[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 19, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5184-5185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-01062]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0579; FRL-10018-63-OAR ]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Mobile 
Air Conditioner Retrofitting Program (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), ``Mobile Air Conditioner 
Retrofitting Program (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1774.08, OMB Control No. 
2060-0350) 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 August 31, 
2021. 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 March 22, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2020-0579, online using https://www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method), or by email to [email protected]. Out of an abundance of 
caution for members of the public and our staff, the EPA Docket Center 
and Reading Room are closed to the public, with limited exceptions, to 
reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19. Our Docket Center staff will 
continue to provide remote customer service via email, phone, and 
webform. We encourage the public to submit comments via https://www.regulations.gov or email, as there may be a delay in processing 
mail and faxes. Hand deliveries and couriers may be received by 
scheduled appointment only. For further information on EPA Docket 
Center services and the current status, please visit us online at 
https://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public

[[Page 5185]]

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: Christina Thompson, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Stratospheric Protection Division, Office of 
Atmospheric Programs, MC 6205T, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 
564-0983; 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 https://www.regulations.gov. The EPA is temporarily suspending its Docket 
Center and Reading Room for public visitors, with limited exceptions, 
to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19. Our Docket Center staff 
will continue to provide remote customer service via email, phone, and 
webform. The telephone number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. 
For further information and updates on EPA Docket Center services, 
please visit us online at 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: EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program 
implements Section 612 of the 1990 Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments which 
authorized the Agency to establish regulatory requirements to ensure 
that ozone-depleting substances (ODS) are replaced by alternatives that 
reduce overall risks to human health and the environment, and to 
promote an expedited transition to safe substitutes. To promote this 
transition, CAA specified that EPA establish an information 
clearinghouse of available alternatives, and coordinate with other 
Federal agencies and the public on research, procurement practices, and 
information and technology transfers.
    Since the program's inception in 1994, SNAP has reviewed close to 
500 new chemicals and alternative manufacturing processes for a wide 
range of consumer, industrial, space exploration, and national security 
applications. Roughly 90% of alternatives submitted to EPA for review 
have been listed as acceptable for a specific use, typically with some 
condition or limit to minimize risks to human health and the 
environment.
    Regulations promulgated under SNAP require that Motor Vehicle Air 
Conditioners (MVACs) retrofitted to use a SNAP substitute refrigerant 
include basic information on a label to be affixed to the air 
conditioner. The label includes the name of the substitute refrigerant, 
when and by whom the retrofit was performed, environmental and safety 
information about the substitute refrigerant, and other information. 
This information is needed so that subsequent technicians working on 
the MVAC system will be able to service the equipment properly, 
decreasing the likelihood of significant refrigerant cross-
contamination and potential failure of air conditioning systems and 
recovery/recycling equipment.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are new and used car dealers, gas service stations, top and 
body repair shops, general automotive repair shops, automotive repair 
shops not elsewhere classified, including air conditioning and radiator 
specialty shops.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory under 40 CFR 82.180.
    Estimated number of respondents: 3 (total).
    Frequency of response: Once per retrofit of a motor vehicle air 
conditioner.
    Total estimated burden: 0.08 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 
5 CFR 1320.3(b).
    Total estimated cost: $3.64 (per year), includes $0.10 (per year) 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: There is a decrease of 0.3 hours in the total 
estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by 
OMB (per year). This decrease is based on the decline of MVACs in 
service today using chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), specifically CFC-12. 
After 1994, new cars in the U.S. were no longer manufactured with CFC-
12 MVACs. The number of MVACs originally designed to use CFC-12 as well 
as the number of those retrofitted has been decreasing every year and 
EPA estimates a continued reduction in the number of CFC-12 MVAC 
retrofits will occur during the next three years. EPA estimates that in 
2020 there were 1,500 MVACs originally designed to use CFC-12 operating 
in the U.S., and estimates that in 2021, 2022 and 2023 the number of 
cars originally designed to use CFC-12 will decrease to 600, 200 and 
100, respectively. Of these, EPA estimates that 1 MVAC will be 
retrofitted annually to use alternative refrigerants. Therefore, EPA 
estimates that in 2021, 2022 and 2023 the number of MVACs to be 
retrofitted is 1 for each year; resulting in a total of 3 MVAC 
retrofits over the three years of this ICR. These reductions are due to 
the decrease of CFC-12 MVACs available on the road for retrofitting.

Hans Christopher Grundler,
Director, Office of Atmospheric Programs.
[FR Doc. 2021-01062 Filed 1-15-21; 8:45 am]
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