### 12054 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 35 / Thursday, February 21, 2013 / Notices

supporting measurements reporting and recordkeeping activities associated with the 40 CFR 58 Ambient Air Quality Surveillance rule. These data and information are collected by various state and local air quality management agencies and reported to the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards within the Office of Air and Radiation, U.S. EPA.

This ICR reflects revisions of the previous ICR update of 2011, and it covers the period of 2013–2015. The number of monitoring stations, sampling parameters, and frequency of data collection and submittal is expected to remain relatively stable for 2013–2015, with minor increases and decreases expected for several ambient air monitoring networks as air monitoring agencies review their monitoring networks.

The data collected through this information collection consist of ambient air concentration measurements for the seven air pollutants with national ambient air quality standards (i.e., ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, lead, carbon monoxide, PM2.5 and PM 10), ozone precursors, meteorological variables at a select number of sites, and other supporting measurements. Accompanying the pollutant concentration data are quality assurance/quality control data and air monitoring network design information.

The EPA and others (e.g., state and local air quality management agencies, tribal entities, environmental groups, academic institutions, industrial groups) use the ambient air quality data for many purposes. Some of the more prominent uses include informing the public and other interested parties of an area’s air quality, judging an area’s (e.g., county, city, neighborhood) air quality in comparison with the established health or welfare standards (including both national and local standards), evaluating an air quality management agency’s progress in achieving or maintaining air pollutant levels below the national and local standards, developing and revising State Implementation Plans in accordance with 40 CFR 51, evaluating air pollutant control strategies, developing or revising national control policies, providing data for air quality model development and validation, supporting enforcement actions, documenting episodes and initiating episode controls, air quality trends assessment, and air pollution research.

The state and local agencies and tribal entities with responsibility for reporting ambient air quality data and information as requested in this ICR submit these data electronically to the EPA’s Air Quality System (AQS) database. Quality assurance/quality control records and monitoring network documentation are also maintained by each state and local agency in AQS electronic format where possible.

Although the state and local air pollution control agencies and tribal entities are responsible for the operation of the air monitoring networks, the EPA funds a portion of the total costs through federal grants. These grants generally require an appropriate level of contribution, or ‘‘match,’’ from the state/ local agencies or tribal entities. The costs shown in this renewal are the total costs incurred for the monitoring program regardless of the source of the funding. This practice of using the total cost is consistent with prior ICR submittals and renewals.

This Information Collection is estimated to involve 168 respondents for a total cost of approximately $194,490,047 (total capital, and labor and non-labor operation and maintenance) plus a total burden of 1,790,021 hours. The labor costs associated with the hours is $126,733,274. Included in the total are other costs of non-labor operations and maintenance of $13,090,237 and equipment and contract costs of $54,666,536. In addition to the costs at the state and local air pollution control agencies and tribal entities, there is a burden to the EPA of 192,769 hours and $11,014,728.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 6,742 hours per respondent. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide information to or for a federal agency. This includes the time needed to review instructions; develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements which have subsequently changed; train personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information; search data sources; complete and review the collection of information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.

The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency’s estimate, which is only briefly summarized here:

Estimated total number of potential respondents: 168 Frequency of response: Data submissions are required quarterly, but may occur more frequently.

Estimated total annual burden hours: 1,790,021 hours.

Estimated total annual costs: $194,490,047. This includes an estimated labor burden cost of $126,733,274 and an estimated cost of $54,666,536 for equipment and contract

costs. Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

Yes. There is a decrease of 289,469 hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB. This decrease reflects the EPA’s consolidation of monitors into fewer sites, termination of unnecessary monitors, and more efficient procedures for measuring and reporting data.
What is the next step in the process for this ICR?

The EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to the OMB for review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, the EPA will issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to the OMB and the opportunity to submit additional comments to the OMB. If you have any questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the technical person listed under **FOR**
**FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT**

**.**

Dated: February 14, 2013. Mary E. Henigin, Acting Director, Air Quality Assessment
Division.

[FR Doc. 2013–04008 Filed 2–20–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6560–50–P**

**ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY** 

**[EPA–HQ–OAR–2004–0500; FRL 9527–5]**

**Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and**  **Approval; Comment Request; EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program in the**  **Residential Sector (Renewal)**

**AGENCY :**  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

**ACTION :**  Notice.

**SUMMARY :**  The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ‘‘EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program in the Residential Sector’’ (EPA ICR No. 2193.03, OMB Control No. 2060–0586),


### 12055 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 35 / Thursday, February 21, 2013 / Notices

to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. ). This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through February 28, 2013. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (77 FR 50495) on August 21, 2012 during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. 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 :**  Additional comments may be submitted on or before March 25, 2013.

**ADDRESSES :**  Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA– HQ–OAR–2004–0500, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by email to a-and-rDocket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB via email to oira

_submission@omb.eop.gov. Address comments to OMB Desk Officer for EPA.

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 :**  Brian Ng, Energy Star Residential Branch, Mailcode 6202J, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 343–9162; fax number: (202) 343–2200; email address: ng.brian@epa.gov.

**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, EPA 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: EPA first developed energy efficiency guidelines for new homes in 1995. ENERGY STAR’s existing homes effort was rolled out in 2000 to promote cost-effective upgrades in the existing homes market. Both of these efforts promote cost effective, whole house energy efficiency improvements that are independently verified by third parties. Through 2011 there have been more than 1.3 million ENERGY STAR certified new homes built in the U.S., and more than 50,000 existing homes have been improved through the whole house retrofit program, Home Performance with ENERGY STAR.

Since participation in the ENERGY STAR program is voluntary, organizations are not required to submit information to EPA. Information received is not of a confidential nature. EPA has developed this ICR to obtain authorization to collect information for the following activities:

Joining the ENERGY STAR Program and Related Activities: An organization interested in joining ENERGY STAR as a partner is asked to submit a partnership agreement establishing its commitment to ENERGY STAR. Partners agree to undertake efforts such as educating their staff and the public about their partnership with ENERGY STAR, developing and implementing a plan to improve energy performance in homes, and highlighting achievements utilizing the ENERGY STAR label.

Verification of ENERGY STAR Guidelines: The purpose of the verification process is to ensure the quality of home construction and improvements with respect to ENERGY STAR guidelines. Under ENERGY STAR’s Certified Homes program, verification of a home’s energy efficiency occurs when site-built home builders or plants producing manufactured and modular homes want to apply the ENERGY STAR label on homes. The verification process involves the home builder, the verification organization (Home Energy Rating Providers and Home Energy Raters), and the Heating, Ventilation, and Cooling (HVAC) contractor. These organizations complete four checklists as part of the verification process. In addition, plants producing manufactured and modular homes must undergo a certification process to ensure that they consistently produce and install homes that meet ENERGY STAR guidelines. Under ENERGY STAR’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, program sponsors promote a program of whole house, science-based improvements to existing homes. Sponsors oversee contractors who carry out the improvements, perform tests, and report the results to the sponsors. Under ENERGY STAR’s HVAC Quality Installation program, sponsors promote the installation of HVAC systems in new and existing homes to meet ENERGY STAR guidelines. Sponsors oversee contractors who perform the installations, perform tests, and report the results to the sponsors. Sponsors submit quarterly reports to EPA on these activities.

Evaluation: Partners and other program participants are asked to periodically submit information to EPA as needed to assist in evaluating ENERGY STAR’s effectiveness in helping organizations promote energy efficiency in homes, to assess partners’ level of interest and ability in promoting ENERGY STAR in the residential sector, and to determine the impact that ENERGY STAR has on residential energy use and the supply and demand for energy-efficient homes and home improvement products and services. In addition, EPA offers online tools, such as the Home Energy Yardstick and Home Energy Advisor, for homeowners to learn about and improve their homes’ energy efficiency.

Periodic Reporting: Some partners are asked to submit information to EPA periodically to assist EPA in tracking and measuring progress in building and promoting ENERGY STAR certified homes and installing and promoting energy-efficient improvements.

ENERGY STAR Awards: Each year, partners are eligible for an ENERGY STAR award, which recognizes organizations demonstrating outstanding support in promoting ENERGY STAR. An application is submitted to EPA by interested partners.

Outreach Partnership: Partners have the option of participating in an outreach partnership, whereby partners jointly contribute resources to the distribution of a public outreach and education campaign about ENERGY STAR certified homes.

Form Numbers:

• Partnership Letter for Home Builders, Architects & Home Plan Designers, Home Energy Raters & Providers (5900–188)

• Partnership Agreement for EEPS (5900–33)

• Commitment Form for EEPS (5900– 272)

• Partnership Agreement for Lenders (5900–08)

• Partnership Agreement for HVAC QI Sponsor (5900–183)

• Partnership Agreement for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Sponsor (5900–17)

• Implementation Plan for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Sponsor (5900–186)


### 12056 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 35 / Thursday, February 21, 2013 / Notices

• Commitment Form for Outreach Partnership (5900–06)

• Water Management Checklist (5900–178)

• Thermal Enclosure Checklist (5900– 176)

• Multifamily High Rise Developer Participation Agreement (5900–267)

• Multifamily High Rise Project Application (5900–266)

• Multifamily High Rise Testing & Verification Worksheet (5900–269)

• Multifamily High Rise Submittal Validation Form (5900–270)

• Multifamily High Rise Performance Path Calculator (5900–268)

• Modular Home Completion Report (5900–189)

• Manufactured Home Completion Report (5900–172)

• Modular Plant Qualification Form (5900–194)

• HVAC QI Rater Checklist (5900– 271)

• HVAC Contractor Checklist (5900– 175)

• Commissioning Report (5900–180)

• HIP Profile (5900–179)

• Energy Use Authorization Form (5900–184)

Respondents/affected entities: Home builders, modular and manufactured home manufacturing plants, developers, verification organizations, oversight organizations, lenders, energy efficiency program sponsors (e.g., national, regional, state, or local government entities, utilities), architects, home plan designers, retailers, contractors, and homeowners.

Respondent’s obligation to respond: Voluntary.

Estimated number of respondents: 132,000 (total).

Frequency of response: Once, quarterly, annually, and occasionally.

Total estimated burden: 183,967 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.3(b)

Total estimated cost: $13,553,809 (per year). This includes an estimated cost of $13,553,209 for labor and $600 for capital investment, operation and maintenance.

Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 3,009 hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. This includes a 112,566-hour increase due to program changes and a 109,557-hour decrease due to adjustments. The 112,566-hour increase due to program changes resulted primarily from EPA’s new, more rigorous guidelines for new homes looking to earn the ENERGY STAR. The 109,557-hour decrease due to adjustments resulted primarily from updated and improved data and analysis.

John Moses, Director, Collection Strategies Division.

[FR Doc. 2013–03959 Filed 2–20–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6560–50–P**

**ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY** 

**[FRL–9783–1]**

**National Environmental Education Advisory Council** 

**AGENCY :**  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

**ACTION :**  Notice of meeting(s).

**SUMMARY :**  Under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, EPA gives notice of a series of teleconference meetings of the National Environmental Education Advisory Council (NEEAC). The NEEAC was created by Congress to advise, consult with, and make recommendations to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on matters related to activities, functions and policies of EPA under the National Environmental Education Act (the Act).

The purpose of these teleconference(s) is to discuss specific topics of relevance for consideration by the council in order to provide advice and insights to the Agency on environmental education.

**DATES :**  The National Environmental Education Advisory Council will hold a public teleconference(s) on Wednesday, February 27, 2013, March 27, 2013, May 22, 2013, June 19, 2013 and July 24, 2013, from 12:00 p.m. until 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Javier Araujo, Designated Federal Officer, araujo.javier@epa.gov, 202– 564–2642, U.S. EPA, Office of Environmental Education, Ariel Rios North Room 1426, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Members of the public wishing to gain access to the teleconference, make brief oral comments, or provide a written statement to the NEEAC must contact Javier Araujo, Designated Federal Officer, at araujo.javier@epa.gov or 202– 564–2642 by 10 business days prior to each regularly scheduled meeting.

Meeting Access: For information on access or services for individuals with disabilities or to request accommodations please contact Javier Araujo at araujo.javier@epa.gov or 202– 564–2642, preferably at least 10 days prior to the meeting, to give EPA as much time as possible to process your request.

Stephanie Owens, Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of External Affairs and Environmental Education.

[FR Doc. 2013–04028 Filed 2–20–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6560–50–P**

**ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY** 

**[FRL–9782–9]**

**National Environmental Justice Advisory Council** 

**AGENCY :**  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

**ACTION :**  Request for Nominations to the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC).

**SUMMARY :**  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites nominations from a diverse range of qualified candidates to be considered for appointment to its National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC). The NEJAC was chartered to provide advice regarding broad, crosscutting issues related to environmental justice. This notice solicits nominations to fill approximately seven (7) new vacancies for terms through June 15, 2016. To maintain the representation outlined by the charter, nominees will be selected to represent: Academia (2 vacancies); grassroots community-basedorganizations (1 vacancy); nongovernmental/environmental organizations (2 vacancies); State government agencies (1 vacancy); and indigenous community-based organizations (1 vacancy). Vacancies are anticipated to be filled by May 2013. Sources in addition to this Federal Register Notice also may be utilized in the solicitation of nominees.

**DATES :**  Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive no later than February 22, 2013.

**ADDRESSES :**  Submit nominations electronically with the subject line NEJAC Membership 2013 to olp.kevin@epa.gov. You also may submit nominations by mail to: Kevin Olp, NEJAC Membership Outreach Coordinator, Office of Environmental Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., (MC 2201A), Washington, DC 20460. Non-electronic submissions must follow the same format and contain the same information. The Office of Environmental Justice will acknowledge receipt of nominations.