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[Federal Register: October 14, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 198)]
[Notices]               
[Page 63173-63175]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14oc10-60]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9213-3]

 
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request for Production Outlook Reports for Un-Registered 
Renewable Fuel Producers; EPA ICR No. 2409.01

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to 
submit a request to for a new Information Collection Request (ICR) to 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR affects certain 
unregistered renewable fuel producers, who are not required to register 
or report under the renewable fuels program (RFS2), to voluntarily 
submit the same or similar information contained in a production 
outlook report. These producers are most likely in the planning stages, 
but expect to begin producing renewable fuels in the next five (5) 
calendar years. Participation by respondents is strictly voluntary. EPA 
plans to use the existing production outlook report format for 
submissions by these parties.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 13, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2005-0161 by one of the following methods:
    http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: a-and-r-Docket@epa.gov.
     Mail: Air Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail 
Code: 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Fax or Hand Delivery: EPA's Public Reading Room is located 
in Room 3334 of the EPA West Building, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC. Docket hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. until 
4:30 p.m., excluding legal holidays. In order to ensure to arrange for 
proper fax or hand delivery of materials, please call the Air Docket at 
202-566-1742.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2005-0161. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information for which 
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you 
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site 
is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your 
identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of 
your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly

[[Page 63174]]

to EPA without going through http://www.regulations.gov, your e-mail 
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the 
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the 
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you 
include your name and other contact information in the body of your 
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket visit the EPA Docket Center 
homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anne-Marie Pastorkovich, Office of 
Transportation and Air Quality, Transportation and Regional Programs 
Division, Mail Code 6406J, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 
343-9623; fax number: (202) 343-2801; e-mail address: 
pastorkovich.anne-marie@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

How can I access the docket and/or submit comments?

    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2005-0161. The docket is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, and for in-person viewing at EPA's Public 
Reading Room. The Public Reading Room is located in the EPA West 
Building, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Room 3334, Washington, DC. The 
Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern 
Standard Time (EST) in its new location, Monday through Friday, 
excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Air Docket is 
202-566-1742.
    Use http://www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft 
collection of information, submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those 
documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once 
in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number 
identified in this document.

What information is EPA particularly interested in?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c) (2) (A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 
EPA specifically solicits 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. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from 
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of 
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork 
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.

What should I consider when I prepare my comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific 
examples.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.
    7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page 
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.

What information collection activity or ICR does this apply to?

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
un-registered renewable fuel producers.
    Title: Production Outlook Reports for Unregistered Renewable Fuel 
Producers.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2409.01.
    ICR status: This is a proposal for a new ICR. The OMB control 
numbers for EPA's regulations in Title 40 of the CFR, after appearing 
in the Federal Register when approved, are listed in 40 CFR Part 9, are 
displayed either by publication in the Federal Register or by other 
appropriate means, such as on the related collection instrument or 
form, if applicable. The display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA 
regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR Part 9.
    Abstract: With this information collection request (ICR) renewal, 
we are seeking permission to accept production outlook reports from 
domestic and foreign renewable fuel producers who are not currently 
regulated parties under the RFS2 program. The respondents for this ICR 
are not required to register or report under the RFS2 regulations. 
Submission of production outlook information to EPA under this ICR will 
be voluntary.
    We believe that many parties would wish to submit this information 
in order to receive better assistance in understanding and preparing to 
comply with the RFS2 regulations. A typical respondent would be a 
renewable fuel producer who is in the process of developing plans for, 
or constructing, a renewable fuel production facility or that is 
currently opting out of the RFS2 program under 40 CFR 80.1426(c)(3). 
Such a respondent would not be required to register or report under 
RFS2 because it is not yet producing renewable fuel subject to the 
regulation. However, the respondent would likely wish to provide the 
information in order to receive feedback from EPA and to aid its 
planning for future compliance with the RFS2 regulations and annual 
compliance standards.
    Respondents that voluntarily provide the information requested 
through this ICR will benefit from doing so. The information that 
respondents provide will allow EPA to more accurately project 
cellulosic biofuel volumes for the following calendar year, and these 
volume projections will form the basis of the percentage standards EPA 
sets under the RFS2 program. Without information from these 
respondents, EPA's volume projections are more likely to fall below 
actual projection volumes. Under such circumstances, supply for 
cellulosic biofuel will exceed demand, and the value of cellulosic 
biofuel Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) will fall. RINs are 
marketable credits that correspond to a given volume of renewable fuel. 
Since RIN market price directly affects the economic viability of 
cellulosic biofuel production, low RIN prices could present economic 
difficulties to producers. Thus, it is in the interests of

[[Page 63175]]

these respondents to provide this information to EPA, as doing so could 
ensure that the market price of RINs appropriately reflects the value 
of their cellulosic biofuel. This information also serves a more 
general program purpose, because it will assist EPA in setting the 
annual RFS2 standard more accurately.
    We estimate that approximately 35 parties would choose to 
participate in this voluntary information collection. The format for 
submitting the production outlook information to EPA would follow the 
``RFS2 Production Outlook Form, Report Form ID: RFS0900.'' Collection 
of reports from regulated parties is covered under the RFS2 ICR, OMB 
Control No. 2060-0640 (Expiration Date July 31, 2013). A copy of the 
RFS0900 form may be viewed at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/regs/fuels/rfs0900.pdf (instructions to form) and http://www.epa.gov/otaq/regs/fuels/rfs0900.xls (form).
    We are requesting that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
approve this ICR and that it be effective three years after approval.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 4 
hours per respondent and 4 hours per response. Burden means the total 
time, effort, or financial resources expended by a person to generate, 
maintain, retain, or disclose or provide information to (or for) a 
Federal agency. This includes the time needed to review instructions; 
to develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and systems for 
the purposes of collecting, validating, and verifying information; to 
process and maintain information; to disclose and provide information; 
to adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable 
instructions and requirements which have subsequently changed; to train 
personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information; to 
search data sources; to complete and review the collection of 
information; and to transmit or otherwise disclose the information. We 
anticipate 35 respondents, submitting one response each.
    The draft supporting statement, which has been placed in the public 
docket, contains detailed estimates for this proposed ICR.

Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

    This is a proposed, new, voluntary information collection. All the 
estimates provided above, and in the supporting statement (which has 
been placed in the public docket) are for a new and voluntary 
collection of information.

What is the next step in the process for this ICR?

    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 pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, EPA will 
issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the 
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any 
questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the 
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: October 6, 2010.
Margo Tsirigotis Oge,
Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality.
[FR Doc. 2010-25894 Filed 10-13-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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