: Air Stationary Source Compliance and Enforcement Information 
Reporting.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 0107.011, OMB Control No. 2060-0096.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on Jan. 31, 
2015. 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 
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: Air Stationary Source Compliance and Enforcement 
Information Reporting is an activity whereby State, Local, Native 
American, Territorial, and Commonwealth governments (hereafter referred 
to as either ``states/locals'' or ``state and local agencies'') make 
air stationary source compliance and enforcement information available 
to the U.S.

[[Page 49513]]

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) on a cyclic basis 
via input to the Air Facility System (AFS), until mid October 2014, and 
via input to the modernized AFS--the Air component of the Integrated 
Compliance Information System (ICIS-Air), from late October 2014 
forward. The Agency, with support from state and local agencies, is 
nearing completion of the modernization of AFS into ICIS-Air. The 
planned date of the implementation of ICIS-Air is October 27, 2014.
    ICIS-Air supports EPA and state and local agency efforts to ensure 
compliance with the nation's environmental laws pertaining to air, via 
the collection and management of important Clean Air Act (CAA or the 
``Act'') compliance and enforcement information. The information to be 
provided to EPA via ICIS-Air includes source characterization, 
compliance monitoring, and enforcement activities. EPA will use this 
information to assess progress toward meeting emission requirements 
developed under the authority of the CAA, and to protect and maintain 
air quality, public health, and the environment. Agencies receive 
delegation of the CAA through regulated grant authorities, and report 
compliance/enforcement activities undertaken at stationary sources 
pursuant to the Minimum Data Requirements (MDRs) as outlined in this 
ICR. The provisions of Section 114(a)(1) of the Clean Air Act, 42 
U.S.C. Section 7414(a)(1) provide the broad authority for the reporting 
of compliance monitoring and enforcement information, along with 
Subpart Q-Reports in 40 CFR 51: Sections 51.324(a) and (b), and 51.327. 
This renewal requires the continuation of reporting of previously 
established MDRs via a new information system solution--ICIS-Air 
instead of AFS. Since AFS will be replaced by ICIS-Air prior to the 
official renewal of this ICR, we are including in the Supporting 
Statement a crosswalk between the MDRs expressed as the current AFS 
data elements and as the new ICIS-Air data elements.

Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

    The current EPA database for which these data are reported (i.e., 
AFS) will not exist at the time of this ICR renewal; therefore, EPA 
will not perform a new burden estimate based on reporting to AFS. Since 
the new, replacement system, ICIS-Air, is not yet implemented in a 
production environment, we cannot use the new system to develop a new 
burden estimate for future reporting to ICIS-Air at the current time. 
EPA will estimate burden in the Federal Register notice with the ICR to 
the best of its ability and will take comment on those estimates.
    While transition to the new ICIS-Air system will require some 
investment at the federal, state and local levels, EPA believes that by 
providing a modern and more capable information system, states and 
locals as a group will experience a significant overall reduction in 
reporting burden. This will occur for states/locals that are direct 
users, as well as for those using electronic data transfer (EDT) to 
report MDRs to ICIS-Air. In addition to the anticipated burden 
reduction associated with completion of AFS modernization to ICIS-Air, 
EPA is nearing completion of two major policy revisions--the High 
Priority Violations (HPV) and Federally Reportable Violations (FRV) 
policies--that will result in a narrowing of the scope of CAA 
enforcement and compliance reporting as compared to the previous ICR 
renewal cycle. These policy revisions will result in additional burden 
reduction for state and local agencies.
    EPA does anticipate that operational and maintenance costs 
associated with state and local agency reporting will increase modestly 
due to inflationary pressures (e.g., increased hourly resource costs 
for management, professional, and related occupational groups). The 
labor rates used in the ICR estimates will be taken from the Department 
of Labor Employment Compensation and Costs (ECEC) Web site. These 
changes will be reflected in the final supporting statement for this 
ICR.

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 be submitted by EPA 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 a 
second 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: August 15, 2014.
Betsy Smidinger,
Acting Director, Office of Compliance, Office of Enforcement and 
Compliance Assurance.
[FR Doc. 2014-19876 Filed 8-20-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P