[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 176 (Tuesday, September 11, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45926-45927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-19771]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0015; FRL-9983-60-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. 1587.14, 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). 
Before doing so, the 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 
March 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 November 13, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2004-0015, at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot 
be edited or removed from Regulations.gov. 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. 
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. The EPA 
will generally not consider comments or comment contents located 
outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or other 
file sharing system). For additional submission methods, the full EPA 
public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, 
and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.

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 
www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, 
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., permitting 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 Clean Air Act (Act) 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 the EPA to develop regulations 
that establish the minimum requirements for those state operating 
permits programs and to oversee implementation of the state programs. 
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.

[[Page 45927]]

    Information that is collected is handled according to the 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.
    Form Numbers: None.
    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: 13,712 sources and 117 state, 
local and tribal permitting authorities.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Total estimated burden: 4,738,925 hours (per year). Burden is 
defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $321,878,589 (per year). There are no 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: There is a decrease of 429,890 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: August 29, 2018.
Anna Marie Wood,
Director, Air Quality Policy Division.
[FR Doc. 2018-19771 Filed 9-10-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P