[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 73 (Monday, April 16, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16357-16358]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-07887]


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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0209; FRL-9976-91-OAR]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Cross-
State Air Pollution Rule and Texas SO2 Trading Programs 
(Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Cross-State Air Pollution Rule 
and Texas SO2 Trading Programs (40 CFR part 97, subparts 
AAAAA-FFFFF) (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 2391.05, OMB Control No. 2060-
0667) 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, 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 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 June 15, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2018-0209, 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.
    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, (6204M), 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 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: EPA is renewing an ICR for the Cross-State Air Pollution 
Rule (CSAPR) trading programs to allow for continued implementation of 
the programs. The information collection requirements under all five 
CSAPR trading programs are reflected in the existing ICR as most 
recently revised in 2016. In 2017, Texas sources were removed from two 
CSAPR trading programs and EPA promulgated the Texas SO2 
Trading Program using the CSAPR trading programs as a model. This ICR 
renewal reflects the 2017 termination of information collection 
requirements for Texas sources under the two CSAPR trading programs and 
the 2019 re-establishment of some of the same requirements for some of 
the same sources under the Texas trading program. Most affected sources 
under the CSAPR and Texas trading programs are also subject to the Acid 
Rain Program (ARP). The information collection requirements under the 
CSAPR and Texas trading programs, which consist primarily of 
requirements to monitor and report emissions data in accordance with 40 
CFR part 75, substantially overlap and are fully integrated with ARP 
information collection requirements. The burden and costs of 
overlapping requirements are accounted for in the ARP ICR (OMB Control 
Number 2060-0258). This ICR accounts for information collection burden 
and costs under the CSAPR and Texas trading programs that are 
incremental to the burden and costs already accounted for in the ARP 
ICR. All data received by EPA will be treated as public information.

[[Page 16358]]

    Form Numbers: Agent Notice of Delegation #5900-172, Certificate of 
Representation #7610-1, General Account Form #7610-5, Allowance 
Transfer Form #7610-6, Retired Unit Exemption #7610-20, Allowance 
Deduction #7620-4.
    Respondents/affected entities: Industry respondents are stationary, 
fossil fuel-fired boilers and combustion turbines serving electricity 
generators subject to the CSAPR and Texas trading programs, as well as 
non-source entities voluntarily participating in allowance trading 
activities. Potential state respondents are states that can elect to 
submit state-determined allowance allocations for sources located in 
their states.
    Respondents' obligation to respond: Industry respondents: Voluntary 
and mandatory (Sections 110(a) and 301(a) of the Clean Air Act). State 
respondents: Voluntary.
    Estimated number of respondents: EPA estimates that there are 1,028 
industry respondents, including 978 affected sources and 50 non-source 
entities participating in allowance trading activities, and 27 
potential state respondents.
    Frequency of response: On occasion, quarterly, and annually.
    Total estimated burden: 134,423 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $18,563,878 (per year); includes $8,207,545 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: There is decrease of 40,699 hours in the 
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This decrease is due almost entirely to adjustments in 
the estimated numbers of respondents and transactions and the time 
required to complete certain activities. Changes in programs--i.e., the 
removal of Texas units from two CSAPR trading programs and the start of 
the Texas SO2 Trading Program--together are responsible for 
approximately 574 hours of the overall decrease.

    Dated: April 3, 2018.
Reid P. Harvey,
Director, Clean Air Markets Division, Office of Atmospheric Programs, 
Office of Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 2018-07887 Filed 4-13-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P