[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48164-48165]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12260]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2016-0731; FRL-11980-01-OAR]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Revision; Changes to 
EPA's Natural Gas STAR Program

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to 
submit a revision information collection request (ICR), ``Changes to 
EPA's Natural Gas STAR Program'' (EPA ICR No. 2547.01, OMB Control No. 
2060-0722) 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. Specifically, EPA 
is proposing to remove all program partner reporting elements from the 
ICR, leaving the ``Oil and Gas Equipment and Service Providers 
Directory'' as the only component covered under this ICR. This revision 
is a proposed extension of the ICR titled ``EPA's Methane Challenge and 
Natural Gas STAR Programs,'' which is currently approved through 
December 31, 2024. This notice allows for 60 days for public comments.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before August 5, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2016-0731 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 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: Andrew Meluch, Office of Atmospheric 
Programs, Climate Change Division, (6207A), Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: (202) 564-4762; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This revision is a proposed extension of the 
ICR titled ``EPA's Methane Challenge and Natural Gas STAR Programs,'' 
which is currently approved through December 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.
    This notice allows 60 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.
    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

[[Page 48165]]

who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate forms of 
information technology. 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: The Natural Gas STAR Program and Methane Challenge 
Partnership (``Gas STAR Programs'') are voluntary programs sponsored by 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that have encouraged oil 
and natural gas companies to adopt cost effective technologies and 
practices that improve operational efficiency and reduce methane 
emissions. Methane is the primary component of natural gas and a potent 
greenhouse gas. The Programs have worked with oil and natural gas 
companies in the production, gathering & boosting, processing, 
transmission & storage, and distribution segments to remove barriers 
that inhibit the implementation of technologies and practices that 
reduce methane emissions. EPA has recently taken historic steps to 
tackle wasteful methane emissions from the oil and gas sector beyond 
voluntary action. The Inflation Reduction Act directed EPA to implement 
a suite of actions to swiftly reduce methane emissions through the 
creation of the Methane Emissions Reductions Program (MERP). On 
December 2, 2023, EPA announced final New Source Performance Standards 
and Emissions Guidelines (NSPS/EG) to regulate the oil and gas industry 
under the Clean Air Act, resulting in ambitious requirements to reduce 
methane from both new and existing sources. The Department of 
Transportation has also imposed requirements on the transmission 
segment including implementation of the PIPES Act of 2020. Based on the 
limited remaining potential for voluntary actions to reduce methane 
emissions, EPA will be sunsetting the Methane Challenge Partnership, 
and transitioning its outreach efforts to advance ambitious, sector-
wide methane reductions through technical assistance and outreach under 
the Methane Emissions Reduction Program. This follows EPA's sunsetting 
of the partnership agreements, implementation plans, and the reporting 
component of the Natural Gas STAR Program in 2022. Updating the ICR for 
the Methane Challenge Partnership and the Natural Gas STAR Program to 
reflect these programmatic changes is expected to significantly 
decrease burden by removing all partner reporting and partnership 
related data sharing aspects. The sole programmatic element involving 
voluntary collection of information the EPA plans to retain is the Oil 
and Gas Equipment and Service Providers Directory. This directory's 
purpose is to share information about service and technology providers 
that can facilitate methane emission reduction activities in the oil 
and gas sector.
    Form Numbers: The Natural Gas STAR Program's Oil and Gas Equipment 
and Service Providers Directory collects information via a webform, 
Service Providers Directory: EPA Form No. 5900-502; located at the 
following URL: https://www.epa.gov/natural-gas-star-program/forms/join-oil-and-gas-equipment-and-service-providers-directory.
    Respondents/affected entities: The Natural Gas STAR Program's Oil 
and Gas Equipment and Service Providers Directory is open to companies 
that offer services, technologies, and/or equipment that can help oil 
and gas operators reduce their methane emissions. EPA does not 
specifically endorse any product, technology, equipment, or service 
listed in the Program's Directory.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.
    Estimated number of respondents: 50 vendors (total).
    Frequency of response: Semi-annual.
    Total estimated burden: 13 hours (per year) for the Natural Gas 
STAR Program. Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $3,549 (per year) for the Natural Gas STAR 
Program. There are no capital/start-up costs or O&M costs associated 
with this information collection.
    Changes in Estimates: EPA expects that the burden associated with 
the final ICR submission for the Natural Gas STAR Program will decrease 
significantly compared to its previous estimated burden due to 
modifying this ICR to remove all Methane Challenge partnership 
agreement forms, implementation plans, reporting forms, and fact 
sheets.

Sharyn Lie,
Director, Climate Change Division.
[FR Doc. 2024-12260 Filed 6-4-24; 8:45 am]
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