[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 27 (Thursday, February 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8677-8678]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02613]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2011-0742; FRL--11599-01-OAR]


Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Air Pollution 
Regulations for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Activities

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), ``Air Pollution 
Regulations for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Activities'' (EPA ICR No. 
1601.10, OMB Control No. 2060-0249), to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA). Before doing so, the EPA is soliciting public 
comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as 
described below. This is a proposed renewal of the ICR, which is 
currently approved through May 31, 2024. 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 April 8, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2011-0724, 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

[[Page 8678]]

docket without change including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information claimed to 
be Confidential Business Information or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ben Garwood, Air Quality Policy 
Division, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, C504-03, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Post Office Box 12055, Research 
Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: (919) 541-1358; fax number: 
(919) 541-4028; 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 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, the 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. The 
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, the 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: Section 328 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) gives the EPA 
responsibility for regulating air pollution from OCS sources located 
offshore of the states along the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts (except 
the North Slope Borough of Alaska), and along the eastern Gulf of 
Mexico coast (off the coast of Florida). In general, these OCS sources 
must obtain OCS permits complying with the EPA's preconstruction permit 
program (usually Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) 
requirements) and title V operating permit program, and then maintain 
ongoing compliance with their permit conditions. Industry respondents 
include owners or operators of existing and new or modified OCS 
sources. These respondents must prepare permit applications and, after 
receiving their permits, conduct testing, monitoring, recordkeeping and 
reporting as required by their permits. The recordkeeping and reporting 
requirements are necessary so that the EPA can determine whether these 
sources are meeting all the requirements that apply to them. The EPA 
has delegated the authority to implement and enforce the OCS 
regulations to four local air pollution control agencies in California 
(Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (SBCAPCD), South 
Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), Ventura County Air 
Pollution Control District (VCAPCD) and San Luis Obispo County Air 
Pollution Control District (SLOCAPCD)). The EPA has also delegated the 
authority to implement and enforce the OCS regulations for sources 
located off the coast to 3 state air pollutions control agencies: 
Delaware (DDNREC), Maryland (MDE), and Virginia (VDEQ). These agency 
respondents must review sources' permit applications and reports, issue 
permits, observe performance tests and conduct inspections to ensure 
that the sources off their coasts are meeting all the requirements that 
apply to them. Section 176(c) of the CAA (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) 
requires that all federal actions conform with the State Implementation 
Plans to attain and maintain the National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards.
    Depending on the type of action, the federal entities must collect 
information themselves, hire consultants to collect the information or 
require applicants/sponsors of the federal action to provide the 
information.
    The type and quantity of information required will depend on the 
circumstances surrounding the action. First, the entity must make an 
applicability determination. If the source is located within 25 miles 
of the state's seaward boundary (Inner OCS) as established in the 
regulations, the requirements are the same as those that would be 
applicable if the source were located in the corresponding onshore area 
(COA). Sources locating beyond 25 nautical miles from the state seaward 
boundary (Outer OCS) are subject to federal air quality requirements 
which could include the EPA's PSD preconstruction permit program, Part 
71 Title V operating permit program, New Source Performance Standards 
and some standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants promulgated under 
section 112 of the CAA. State and local air pollution control agencies 
are usually requested to provide information concerning regulation of 
offshore sources and are provided opportunities to comment on the 
proposed determinations. The public is also provided an opportunity to 
comment on the proposed determinations.
    Form numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are those that must apply for and obtain an OCS permit 
pursuant the OCS permit program. In addition, state and local agencies 
that have been delegated authority to implement and enforce the OCS 
permit program, which must review permit applications and issue 
permits, are affected entities.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory [see 40 CFR part 55].
    Estimated number of respondents: 74 industrial facilities and 7 
state and local permitting agencies.
    Frequency of response: On occasion, as necessary.
    Total estimated burden: 36,001 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $3,755,783.00 (per year) in addition to 
$55,268.00 annually in Operation and Maintenance costs and $325,104.00 
in capital costs.
    Changes in estimates: There is a projected increase of 15,778 hours 
in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR most 
recently approved by OMB. This increase is primarily due the projected 
number of OCS sources subject to the program mainly related to 
alternative energy sources including new wind power farms along the 
eastern seaboard of the United States, and changes to burden estimates 
as noted in the excel spreadsheet in the docket for this notice titled 
``1601t10 Draft OCS ICR Burden Calculations 2024.''

Scott Mathias,
Director, Air Quality Policy Division.
[FR Doc. 2024-02613 Filed 2-7-24; 8:45 am]
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