[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72393-72394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19936]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2024-0334; FRL-12192-01-OAR]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Acid 
Rain Program Under Title IV of the Clean Air Act Amendments (Renewal)

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), ``Acid Rain Program 
under title IV of the Clean Air Act Amendments (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 
1633.19, OMB Control No. 2060-0258) 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 May 31, 2025. 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 November 4, 2024.

[[Page 72394]]


ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2024-0334, 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: Morgan Riedel at (202) 564-1144, or 
[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 
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 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: The Acid Rain Program was established under Title IV of 
the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments to address acid deposition by 
reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen 
oxides (NOX). This information collection extension is 
necessary to continue implementation of the Acid Rain Program. It 
includes burden and costs associated with developing and modifying 
permits, complying with NOX permitting requirements, 
monitoring emissions, transferring allowances, participating in the 
annual allowance auctions, and participating in the program as an opt-
in source.
    Form numbers: Agent Notice of Delegation #5900-172, Certificate of 
Representation #7610-1, General Account Form #7610-5, Allowance 
Transfer Form #7610-6, Retired Unit Exemption #7610-20, Allowance 
Deduction #7620-4, Acid Rain Permit Application #7610-16, Acid Rain 
NOX Compliance Plan #7610-28, Acid Rain NOX 
Averaging Plan #7610-29, New Unit Exemption #7610-19, Opt-In Permit 
Application #7610-26, Opt-In Utilization Report #7620-9.
    Respondents/affected entities: Electricity generating plants, 
industrial sources, and other persons.
    Respondents' obligation to respond: Voluntary and mandatory (Clean 
Air Act sections 403, 407, 408, 410, 412, and 416).
    Estimated number of respondents: 1,195 (total); includes 1,127 
sources and 68 non-source entities participating in allowance trading 
activities.
    Frequency of response: On occasion, quarterly, and annually.
    Total estimated burden: 1,760,519 hours (per year). Burden is 
defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $286,211,330 (per year); includes 
$123,208,182 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in estimates: There is a decrease of 65,614 hours in the 
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. The decrease is principally due to the switching to 
less burdensome monitoring methodologies for some affected sources and 
the number of retired sources. The other factors contributing to the 
decrease in burden are reductions in the estimated numbers of allowance 
transfers and auction bids submitted.

Rona Birnbaum,
Director, Clean Air and Power Division, Office of Atmospheric 
Protection, Office of Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 2024-19936 Filed 9-4-24; 8:45 am]
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