[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 71 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15835-15836]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-07542]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2016-0731; FRL-9976-68-OEI]


Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; EPA's Voluntary Natural Gas STAR Methane 
Challenge Program

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 15836]]

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), ``EPA's Voluntary Natural Gas 
STAR Methane Challenge Program'' (EPA ICR No. 2547.01, OMB Control No. 
2060-NEW) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a 
request for approval of a new collection. Public comments were 
previously requested via the Federal Register (81 FR 90355) on December 
14, 2016 during a 60-day comment period, and no comments were received. 
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 May 14, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OAR-2016-0731, 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: Justin Pryor, Office of Atmospheric 
Programs, Climate Change Division, (6207A), Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 202-343-9258; fax number: 202-343-2342; 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 Natural Gas STAR Methane Challenge Program is a 
voluntary program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) that provides an innovative voluntary mechanism through which oil 
and natural gas companies can make specific, ambitious commitments to 
reduce methane emissions. This Program is an integral part of the EPA's 
ongoing commitment to address methane emissions and global climate 
change, and was developed through extensive stakeholder engagement and 
support from companies and trade organizations in the oil and gas 
industry. Methane is the primary component of natural gas and a potent 
greenhouse gas. The Program works to encourage oil and natural gas 
companies to go above and beyond existing regulatory action and make 
meaningful and transparent commitments to yield significant methane 
emissions reductions in a quick, flexible, cost-effective way. 
Transparency in comprehensively tracking company commitments through 
the non-confidential data reported by Methane Challenge partners is a 
key feature of the Program, and enables partners to highlight emissions 
reductions achieved through voluntary action taken. Implementation of 
the Methane Challenge Program's two commitment options, the Best 
Management Practice Commitment and the ONE Future Emissions Intensity 
Commitment, improves operational efficiency, saves partner companies 
money, and enhances the protection of the environment.
    Forms: Methane Challenge Program partners are required to sign and 
submit to EPA a Partnership Agreement (PA) that describes the terms of 
participation in the Program. The PA forms covered under this ICR 
include: Methane Challenge Program Partnership Agreement--Best 
Management Practice Commitment; and, Methane Challenge Program 
Partnership Agreement--ONE Future Commitment. Partners must complete 
and submit a Methane Challenge Implementation Plan within six months of 
signing the MOU. The Implementation Plan forms covered under this ICR 
include: Methane Challenge Program Implementation Plan Template--BMP 
Commitment; and, Methane Challenge Program Implementation Plan 
Template--ONE Future Commitment. After one full calendar year of 
participation in the Program, EPA requires partners to submit a 
specific set of data documenting the previous year's methane emissions, 
activity data, and reduction activities. The annual reporting forms 
covered under this ICR include: Best Management Practice Commitment 
Reporting Forms. The annual reporting forms for the ONE Future 
Commitment Option are to be developed but will follow the requirements 
set forth in the following document, available on the program website: 
Supplemental Technical Information for ONE Future Commitment Option. 
Upon becoming a partner in the Methane Challenge Program, companies are 
given an opportunity to draft and submit a Historical Actions Fact 
Sheet, which provides information on historical methane reduction 
actions taken prior to joining Methane Challenge. A two-page fact sheet 
template is made available to partner companies and allows entry of up 
to five key methane mitigation activities, including text, photos, and 
graphics. Submitting this document is not a requirement of the Methane 
Challenge Program partnership. The fact sheet covered under this ICR 
is: Historical Actions Fact Sheet Template.
    Respondents/affected entities: The Natural Gas STAR Methane 
Challenge Program is open to companies in the oil production, and 
production, gathering and boosting, processing, transmission and 
storage, and distribution segments of the natural gas industry.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.
    Estimated number of respondents: 58 (total projected partners over 
the three-year ICR period).
    Frequency of response: Annual.
    Total estimated annual burden: 2,978 hours. Burden is defined at 5 
CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated annual cost: $268,952, which includes $0 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2018-07542 Filed 4-11-18; 8:45 am]
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