[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 82 (Friday, April 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 22959]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-09014]



[[Page 22959]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0415; FRL-10023-32-OMS]


Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; Implementation of the 8-Hour National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), Implementation of the 8-hour 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: State Implementation 
Plan Requirements (EPA ICR Number 2347.04, OMB Control No. 2060-0695), 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This renewal provides 
updated burden estimates for the 2021-2024 time period for implementing 
the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), and it 
provides new burden estimates for the information collection resulting 
from implementation of the 2015 ozone NAAQS. It also provides new 
burden estimates for the information collection resulting from ongoing 
implementation of the revoked 1997 ozone NAAQS. Public comments were 
previously requested via the Federal Register on December 8, 2020, 
during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 
days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given 
below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. 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: Additional comments may be submitted on or before June 1, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to EPA, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-
HQ-OAR-2020-0415, 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.
    Submit written comments and recommendations to OMB for the proposed 
information collection within 30 days of publication of this notice to 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information 
collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. C.W. Stackhouse, Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
by phone at (919) 541-5208 or by email at [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 
http://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.
    Abstract: Currently, the EPA has an existing OMB-approved ICR that 
estimates the burden on states for implementation-related activities 
associated with the 2008 ozone NAAQS for the period February 2018 to 
April 2021. States with nonattainment areas for the 2008 ozone NAAQS 
are implementing the NAAQS pursuant to the CAA and implementation 
regulations issued for that NAAQS. This proposed ICR renewal estimates 
the burden for states to meet the ongoing planning requirements that 
apply to their remaining nonattainment areas for the 2008 ozone NAAQS 
over the period April 2021 to April 2024. In addition, this ICR renewal 
includes a new burden estimate for state and EPA activities related to 
implementing the 2015 8-hour ozone standard, promulgated on October 1, 
2015. Finally, this ICR renewal estimates a small amount of additional 
burden to states to meet the anti-backsliding requirements for the 
revoked 1997 ozone NAAQS.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: State and local governments.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory.
    Estimated number of respondents: 31.
    Frequency of response: Once per triggering event [e.g., an air 
agency is required to develop and submit a SIP revision when the area 
is designated nonattainment or reclassified to a higher classification, 
or if it is in an OTR member state. An air agency is also required to 
submit a second 10-year maintenance plan for maintenance areas or 
portions of maintenance areas for the 1997 ozone NAAQS not also 
designated as nonattainment for the 2008 ozone NAAQS, and for 
maintenance areas for the 2008 ozone NAAQS].
    Total estimated burden: 119,133 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $8.4M (per year), includes $0 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: This is an increase of 85,133 in the total 
estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by 
OMB. This increase is due to the activities expected to occur during 
this renewal period, which are similar but not identical to the SIP 
planning and submission activities in the previous ICR period. The main 
factors contributing to the change include: (1) The addition of the new 
burden associated with the requirements for 2015 ozone NAAQS 
nonattainment areas and OTR states and 1997 ozone NAAQS maintenance 
areas, which was not covered by the prior ICR; (2) the reduction in the 
number of 2008 ozone NAAQS nonattainment areas due to states' relative 
success in attaining the 2008 NAAQS; and, (3) the increase in burden 
associated with the particular stage of the 2008 ozone implementation 
program as areas are reclassified from Serious to Severe-15. In total, 
the EPA estimates there to be an additional burden of 357,400 hours for 
the state respondents over the 3-year period compared to the 102,000 
hours during the period of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS ICR currently 
approved by OMB (EPA ICR No. 2247.03). Another minor difference in 
burden is that the previous ICR did not include the burden estimate for 
second 10-year maintenance plans required from states for four 1997 
ozone maintenance areas and three 2008 ozone maintenance areas.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2021-09014 Filed 4-29-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P