[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 223 (Monday, November 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58248-58249]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-25188]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0269; FRL-9986-70-OAR]
Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request;
Transportation Conformity Determinations for Federally Funded and
Approved Transportation Plans, Programs and Projects, EPA ICR No.
2130.06, OMB Control No. 2060-0561
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), ``Transportation Conformity
Determinations for Federally Funded and Approved Transportation Plans,
Programs, and Projects'' (EPA ICR No. 2130.06, OMB Control No. 2060-
0561), 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.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 18, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2007-0269 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: Astrid Terry, Office of Transportation
and Air Quality, Environmental Protection Agency, 2000 Traverwood
Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105; telephone number: 734-214-4812; 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 https://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: Transportation conformity is required under Clean Air Act
section 176(c) (42 U.S.C. 7506(c)) to ensure that federally supported
transportation activities are consistent with (``conform to'') the
purpose of the state air quality implementation plan (SIP).
Transportation activities include transportation plans, transportation
improvement programs (TIPs), and federally funded or approved highway
or transit projects. Conformity to the purpose of the SIP means that
transportation activities will not cause or contribute to new air
quality violations, worsen existing violations, or delay timely
attainment of the relevant national ambient air quality standards
(NAAQS or ``standards'') or interim milestones.
Transportation conformity applies under EPA's conformity
regulations at 40 CFR parts 51 and 93, subpart A, to areas that are
designated nonattainment, and those redesignated to attainment after
1990 (``maintenance areas'' with plans developed under Clean Air Act
section 175A) for the following transportation-related criteria
pollutants: Ozone, particulate matter (PM2.5 and
PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide
(NO2). EPA published the original transportation conformity
rule on November 24, 1993 (58 FR 62188), and subsequently published
several revisions. EPA develops the conformity regulations in
coordination with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal
Transit Administration (FTA).
Transportation conformity determinations are required before
federal approval or funding is given to certain types of transportation
planning documents as well as non-exempt highway and transit
projects.\1\
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\1\ Some projects are exempt from all or certain conformity
requirements; see 40 CFR 93.126, 93.127, and 93.128.
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EPA considered the following in renewing the existing ICR:
Burden estimates for transportation conformity
determinations (including both regional and project-level) in current
nonattainment and maintenance areas for the ozone, PM2.5,
PM10, and CO NAAQS;
Federal burden associated with EPA's adequacy review
process for submitted SIP motor vehicle emissions budgets that are to
be used in conformity determinations;
Efficiencies in areas making conformity determinations for
multiple NAAQS;
Differences in conformity resource needs in large and
small metropolitan areas and isolated rural areas;
Reduced burden from areas no longer determining conformity
for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS due to revocation; \2\
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\2\ See 81 FR 58010 (published on August 24, 2016 and effective
October 24, 2016).
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Reduced burden from areas completing 20 years of
maintenance for PM10, NO2 and CO NAAQS, at which
time transportation conformity is no longer required; and,
Increased burden due to areas being designated as
nonattainment for the 2015 ozone NAAQS.\3\
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\3\ See 83 FR 25776 (effective August 3, 2018) and 83 FR 35136
(effective September 24, 2018) for San Antonio, Texas.
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This ICR does not include burden associated with the general
development of transportation planning
[[Page 58249]]
and air quality planning documents for meeting other federal
requirements.
Form Numbers: None.
Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by
this action are metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), state
departments of transportation, local transit agencies, and state and
local air quality agencies. Federal agencies potentially affected by
this action include FHWA, FTA, and EPA.
Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory pursuant to Clean Air
Act section 176(c) (42 U.S.C. 7506(c)) and 40 CFR parts 51 and 93.
Estimated number of respondents: EPA estimates that 109 MPOs will
be subject to transportation conformity requirements during the period
covered by this ICR and that EPA Regional Offices, the FHWA, and FTA
will be involved in interagency consultation, and review of
transportation-related conformity determinations performed by MPOs
during this process. EPA also estimates that similar consultation will
occur for projects in isolated rural areas.
Frequency of response: The information collections described in
this ICR must be completed before a transportation plan, TIP, or
project conformity determination is made. The Clean Air Act requires
conformity to be determined for transportation plans and TIPs every
four years. Conformity determinations on projects in metropolitan and
isolated rural areas are required on an as-needed basis.
Total estimated burden: 35,344 hours (per year). Burden is defined
at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
Total estimated cost: $2,247,525 (per year), includes zero
annualized capital or operation and maintenance costs.
Changes in estimates: There is a decrease of 15,214 hours in the
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently
approved by OMB. This decrease is due to less burden associated with
decreased conformity analyses for PM10, CO, 1997
PM2.5, and NO2 NAAQS and a decrease in burden
over the previous ICR for reduced emissions model transition and
training burden.
Dated: November 8, 2018.
Karl Simon,
Director, Transportation and Climate Division, Office of Transportation
and Air Quality, Office of Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 2018-25188 Filed 11-16-18; 8:45 am]
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