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PROPOSED SUPPORTING STATEMENT – PART A

RECORDKEEPKING AND REPORTING RELATED TO FUEL QUALITY

REGULATIONS FOR DIESEL FUEL SOLD IN 2001 & LATER YEARS; FOR TAXEXEMPT (DYED) HIGHWAY DIESEL FUEL; AND NON-ROAD LOCOMOTIVE &

MARINE DIESEL FUEL: RENEWAL

DOCKET EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-1121 

EPA ICR No.: 1718.10

1. IDENTIFICATION OF THE INFORMATION COLLECTION

1(a) Title of the Information Collection

Fuel Quality Regulations for Diesel Fuel Sold in 2001 & Later Years; for Tax-Exempt (Dyed)

Highway Diesel Fuel; & Non-Road Locomotive & Marine Diesel Fuel (Renewal). EPA

Control Number 1718.10, OMB Control Number: 2060-0308.

1(b) Short Characterization/Abstract

This ICR renewal is related to EPA’s diesel fuel regulations under 40 CFR Part 80,

Subpart I, applicable to highway (“motor vehicle” or “MV”) diesel fuel and non-road, locomotive

and marine diesel fuel (NRLM) and heating oil (HO). Most of the information collected under

this ICR is used to evaluate compliance with the requirements of the regulations. Since virtually

all MV diesel fuel was required to meet a 15 part per million (ppm) standard as of June 1, 2010,

very little reporting related to MV diesel fuel remains. However, reporting related to NRLM and

HO will continue throughout the course of this proposed ICR renewal. The activities associated

with this ICR include: registration (all parties have registered; updates to existing registrations

are still possible); compliance reports (mostly covering NRLM and HO; updates to prior

compliance reports for MV diesel are still possible); research and development (R&D)

exemptions; generation and retention of quality assurance (QA) records; foreign refiner

recordkeeping and reporting; placement of PTD codes (a typically automated process, to indicate

the presence of dye in tax-exempt fuel and/or sulfur content). This ICR renewal contains

provisions related to qualification of laboratories on performance-based test methods. Virtually

all applications have already been received from laboratories and acted upon by EPA.
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2. NEED FOR AND USE OF THE COLLECTION

2(a) Need/Authority for the Collection

This supporting statement covers the recordkeeping and reporting requirements and the

associated costs to various parties (e.g., refiners, importers, distributors, and retailers of diesel

fuel). These general recordkeeping and requirements are necessary to enable the Administrator

to:

(1) Identify the sources of diesel fuel; and

(2) Ensure that these sources comply with the standards and limitations of the rules.

An effective enforcement scheme is necessary to ensure that the environmental goals of

the diesel program are met, and that those complying with the requirements in good faith are not

disadvantaged by non-complying parties. The diesel program requirements create a significant

economic incentive for noncompliance.

For performance-based qualification of test methods for diesel fuel, reported data

will enable EPA to:

1) Qualify laboratories to use test methods based upon accuracy and precision criteria 

that is supported by industry.

2) Ensure that diesel fuel and heating oil meet the standards required under the

regulations at 40 CFR Part 80 and that the associated benefits to human health and the

environment are realized.

2(b) Practical Utility/Users of the Data

EPA will use the information contained in the reports required by this information

collection to evaluate the compliance of parties involved in the production and importation of

diesel with the diesel fuel requirements. These reports will also be used by EPA to target

compliance investigations.

PTDs maintained by parties in the diesel fuel distribution system and records related to

diesel blending will be used to evaluate the compliance of the parties that maintain the records,

and to help evaluate upstream compliance. PTDs are normally generated and retained in the

course of business (i.e., they are customary business practices or “CBP”). There is a small burden

associated with the placement of sulfur content and/or dye notices, a process which is typically

automated.
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The automatically printed notice on tax-exempt highway diesel product transfer

documents (which EPA allows to be stated in coded form to save space), allows EPA to

determine if dyed product is intended for highway use or is high sulfur diesel for off-road use 

only. It also helps industry to make this determination.

The EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Air Enforcement Division

is the governmental user of the information contained in the required records.

3. NONDUPLICATION, CONSULTATIONS, AND OTHER COLLECTION CRITERIA

3(a) Non-Duplication

Efforts have been made to eliminate duplication in this information collection. Where

possible, information requirements from various organizations within the Agency have been

combined to minimize the submittal of duplicate information in different formats. The 

information in this collection will not be available from another source.

3(b) Public Notice Prior to Submission to OMB

We are publishing a Federal Register notifying parties that announces our intention to

renew this information collection to include form [ECA030] 1,000 ppm ECA Marine Fuel 

Sulfur Precision Demonstration. Even though this ICR is not scheduled to expire until January

31, 2016, the ICR needs to be opened to update the industry burden for this form.

3(c) Consultations

The industry will be able to comment on the cost estimates in this proposed supporting

statement which will be placed in the public docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-1121.

3(d) Effect of Less Frequent Collection

The diesel rule requires refiners and importers to submit annual reports which will, by the

information contained therein, demonstrate a party’s compliance with the applicable sulfur

standards. Less frequent submittal of such reports would severely hinder EPA’s ability to

monitor compliance, and would likely lead to noncompliance. In the case of the dye

requirements, a less frequent collection is not practical, since the information must appear on

product transfer documents at the time custody is transferred

3(e) General Guidelines

The requirement requires record retention for five (5) years. The Agency believes this is

important to the success of the program. With the large economic incentive to not comply that

exists because of the substantial difference in price that can exist between low sulfur diesel and

high sulfur diesel, it is imperative that EPA maintain deterrence by assuring that all parties know
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that EPA will be able to distinguish the difference between high sulfur and low sulfur deliveries 

via a review of records generated in the normal course of business (i.e., CBP). The requirement 

to retain for five (5) years is consistent with other record retention periods in the fuels regulations, 

with the applicable 5 year statute of limitations, and CBP. Most entities already keep these 

records for 5 or more years for tax and other business purposes.

3(f) Confidentiality

Proprietary information is routinely submitted by refiners and importers as part of annual

reports and as part of requests for research and development or hardship exemptions.

Confidentiality for such information is covered by established Agency procedures and the

regulations at 40 CFR Part 2.

3(g) Sensitive Questions

No questions of a sensitive nature are asked in this information collection such as i.e. social 

security numbers, credit card numbers or dates of birth.

4. THE RESPONDENTS AND THE INFORMATION COLLECTED

4(a) Respondents/SIC Codes

The respondents to this information collection are:

- Refiners (both domestic and foreign refiners who manufacture diesel for use in the

U.S.)

- Importers of diesel into the U. S.

- Diesel distributors, carriers, wholesale purchaser-consumers, and retailers

- Testing laboratories

Recordkeeping and, in some cases, reporting is required by the following industries, with

SIC Code/2002 NAICS Code indicated:

Refiners (2911/324110),

Importers (5172/424720),

Pipelines (4613),

Petroleum marketers and other distributors (5171, 5172/424710, 424720),

Terminals (5171/424710),

Fuel oil dealers (5172/424720),

Fuel additive manufacturers (2911/424720),

Petroleum retailers and wholesale purchaser-consumers (5171, 5172/424710, 424720)

Laboratories (8734/541380).
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4(b) Information Requested

1. Data Items

Knowledge of the following definitions at 40 CFR Part 2 is important for a thorough

understanding of the reporting and recordkeeping requirements:

“Diesel fuel” means any fuel sold in any state or Territory of the United States and suitable for

use in diesel motor vehicles, diesel motor vehicle engines or diesel non-road engines, and which

is commonly or commercially known or sold as diesel fuel.

“Motor vehicle diesel fuel” means any diesel fuel, or any distillate product, that is used, intended

for use, or made available for use, as a fuel in diesel motor vehicles or diesel motor vehicle

engines.

“Refinery” means a plant in the United States at which gasoline or diesel fuel is produced.

“Foreign refinery” means a refinery that is located outside the United States.

“Refiner” means any person who owns leases, operates, controls, or supervises a refinery.

“Importer” means a person who imports gasoline, gasoline blending stocks or components, or

diesel from a foreign country into the United States (including the Commonwealth of Puerto

Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

“Sulfur percentage” is the percentage of sulfur in diesel fuel by weight, as determined using one

of the test methods specified in the regulations.

“Parts per million (ppm)” is a typical method of expressing sulfur content in diesel fuel.

“Batch of motor vehicle diesel fuel” means a quantity of diesel fuel which is homogenous with

regard to those properties that are specified for motor vehicle diesel fuel under 40 CFR subpart I.

2. Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements

Table I summarizes the information to be collected by form and respondent. If no form 

exists, the information item is identified by party.
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5. THE INFORMATION COLLECTED - AGENCY ACTIVITIES, COLLECTION

METHODOLOGY, AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

5(a) Agency Activities

 All reported compliance data will be reviewed by EPA.

 EPA will contact submitters about problem submissions.

 Where appropriate, we will prepare a written response to the submitter.

 The data will be stored.

5(b) Collection Methodology and Management

EPA accepts common electronic formats for most of the reporting requirements - for

example, annual reports may be submitted in any of several commercial spreadsheet formats or,

more simply, as comma-delimited text/comma-separated value fields.

The product transfer document information can be included on standard transfer

documentation customarily used in the ordinary course of business (i.e., CBP). EPA allows the

information to be encoded by upstream parties (refiners, importers, and terminals) to facilitate

reporting and save space.

The information is carefully reviewed for compliance with the requirements. Most of the

compliance information submitted to the Agency is claimed as business confidential. It is stored

in a secure area and in a secure database. Forms associated with collection are as follows:

DSF0100 Form: Diesel Fuel Sulfur Credit Banking and Generation Report 5900-334

DSF0200 Form: Diesel Fuel Sulfur Credit Transfer Report 5900-333

DSF Form: ECA Marine Fuel Precision Demonstration 5900-352

DSF0302 Form: Diesel Fuel Facility Report 5900-323

DSF0401 Form: Diesel Fuel Sulfur Batch Report 5900-324

DSF0504 Forms: Designated and Track Handoff Report 5900-325

DSF0601 Designate and Track Total Volume Report 5900-326

DSF0700 Designate Track Facility Compliance Report 5900-327

DSE0700 Form: Designate and Track Entity Compliance Report 5900-328

DSE0900 Form: Motor Vehicle Diesel Sulfur Pre-Compliance Report 5900-329

DSF0951 Form: NRLM Diesel Sulfur Pre-Compliance Report 5900-330

DLQ001 Form: (Used for lab test method) EPA-420-B-14-066a

5(c) Small Entity Flexibility

The information collection reduces (to the extent practicable and appropriate) the burden

on respondents, including small entities. The major reporting requirements apply to refiners and

importers of diesel, which are not usually small businesses.
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6. ESTIMATING THE BURDEN AND COST OF THE COLLECTION

a. Estimating the Respondent Universe

We drew upon experience implementing similar regulations among the same and similar

entities to develop estimates of the burden associated with this collection.

(i) Estimating Respondent Costs

(ii) Estimating Labor Costs

In discussions with industry, four labor categories were identified as having involvement:

managerial, legal, professional/technical (prof/tech) and clerical. 1According to the Bureau of

Labor Statistics, May 2013 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage

Estimates, mean wages were:

Wages

Managerial $63.74 per hour

Legal $82.50 per hour

Prof/Tech $56.24 per hour

Clerical $17.32 per hour

Doubling for company overhead and, for convenience, rounding to the nearest dollar, gives the

following rates that will be used for this ICR:

Total Employer Cost

Managerial $128

Legal $165

Prof/Tech $113

Clerical $ 35

The labor mix for each task is assumed to be about 0.05 hour managerial, 0.05 hour legal, 0.7

hour professional/technical, and 0.2 hour clerical. This gives an average labor cost of about $101 

per hour, which will be used in this ICR. Our estimates are summarized in the following table:

 

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Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2013 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage

http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics4_324100.htm, NAICS 324100 - Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing,
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 TABLE 1 - ESTMATES BY FORM NUMBER

Collection Type of Number No. of Total No. of Time Per Cost Per Total Total

Activity Party in Party Responses Responses Response Hour Hours Cost $

Per Party Hour

Reporting

DSF0100 Form: NRLM refiners 100 1 100 1 101 100 10100

Diesel Fuel Sulfur Credit

Banking and Generation 

Report importers 50 1 50 1 101 50 5050

MV resub- 5 1 5 1 101 5 505

missions

DSF0200 Form: Diesel Fuel 

Sulfur NRLM refiners 100 1 100 1 101 100 10100

Credit Transfer Report importers 50 1 50 1 101 50 5050

MV resub- 5 1 5 1 101 5 505

missions

DSF0301 Form: Labs 150 1 150 2 101 300 30300

ECA Marine 

Fuel Precision

Demonstration

Diesel Fuel Sulfur refiners 100 1 100 1 101 100 10100

Facility Report

importers 50 1 50 1 101 50 5050

MV resub- 5 1 5 1 101 5 505

missions

DSF0401 Form: NRLM 100 1 100 1 101 100 10100

Diesel Fuel Sulfur refiners

Batch Report

importers 50 1 50 1 101 50 5050

MV resub- 5 1 5 1 101 5 4343

missions

DSF0504 Form: NRLM 100 1 100 1 101 100 10100

Designate and refiners

Track Handoff

Report

importers 50 1 50 1 101 50 5050

MV resub- 5 1 5 1 101 5 505

missions
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DSF0601 All Other NRLM 1000 1 1000 1 101 1000 101000

Designate and Track Refiners 100 1 100 1 101 100 10100

Total Volume 

Report Importers 50 1 50 1 101 50 5050

MV resub- 5 1 5 1 101 5 505

m issions

All other parties 1000 1 1000 1 101 1000 101000

DSF0700 Refiners 100 1 100 1 101 100 10100

Designate and

Track Facility Compliance

Report Importers 50 1 50 1 101 50 5050

MV resub- 5 1 5 1 101 5 505

m issions

All other parties 1000 1 1000 1 101 1000 101000

DSE0700 NRLM refiners 100 1 100 1 101 100 10100

Designate and importers 50 1 50 1 101 50 5050

Track Entity

Compliance Report MV resub- 5 1 5 1 101 5 505

m issions

All other parties 1000 1 1000 1 101 1000 101000

DSF0900 Form: Motor MV resub- 5 1 5 1 101 5 505

vehicle Diesel sulfur mission

Pre-Compliance

Report

DSF0951 Form: NRLM 100 1 100 1 101 100 10100

NRLM refiners

Diesel Sulfur

Pre-Compliance Importers 50 1 50 1 101 50 5050

Report

DLQ001 Form: (Used Testing labs 1 1 1 180 101 180 18180

for lab test method

Qualifications.)
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Registation & Other Items

Updates to existing Any Party 1 2 0.5 1 101 1 101

Registrations

R&D Exemptions Refiners 1 2 1 2 101 2 202

QA Record Retention and Refiners 150 100 15000 0.25 101 3750 378750

Generation Importers 50 100 5000 0.25 101 1250 126250

Foreign Refiners RecordKeeping and Reporting Refiners 5 1 5 40 101 200 20200

GRAND TOTALS 5753 25552.5 11078 1122716

RESPONDENTS RESPONSES HOURS COST $
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Table II - Change in Burden Based upon Expiring Approval

ICR Expiring 

12/31/15

This Renewal Change (Numbers 

in parenthesis 

represent a 

reduction)

Total Responses 265,406 25,553 (239,853)

Total Hours 18,950 11,078 (7,902)

* All of the cost indicated above is labor cost; we estimate that there will be $0 in capital costs 

associated with this ICR. 

Bottom Line from chart 1

Respondents 5,753

Responses 25,553

Hours 11,078

Cost $1,122,716

6(c) Estimating Agency Burden and Cost

The Agency activities listed in 5(a) are part of an overall gasoline and diesel reporting

system (including reformulated gasoline, conventional gasoline, and diesel). We estimate that

this system costs approximately $120,000 in personnel costs per year (i.e. approximately 3⁄4 of a

GS-13 employee with consideration of overhead and benefits).

6(d) and (e) Estimating the Respondent Universe and Total Burden and Costs, and

Bottom Line Burden Hours and Costs. This was incorporated into 6(a) and (b).

6(f) Reasons for Change in Burden

For this renewal, we estimated a total annual respondent burden of 25,553 reports, a decrease 

of 239,853 reports from the last ICR approved by OMB. The number of hours decreased from 

18,950 hours to 11,078 hours, a difference of 7,902 hours per year. The annual reporting and hourly

burden decreased due to an expiring yellow 124 provision no longer required for diesel fuel. In this 

renewal, the Agency is also adding the electronic ECA Marine Fuel Precision Demonstration form.

A contributing factor to the lowering of the industry cost was the salaries quoted in the “Bureau of 

Labor Statistics, May 2013 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage 

Estimates, mean wages.” The salaries that assisted in calculating the labor mix had slightly
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declined. This change has caused a decrease in the cost per report in this collection from $110 per 

report to $101 per report. The total estimated cost to industry is $ 1,122,716 a year, a difference of 

$ 961,784 calculated from the prior collection approved by OMB. For future approvals, we project 

that the cost to report will decrease significantly. The burden related to MV diesel reporting will 

phase out and virtually all laboratory qualification applications for test methods will be completed, 

decreasing total industry burden.

6(g) Burden Statement

The public reporting burden for this Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collection

of information is estimated to average .03 hour per response. This includes time for reviewing 

instructions and regulations, searching company records, gathering the needed data, and 

completing, reviewing, copying, and transmitting the collection of information. 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 or requirements; train personnel to be able to response to a collection of 

information; search data sources; complete and review the collection of information; and 

transmit or otherwise disclose the information. 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. The OMB control numbers for EPA’s regulations are listed in 40

CFR Part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter 15.

To comment on the Agency's need for this information, the accuracy of the provided

burden estimates, and any suggested methods for minimizing respondent burden, including the

use of automated collection techniques, EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under

Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-1121, which is available for online viewing at

www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Air and Radiation Docket and Information

Center in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number

for the Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Air and Radiation

Docket and Information Center is (202) 566-1742. An electronic version of the public docket is

available at www.regulations.gov. This site can be used to submit or view public comments,

access the index listing of the contents of the public docket, and to access those documents in the

public docket that are available electronically. When in the system, select "search," then key in

the Docket ID Number identified above. Also, you can send comments to the Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW,

Washington, D.C. 20503, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA. Please include the EPA Docket ID

Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-1121 and OMB Control Number 2060-0308 in any

correspondence.