[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 248 (Thursday, December 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 89690]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28639]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OLEM-2023-0244, FRL-11642-01-OMS]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utilities 
(Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), Disposal of Coal Combustion 
Residuals from Electric Utilities, EPA ICR Number 2609.03, OMB Control 
Number 2050-0223 to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. 
This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved 
through December 31, 2023. Public comments were previously requested 
via the Federal Register on May 1, 2023 during a 60-day comment period.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before January 29, 
2024.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OLEM-
2023-0244 to EPA either 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: Peggy Vyas, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 202-566-0453; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a proposed extension of the ICR, 
which is currently approved through December 31, 2023. 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.
    Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register 
on May 1, 2023 during a 60-day comment period (88 FR 26537). This 
notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. 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.
    Abstract: The EPA published a final rule to regulate the disposal 
of coal combustion residuals (CCR) from electric utilities as solid 
waste under RCRA Subtitle D (see 80 FR 21302, April 17, 2015). EPA 
established national minimum criteria for existing and new CCR 
landfills and CCR surface impoundments and all lateral expansions to 
include location restrictions, design and operating criteria, 
groundwater monitoring and corrective action, closure requirements and 
post-closure care, and recordkeeping, notification, and internet 
posting requirements. Since the final rule, several court decisions 
have required accelerated closure timelines for many units and forced 
closures for many units previously categorized as lined. In 2020, EPA 
published the ``Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal 
of CCR; A Holistic Approach to Closure Part B: Alternate Demonstration 
for Unlined Surface Impoundments Rule'' which allows for units to 
receive variances for unlined surface impoundments (see 85 FR 72506, 
November 12, 2020). This ICR includes the voluntary action that states 
may take to obtain permit program approval. With this renewal, this ICR 
also incorporates the burden currently covered by OMB Control No. 2050-
0053.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are the private sector, as well as State, Local, or Tribal 
Governments.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory under section 4010(c) 
and 3001(d)(4) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 
1976.
    Estimated number of respondents: 744 (21 states and 723 new and 
existing facilities).
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Total estimated burden: 173,083 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $26,168,233 per year, includes $15,511,426 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 170,904 hours in 
the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This increase is mainly a result of having 
incorporated the burden associated with the information collection 
requirements related to the disposal of CCR from existing ICR 2050-0053 
into this ICR.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Information Engagement Division.
[FR Doc. 2023-28639 Filed 12-27-23; 8:45 am]
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