[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 214 (Monday, November 5, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55362-55363]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-24159]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0663; FRL-9986-11-OAR]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements for the Performance-Based 
Measurement System for Fuels (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), ``Recordkeeping and 
Reporting Requirements for the Performance-based Measurement System for 
Fuels'' (EPA ICR No. 2459.03, OMB Control No. 2060-0692) 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 May 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 January 4, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2018-0663, 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: James W. Caldwell, Compliance 
Division, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, 6405A, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, 
DC 20460; telephone number: 202-343-9303; fax number: 202-343-2802; 
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: EPA regulations at 40 CFR part 80 set standards for 
certain parameters of gasoline and diesel fuel, such as sulfur content, 
to control harmful vehicle emissions and protect emission controls. 
Refiners and importers are required to test for these parameters and 
report the results to EPA. The regulations at 40 CFR part 80.47, 
80.584, and 80.585 (1) identify acceptable test methods for some of the 
regulated parameters, (2) specify criteria for precision, accuracy, and 
quality control for the test methods used to measure the regulated 
parameters (certain test methods in use prior to October 28, 2013 are 
exempt from some of the criteria), and (3) establish procedures by 
which a test laboratory can demonstrate that an alternative test method 
meets the criteria and is thus ``qualified'' for use. This program for 
the qualification of test methods is known as the Performance-based 
Measurement

[[Page 55363]]

System (PBMS). Test laboratories are required to generate certain 
records to demonstrate compliance with PBMS program requirements. This 
ICR covers the recordkeeping and reporting requirements for PBMS 
records. There are no required forms. Example formats for certain 
records are at: https://www.epa.gov/fuels-registration-reporting-and-compliance-help/compliance-performance-based-measurement-system.
    Form numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Laboratories that test gasoline and 
diesel fuel.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory.
    Estimated number of respondents: 1,000 (total).
    Frequency of response: On occasion, periodically (varies with test 
method).
    Total estimated burden: 26,696 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $2,460,454 (per year), includes $0 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in estimates: There is an increase of 17,198 hours in the 
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This increase is due to an incorrect estimate of 52 
laboratories for the current approval while the actual number should 
have been near 1,000.

    Dated: October 29, 2018.
Byron J. Bunker,
Director, Compliance Division, Office of Transportation and Air 
Quality, Office of Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 2018-24159 Filed 11-2-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P