[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 144 (Thursday, July 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35475-35476]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15999]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OLEM-2018-0367; FRL-9981-03-OLEM]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Underground Storage Tanks: Technical and Financial Requirements, and 
State Program Approval Procedures (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Underground Storage Tanks: 
Technical and Financial Requirements, and State Program Approval 
Procedures (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1360.16, OMB Control No. 2050-0068) 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. 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 January 31, 2019. 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 September 24, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OLEM-
2018-0367 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 Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth McDermott, Office of 
Underground Storage Tanks, Mail Code 5401R, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: (202) 564-0646; 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: Subtitle I of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 
(RCRA), as amended, requires that EPA develop standards for Underground 
Storage Tank (UST) systems, as may be necessary, to protect human 
health and the environment, and procedures for approving state programs 
in lieu of the federal program. EPA promulgated technical and financial 
requirements for owners and operators of USTs at 40 CFR part 280, and 
state program approval procedures at 40 CFR part 281. This ICR is a 
comprehensive presentation of all information collection requirements 
contained at 40 CFR parts 280 and 281.
    The data collected for new and existing UST system operations and 
financial requirements are used by owners and operators and/or EPA or 
the implementing agency to monitor results of testing, inspections, and 
operation of UST systems, as well as to demonstrate compliance with 
regulations. EPA believes strongly that if the minimum requirements 
specified under the regulations are not met, neither the facilities nor 
EPA can ensure that UST systems are being managed in a manner 
protective of human health and the environment.
    EPA uses state program applications to determine whether to approve 
a state program. Before granting approval, EPA must determine that 
programs will be no less stringent than the federal program and contain 
adequate enforcement mechanisms.
    Form numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Facilities that own and operate 
underground storage tanks (USTs), states that implement the UST 
programs, and tribes.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory (40 CFR part 280).
    Estimated number of respondents: 202,830.
    Frequency of response: Once, on occasion, annual.
    Total estimated burden: 8,722,192 hours (per year). Burden is 
defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $679,800,866 (per year), includes 
$424,720,745 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in estimates: There is an increase of 3,309,061 hours in 
the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This ICR renewal includes several new requirements 
that became effective as of October 2018, which has resulted in a 
burden increase (e.g., annual release detection operability testing and 
recordkeeping, periodic testing and inspection of spill, overfill 
equipment and containment sumps, operator training, walkthrough 
inspections, notification of ownership changes, and maintaining records 
for compatibility). In addition, EPA expects most states to submit 
state program re-approval

[[Page 35476]]

applications during the three-year period of this ICR.

    Dated: July 9, 2018.
Carolyn Hoskinson,
Director, Office of Underground Storage Tanks.
[FR Doc. 2018-15999 Filed 7-25-18; 8:45 am]
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