[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 89 (Friday, May 8, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26558-26559]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-11216]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0015; FRL-9927-43-OAR]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Part 70 
State Operating Permit Program (Renewal)

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), ``Part 70 State 
Operating Permit Program (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1587.12, OMB Control 
No. 2060.0243) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Before doing so, the EPA is soliciting public 
comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as 
described below. This ICR renewal covers state, local and tribal 
(state) air quality operating permitting programs under 40 CFR part 70, 
as authorized under Title V of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) for the 
period of November 1, 2015, through October 31, 2018. 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 July 7, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2004-0015, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or withdrawn. The 
EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not 
submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. If you need to include CBI as part of your 
comment, please visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html for 
instructions. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be 
accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the 
official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish 
to make.
    For additional submission methods, the full EPA public comment 
policy and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit 
http://www.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dylan C. Mataway-Novak, Air Quality 
Policy Division, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, C504-05, 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC; 
telephone number: (919) 541-5795; fax number: (919) 541-5509; 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 http://www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, William 
Jefferson Clinton West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue 
NW., Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is 
(202) 566-1744. For additional information about the EPA's public 
docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, the 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., 
allowing electronic submission of responses. 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. At that 
time, the 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: Title V of the CAA requires states to develop and 
implement a program for issuing operating permits to all sources that 
fall under any Act definition of ``major'' and certain other non-major 
sources that are subject to Federal air quality regulations. The Act 
further requires EPA to develop regulations that establish the minimum 
requirements for those state operating permits programs and to oversee 
implementation of the state programs.

[[Page 26559]]

The EPA regulations setting forth requirements for the state operating 
permit program are found at 40 CFR part 70. The part 70 program is 
designed to be implemented primarily by state, local and tribal 
permitting authorities in all areas where they have jurisdiction.
    In order to receive an operating permit for a major or other source 
subject to the permitting program, the applicant must conduct the 
necessary research, perform the appropriate analyses and prepare the 
permit application with documentation to demonstrate that its facility 
meets all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. Specific 
activities and requirements are listed and described in the Supporting 
Statement for the 40 CFR part 70 ICR.
    Under 40 CFR part 70, state, local and tribal permitting 
authorities review permit applications, provide for public review of 
proposed permits, issue permits based on consideration of all technical 
factors and public input and review information submittals required of 
sources during the term of the permit. Also, under 40 CFR part 70, the 
EPA reviews certain actions of the permitting authorities and provides 
oversight of the programs to ensure that they are being adequately 
implemented and enforced. Consequently, information prepared and 
submitted by sources is essential for sources to receive permits, and 
for federal, state, local and tribal permitting authorities to 
adequately review the permit applications and thereby properly 
administer and manage the program.
    Information that is collected is handled according to EPA's 
policies set forth in title 40, chapter 1, part 2, subpart B--
Confidentiality of Business Information (see 40 CFR part 2). See also 
section 114(c) of the Act.
    Respondents/affected entities: Industrial plants (sources); state, 
local and tribal permitting authorities.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory (see 40 CFR part 70).
    Estimated number of respondents: 15,780 sources and 116 state, 
local and tribal permitting authorities.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Total estimated burden: 5,168,815 hours (per year). Burden is 
defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $326,493,677 (per year). There are no 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: There is a decrease of 144,871 hours per year 
for the estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This decrease is due to updated estimates of the 
number of sources and permits subject to the part 70 program, rather 
than any change in federal mandates.

    Dated: April 30, 2015.
Stephen D. Page,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2015-11216 Filed 5-7-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P