### Draft Supporting Statement for Inform ation Collection Request

Recordk eeping and Reporting Requirements Regarding the Sulfur Content of Motor Vehicle

Gasoline under the Tier 2 Rule 40 CFR Part 80, subpart H

EPA I CR 1907.05

March 2010

Compliance and Innovative Strategies Division Office of Transportation and Air Qualit y U.S. Environmental Protection Agency1. IDENTIFICATION OF THE INFORMATION COLLECTION

1(a) Title of the Information Collection Recordkeeping and Reporting Requi rements Regarding the Sulfur Content of Motor Vehicle Gasoline under the Tier 2 Rule; OMB Control Number: 2060

- 0437; EPA I CR 1907.05. 1(b) Short Characterization/Abstract The requirements covered under this Information Collection Request (I CR) are included in the final Tier 2 rule, published on the February 10, 2000 (65 FR 6698). A minor additional ICR requirement was added to the Tier 2 rule on June 12, 2002 (67 FR 40169). The scope of the recordkeeping and reporting requiremen ts for each t ype of part y in the gasoline distribution sy stem, and therefore the cost to that party , reflects the part y's opportunit y to create, control or alter the sulfur content of gasoline. As a result, refiners and importers have more significant req

uirements, which are necessary both for their own tracking and that of downstream parties, and for EPA enforcement, while parties downstream from the gasoline production or import point, such as distributors and pipelines, have minimal burdens under the ru le. Man y of the reporting and recordkeeping requirements for refiners and importers regarding the sulfur content of gasoline on which the Tier 2 sulfur program relies currently exist under EPA’s reformulated gasoline (RFG) and conventional gasoline (CG) anti

- dumping programs. The I CR for the RFG/CG programs covered the majority of the start

- up costs associated with the reporting of gasoline sulfur content. Consequently , much of the cost associated with the sulfur

control requirements under the sulfur pro gram has alread y been accounted for under the ICR for the RFG/CG programs. The information under this I CR will be collected by EPA’s Compliance and I nnovative Strategies Division (CI SD), Office of Transportation and Air Quality , Office of Air and Radiati on (OAR), and b y EPA’s Air Enforcement Division, Office of Regulatory Enforcement, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA). The information collected will be used by EPA to evaluate compliance with the gasoline sulfur control requirements un der the Tier 2 rule. This oversight by EPA is necessary to ensure attainment of the air quality goals of the Tier 2 program. Proprietary information may

be submitted by

refiners and importers for demonstrating compliance with the sulfur standards. Conf identiality

is handled in accordance with EPA regulations at 40 CFR Part 2. and established Agency procedures. In general terms, the recordkeeping and reporting requirements regarding the sulfur content of gasoline under the gasoline sulfur program con sist of the following: (1) Sampling and Testing. Refiners and importers. Under the gasoline sulfur control program, refiners and importers are required to test every

batch of gasoline produced or imported for its sulfur content. Although every batch s ampling and testing is required under the RFG program for refiners and importers of RFG, it is a new requirement for refiners and importers of CG, who are allowed to collectsamples from multiple batches and test the composite sample under the RFG program. Refiners

and importers also conduct quality assurance (QA) periodic sampling and testing for sulfur for defense purposes under the gasoline sulfur program. Blenders of Butane and Other Blendstocks into Previously Certified Gasoline . Under certain cir cumstances, blenders who blend butane into previously certified gasoline (PCG) are allowed to comply

with the gasoline sulfur standards based on data from the butane producer/supplier as an alternative to testing every batch testing. Blenders who blend ot her blendstocks into PCG are allowed to calculate the sulfur content of the blendstock by testing the PCG before blending and the gasoline produced after blending, and subtracting the volume and sulfur content of the PGC from the volume and sulfur content of the finished blend. Terminals and Pipelines . Terminals and pipelines must sample and test gasoline designated as small refiner gasoline (SRGAS) (i.e., gasoline subject to the less stringent standards that appl y to small refiners) for compliance with the applicable downstream small refiner standard subsequent to the most recent receipt of gasoline. Terminals and pipelines also conduct periodic QA testing for sulfur. Truck Importers . Under certain circumstances, an importer that imports gasoline by truck is allowed to comply

with the sulfur standards based on test records from the foreign terminal. To use this option, the truck importer must conduct quality assurance testing of the gasoline. (2) Sample Retention. The gasoline sulfur program requir es refiners and importers to retain sample portions from the most recent 20 samples collected or for each sample collected during the most recent 21

- day

period, whichever is greater, and annually certify that samples have been collected under required proc edures. Independent sampling and testing is required for RFG under the RFG rule, and refiners and importers who meet the independent anal ys is requirements for RFG also meet the sample retention requirements under the sulfur rule. For CG, this was a new r equirement. However, under the gasoline sulfur program, refiners are allowed to conduct their own testing rather than having it conducted at an independent laboratory

. (3) Recordkeeping. Under RFG program requirements, all parties in the distribution s ys tem are required to keep product transfer documents (PTDs) for RFG. For CG, however, PTDs must be transferred to all parties, but their retention is required only of refiners and importers since no downstream requirements for CG exist under the RFG prog ram. The gasoline sulfur program has downstream requirements regarding the sulfur content of both RFG and CG. Therefore, the sulfur program requires that all parties keep PTDs for CG as well as RFG. The record retention time for most records is five y ea rs, which is the same as under the RFG program. The additional burden on downstream parties under the gasoline sulfur rule is minimal because all downstream parties alread y receive transfer documents as a customary business practice and maintain them for 4 or 5 ye ars under state tax laws. (4) Reporting. The gasoline sulfur program requires refiners and importers to submit an annual sulfur report which demonstrates compliance with the applicable sulfur standards and includesABT credit and/or allotment ac tivity

. 1 Reports are entered into an EPA Office of Air and

Radiation, Office of Transportation and Air Quality computer database. Reporting entities currentl y have the option of electronic data interchange with EPA. EPA supplies paper forms to parties t hat elect to use them instead of reporting electronicall y. (5) Attest Requirements. The gasoline sulfur program requires an annual review (called an attest engagement) of the company ’s records which form the basis for the annual sulfur compliance report . Attest engagements are required under the RFG program for both RFG and CG. There is a small incremental cost associated with including the information required under the sulfur program in the attest engagements for RFG and CG. (6) ABT Credit Trading P rovisions. The gasoline sulfur program’s ABT credit trading provisions reduce the overall cost of compliance by providing refiners and importers flexibility in comply ing with the gasoline sulfur standards. Refiners and importers are required to report an nually regarding the generation, transfer, and use of credits. (7) Small refiners. Most of this I CR’s requirements for small entities are associated with alternate sulfur standards that are designed to lessen the overall burden of compliance for these e ntities during the phase

- in of the program. Eligible small refiners who participate in the small refiner program are required to comply with the recordkeeping and reporting requirements applicable to all refiners. Small refiners are required to identify their gasoline as SRGAS on PTDs. (8) Refiners and importers of GPA gasoline . The gasoline sulfur program provides flexibility during the phase

- in period of the program for refiners and importers who supply gasoline to certain states and counties in the western U.S., called the geographic phase

- in area (GPA). These refiners and importers are required to comply with the reporting and recordkeeping requirements applicable to all refiners and importers. These refiners and importers are required to demonst rate compliance with the sulfur requirements separatel y for their GPA and non

- GPA gasoline and they

are required to identify

their gasoline as GPA gasoline on PTDs.
2. NEED FOR AND USE OF THE COLLECTION 2(a) Need/Authority For The Collection The gaso line sulfur requirements were promulgated under the authority granted by Section 211(c)(1) of the Clean Air Act (CAA). 2 Under Section 211(c)(1), EPA may adopt a fuel control if at least one of the following two criteria is met: (1) the emission products of the fuel cause or contribute to air pollution which may reasonably

be anticipated to endanger public

1 The report forms for the fuels programs may be found on the fuels reporting page of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) w eb site, http://www.epa.gov/otaq.

2 We currently have regulatory requirements for conventional and reformulated gasoline adopted under Sections 211(c) and 211(k) of the Act, in addition to the “substantially similar” requirement s for fuel additives of Section 211(f). These requirements directly or indirectly control sulfur levels in gasoline. See the RIA for more details.health or welfare, or (2) the emission products of the fuel will significantly impair emissions

control sy stems in general use or which would be in gene ral use were the fuel control to be adopted. The gasoline sulfur program was promulgated based on both of these criteria. Under the first criterion, EPA believes that emissions products of sulfur in gasoline used in Tier 1 and low emission vehicle (LE V) technology vehicles contribute to ozone pollution, air toxics, and PM. Under the second criterion, EPA believes that sulfur in gasoline that would be used in Tier 2 technology

vehicles would significantl y impair the emissions control systems of such ve hicles. The Regulatory

I mpact Analy sis (RIA) submitted with the Tier 2 rulemaking includes a more detailed discussion of EPA’s authorit y to set gasoline sulfur standards, including a discussion of EPA’s conclusions related to the factors that must be cons idered under Section 211(c). This supporting statement describes the recordkeeping and reporting requirements and the associated costs to various parties (e.g., refiners, importers, distributors, and retailers of gasoline). These requirements are necess ary to enable the Administrator to: (1) Identify

the sources of gasoline and gasoline blendstocks; and (2) Ensure that these sources compl y with the standards and limitations of the Tier 2 gasoline sulfur rule. An effective enforcement scheme is nece ssary to ensure that the environmental goals of the proposed Tier 2 program are met, and that those comply ing with the requirements in good faith are not disadvantaged by non - compl yi ng parties. The gasoline sulfur program requirements create a significant economic incentive for noncompliance. Without the accompany ing recordkeeping and reporting requirements, Congressional intent to improve air quality through the Tier 2 program would be thwarted because neither EPA nor industry would have sufficient infor mation to monitor compliance. Non

- compl ying fuel would likely be introduced into commerce on a widespread basis but for requirements that make it possible for EPA to cross

check records of various entities in order to determine compliance. Sections 114 and 208 of the CAA, 42 U.S.C. §§ 7414 and 7542, authorize EPA to require recordkeeping and reporting regarding enforcement of the provisions of Title II of the CAA. Relevant portions of the statutes referenced above can be found in the Attachment. The cu rrent regulations applicable to motor vehicle gasoline, including the regulations associated with this information collection, can be found in 40 CFR Part 80, Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives. 2(b) Practical Utility/Users of the Data EPA will use the information and test results (e.g., sulfur content and volume of each batch of gasoline) contained in the annual reports required b y this information collection to evaluate the compliance of parties involved in the production and importation of gasoli ne with the gasoline sulfur control requirements These reports will also be used by EPA to target compliance investigations. PTDs maintained by parties in the gasoline distribution sy stem andrecords related to gasoline blending will be used to evaluate the compliance of parties that

maintain the records, and to help evaluate upstream compliance.
3. NONDUPLICATION, CONSULTATIONS, AND OTHER COLLECTION CRITERIA 3(a) Nonduplication Efforts have been made to eliminate duplication in this information coll ection. Provisions included in the gasoline sulfur rule allow parties to consolidate reporting requirements and/or provide abbreviated reports where appropriate. For example, to reduce the reporting burden, reports specific to compliance with the sulfur standards and reports related to the sulfur ABT credit trading program are included in the annual reports alread y required to be submitted under the RFG program. Where possible, information requirements from various organizations within the Agency

have be en combined to minimize the submittal of duplicate information in different formats. The information in this collection is not available from another source. To minimize the information collection burden, refiners and importers who are registered under the RFG program (40 CFR 80.76) are considered to have satisfied the registration requirements under the sulfur rule. This also applies to the registration requirements for refiners subject to the small refiner or temporary hardship relief provisions, and refiners and importers subject to the GPA standards. Refiners and importers who are not alread y registered with EPA must register in accordance with the registration requirements under the RFG program. Additionally , since California’s state gasoline su lfur requirements are as stringent as those under the gasoline sulfur program for most of the remainder of the nation’s gasoline, and since California has its own compliance and enforcement provisions, California gasoline is exempt from most of the require ments of the sulfur program. 3(b) Public Notice Prior to Submission to OMB Public comment on the ICR requirements under the Tier 2 gasoline sulfur rule was solicited in the proposal for the rule as published in the Federal Register. The final ICR was modified per internal and external comments as appropriate. We received few comments on the information collection request burdens associated with the gasoline sulfur rule. Most regulated parties have been fulfilling reporting, recordkeeping and testing requirements under the RFG program. Much of the cost and hourly burden associated with the reporting and recordkeeping requirements under the gasoline sulfur rule are alread y accounted for under the ICR for the RFG program. Some of the information collec tion burdens associated with this I CR are the result of provisions designed to provide refiners and importers with flexibility

in demonstrating compliance with the sulfur standards during the phase

- in of the rule (e.g., the small refiner and GPA provisions ). Public comment was solicited on this renewal of the Tier 2 gasoline sulfur rule I CR. No comments were received.3(c) Consultations

The initial estimates in this ICR were developed after consultation with industry and after consideration of commen ts recorded on the proposed rule. This renewal will be shared with representatives from industry prior to being submitted to OMB.

3(d) Effect of Less Frequent Collection The gasoline sulfur program requires refiners and importers to submit annual rep orts, which, by the information contained therein, demonstrates a party ’s compliance with the applicable sulfur standards. The information contained in such reports includes batch specific information regarding the sulfur content and volume of a refinery ’ s or importer’s gasoline. Less frequent submittal of such reports would severel y hinder EPA’s ability to monitor compliance, and would likely

lead to noncompliance. Additionally , requiring less than every

- batch sampling and testing, except for those few situations allowed by EPA, would make the sulfur cap requirement (i.e., the per gallon maximum sulfur content) meaningless, and would likely lead to extreme excursions in fuel sulfur content which could affect emission control sy stems and lead to increase d emissions. This would be an unacceptable outcome given that the gasoline sulfur program is intended to lead to reduced emissions in part by compatible vehicle and fuel interaction. Given that the reporting and sampling/testing requirements are similar to the requirements under the RFG program, and that the sulfur reports can be included in the reports for these programs, requiring less frequent collection would likely increase the reporting burden. 3(e) General Guidelines This information collection activity complies with the guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.6, except that respondents are required to keep certain records for longer than three years. Specificall y, all parties are required to keep PTDs and records of quality assurance programs for five ye ars, and refiners and importers are required to keep their compliance records for five y ears. With one exception, as discussed below, records related to the ABT credit trading program are also required to be retained for five ye ars. The information required t o be retained will facilitate EPA’s identification of the source of an y gasoline found to be in violation of the sulfur standard. Much of the information required under the gasoline sulfur rule is alread y required under the RFG program, and most records are required to be kept for five ye ars under the RFG program. Therefore, the recordkeeping requirements under the gasoline sulfur rule impose little additional burden. Five years is the applicable statute of limitations for the RFG and other fuel programs

. See 28 U.S.C. 2462. Refiners and importers submit a limited amount of proprietary information, such as batch volume and sulfur content in their annual reports. EPA believes that requiring annual reports provides an appropriate and effective means of monitoring compliance with the standards under the sulfur program. This ty pe of information has been collected in the past and will be safeguarded in the same manner as data required by other EPA directives. Pertinent information, whether kept b y the res pondent or by a contractor, is subject to auditing b y EPA. Consequently , EPA officials will require voluntary entry and access to facilities.3(f) Confidentiality

As discussed in 3(e) above, proprietary information may

submitted by

refiners and impo rters for demonstrating compliance with the sulfur standards Such information is protected in accordance with the EPA regulations at 40 CFR Part 2. and established Agency procedures. 3(g) Sensitive Questions No questions of a sensitive nature are asked in this information collection.
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 gasoline for use in the U.S .)

- Importers of gasoline into the U. S.

- Gasoline distributors, carriers, wholesale purchaser

- consumers, and retailers

- Users of research and development gasoline (testing laboratories) Table 4(a).1: Respondent I ndustry Classification Codes Industry N AI CS 1 Codes SI C 2 Codes Defined b y SBA as a Small Business If: 3 Gasoline Refiners 32411 2911 < 1500 employ ees Gasoline Importers 42272 5172 < 100 employ ees Gasoline Terminals 42271 5171 < 100 employ ees Gasoline Pipelines 48691 4613 < 100 employ ees Truckers and Other Gasoline Distributors 48422 4212 < 18.5 million dollars

Gasoline Retailers and Wholesale Purchaser

Consumers 44711 44719 5541 < 6.5 million dollars

Testing Laboratories 54138 8734 < 5 million dollars 1) North American Industry Class ification S ys tem 2) Standard Industrial Classification sy stem 3) According to Small Business Administration’s (SBA) regulations (13 CFR 121), businesses with no more than the listed number of emplo ye es or dollars in annual receipts are considered “small en tities” for purposes of conducting a regulatory flexibility

analy sis. 4(b) Information RequestedThe recordkeeping and reporting requirements applicable to the regulated parties vary

depending on their position in the gasoline production and distributio n stream and their potential to influence the sulfur content of gasoline. The regulated parties are divided into groups (and sub

- groups) as indicated in the list below, based on the applicable recordkeeping and reporting requirements.

- Gasoline Refiners and Importers

- Additional and/or alternative requirements exist if:

- Refiner qualifies and opts to use the small

- refiner provisions

- Refiner or importer participates in the ABT credit trading program

- Refiner or importer opts to use the GPA provisio ns

- Refiner (including parties who blend gasoline at a terminal facility ) produces gasoline b y blending butane or other blendstocks into previously certified gasoline

- Gasoline Distributors (Gasoline Terminals, Pipelines, and Truckers)

- Additional requi rements exist for distributors of gasoline subject to the small refinery standards (SRGAS).

- Gasoline retailers and wholesale purchaser

- consumers (WPC)

- Additional requirements exist for retailers and WPCs of exempted research and development (R&D) gasol ine

- Users of R&D gasoline (testing laboratories) (i ) Data items, including recordkeeping requirements The information collection requirements are categorized in the following lists according to which regulated parties they apply . Certain requirement s, such as the PTD requirements, are broadly applicable to most parties who transfer gasoline. These more generally applicable requirements are discussed separatel y from the requirements that appl y only to specific groups of regulated parties. Additional and/or alternative requirements applicable to subgroups of respondents are also discussed separatel y. Where a regulated part y is not specificall y mentioned, only the most broadl y applicable requirements apply. A number of recordkeeping and reporting re quirements are onl y applicable when parties exercise the option to comply with alternative compliance requirements. These requirements are primarily associated with the optional small

- refiner, GPA and temporary hardship relief provisions that are availabl e during the phase

- in years of the gasoline sulfur program, and the ABT credit and allotment trading provisions. Other alternative requirements apply to certain gasoline blending practices, and to the testing requirements for truck importers. These optio nal alternative compliance requirements are designed to ease the burden of compliance. After the gasoline sulfur program is phased in, the optional small refiner, GPA and temporary hardship relief provisions will no longer be available, and the associated reporting and recordkeeping requirements will expire. The presence of an “*” in the following list of requirements indicates an explanatory

note regarding the applicability of these requirements.

(A) Broadly

-

Applicable RequirementsThe following requirements apply broadly to all of the regulated parties listed above. The responsibilities of gasoline distributors (gasoline terminals, pipelines, and carriers) and gasoline retailers and WPCs are primarily related to compliance with the following br oadl y applicable requirements. Some terminal or other facility operators blend butane or other blendstocks into previously certified gasoline. These gasoline producers are considered refiners under the sulfur program, and are discussed under the requirem ents for refiners. Unless specificall y noted, the PTD requirements listed below do not result in any new activities for gasoline distributors, retailers, and WPCs.

- The gasoline sulfur rule requires persons who manufacture, import, sell, offer for sal e, dispense, distribute, supply , offer for supply , store, or transport gasoline to include the following information in PTDs that accompan y each transfer of gasoline:

- PTDs that accompan y the transfer of gasoline manufactured b y small refiners and d esignated as SRGAS are required to identify the gasoline as SRGAS and designate the applicable downstream cap.

- PTDs that accompan y the transfer of GPA gasoline are required to identify the gasoline as being GPA gasoline and include a statement that the g asoline may not be distributed or sold for use outside the GPA. * The small refiner and GPA provisions allow the production of special classifications of gasoline. The presence of these special classifications of gasoline in the distribution sy stem neces sitates the inclusion of additional information on gasoline PTDs. After January 1, 2011, gasoline which has these special classifications will no longer enter the distribution sy stem. When all of this gasoline has gone through the s ys tem and been used, t he additional PTD requirements will no longer be applicable. The total number of gasoline batches is not increased due to the inclusion of these additional gasoline classifications. Therefore, this requirement does not result in an additional burden for industry due to the entry

of a greater number of PTDs into the distribution sy stem. Small refiners and GPA refiners experience an additional burden associated with adding the required information to the PTDs. Parties in the gasoline distribution chain th at handle PTDs are not required to undertake an y new activities due to the additional information on the PTDs. * Except for transfers to truck carriers, retailers and wholesale purchaser

- consumers, product codes can be used to convey the required informat ion if such codes are clearl y understood by

each transferee. This allowance lessens the burden of compliance and is consistent with the requirements under the RFG program.

- Under the gasoline sulfur rule, an y party required to conduct sampling and testi ng for sulfur content must retain records regarding:

- The location, date, time, tank or storage tank identification for each sample collected

- The name and title of the person who collected the sample and the person who performed the testing

- The result s of the test as originall y printed or recorded, and an y record which contains a result that is not identical to the originall y printed or recorded test* With the exception of the last item in the list, the required records already are

maintained under t he RFG program.

- For purposes of establishing an affirmative defense to a violation, parties other than retailers or wholesale purchaser

- consumers must be able to provide business records documenting the following:

- A periodic sampling and testing prog ram designed to ensure that the gasoline meets the applicable sulfur standard

- On each occasion that gasoline is found not to be in compliance with the applicable sulfur standard, the actions taken to stop the sale or distribution of any gasoline found n ot to be in compliance, and the actions taken to remedy the violation and the factors that caused the violation (such as removing the non

- comply ing gasoline from the distribution sy stem and taking steps to prevent future violations) *Although periodic qua lity assurance sampling and testing is not new under the fuels regulations, quality

assurance sampling and testing for sulfur is a new requirement under the sulfur program. The maintenance of business records establishing that steps were taken to prevent future violations is new under the sulfur program. However, no new activities for the regulated parties result from this new requirement, since such records t ypically are maintained as a customary business practice.

- Records are required to be maintaine d for five ye ars from the date they were create with one exception, as noted below

. * In most cases, this requirement does not impose an additional burden because the required records are already maintained under other EPA fuels programs, or the records are maintained as a customary business practice. However, for distributors, retailers and WPCs of CG, the requirement to maintain PTDs for five ye ars is a new requirement under the gasoline sulfur program. In evaluating the burdens associated with the information collection requirements under the RFG program, EPA assumed that the requirement that retailers and WPCs retain PTDs associated with the transfer of RFG for five y ears did not result in a significant additional burden on these parties. The prem ise of this assumption was that most retailers and WPCs alread y retain gasoline PTDs as customary

business practice. Based on this assumption, the burden of the requirement to retain PTDs for RFG for five y ears was estimated to be zero in the I CR document for the RFG program. EPA believes that the requirement that retailers and WPCs retain PTDs under the sulfur program also results in essentially no additional burden, since the PTDs are alread y m aintained as a customary business practice or to comply with tax requirements. * The requirement to retain records related to the ABT credit trading program is also new under the gasoline sulfur rule. Records related to ABT credits must be kept for five ye ars from the date of generation, except where credits ar e transferred. In such cases, records must be kept by

the transferor for five y ears from the date of transfer, and by the transferee for five ye ars from the date of transfer, use or termination, whichever is later. As a result, in certain circumstances, records related to credits may be required to bemaintained for longer than five y ears from the date of origination. This potentially longer retention time is required to enable the Agency to determine the legitimacy of credit transfers in the context of an enforcement action (B ) Requirements Specific to Gasoline Refiners and Importers: The following requirements apply to all refiners and importers. Additional and/or alternative requirements exist for refiners and importers that compl y with the sma ll refiner or GPA flexibilities, the ABT credit trading provisions, or other specific provisions, as discussed in the following sections.

- Register with EPA no later than three months in advance of the first date of production or importation of gasoline. *One

- time start up requirement. Registration under RFG program is sufficient to satisfy this requirement. As a result, no additional burden is expected under the gasoline sulfur rule.

- Calculate the annual average sulfur level for each refinery or a ll imported gasoline.

- Submit annual sulfur averaging report to EPA for each refinery and importer by

the last day of February

following the previous y ear’s averaging period. * A separate sulfur averaging report (in addition to the RFG/CG reports) is n ecessary since the sulfur program requires CG and RFG to be averaged together, whereas under the RFG program, RFG and CG are reported separately. Except where indicated, this reporting requirement does not require the collection of information that is not currentl y required under the RFG program. The calculation of annual average sulfur values is a new requirement. However, these calculations are simple and straightforward.

- In clude the following information in the refinery ’s or importer’s annual avera ge report:

- EPA refiner and refinery facility , or importer registration numbers

- Applicable annual average standard

- Total volume of gasoline (RFG & CG) produced at the refinery or imported

- Annual average gasoline sulfur content (RFG & CG) produ ced at the refinery or imported

- Annual average sulfur level after inclusion of an y credits

- For each batch of gasoline produced or imported during the averaging period, the batch number assigned under the RFG program, the date the batch was produced, and the volume and sulfur content of the batch. * The requirement to determine the sulfur content of each batch of CG, rather than a composite sample of multiple batches, is new under the sulfur program

- Arrange to have an attest engagement report subm itted to EPA by May 30th of each annual averaging period- The attest engagement must be performed on the underly ing documentation that forms the basis of an y required report

- The attest engagement must be prepared in accordance with the procedures esta blished under the RFG program

- The attest engagement must be performed b y an independent certified public accountant (CPA)

- Internal auditors may

assist the CPA pursuant to the Standards for Attestation Engagements * No new data is needed to be collec ted to satisfy this requirement. Data collected to comply with the RFG program is reviewed to find the relevant information, which is then used to determine whether the refiner or importer evaluated their compliance with the sulfur program requirements co rrectly

. (C ) Additional and/or Alternate Requirements for Refiners and Importers that Participate in the ABT Credit Trading Program The following recordkeeping and reporting requirements apply to refiners and importers who utilize the ABT credi t trading provisions under the sulfur program:

- Calculate ABT credits generated

- In clude in the refinery or importer annual sulfur compliance report (in addition to the information required for all refiners and importers) the number of credits:

- Carri ed over from the prior averaging period

- Generated

- Used

- Obtained from or transferred to another part y, and the name and EPA refiner or importer registration number of the other part y t o the transaction

- Expired at the end of the averaging period

- Carried over to the subsequent averaging period

- Retain the following records (in addition to records required to be kept by all refiners and importers), separatel y b y ye ar of creation, and separatel y for GPA gasoline and other gasoline, pertaining t o the number of credits:

- Carried over from the prior averaging period

- Generated

- Used

- Obtained from or transferred to another part y, and the name and EPA registration number of the other part y to the transaction

- Expired at the end of the aver aging period

- Retain records related to credits for five years from the date of generation; if transferred, the transferor must retain records for five ye ars from the date of transfer and the transferee must retain records for five ye ars from the date of transfer, use or termination, whichever is later* As discussed above, these requirements could result in records being required to be

retained for longer than five y ears in some cases. (D) Alternative Requirements for Importers who Import Gasoline by Truck

- Importers who import gasoline into the U. S. by truck may

use the test results from the foreign terminal to satisfy the sampling and testing requirements that are otherwise required if the importer fulfills the following alternative requiremen ts:

- Obtain records from the foreign terminal at which the gasoline was loaded for importation into the U.S. which shows the sulfur content of each truck load of gasoline imported into the U.S.

- Conduct a QA program for each truck loading terminal. QA samples must be taken from the truck

- loading terminal for testing by the importer, or as an alternative, by an independent laboratory , to determine the sulfur content. The sampling and testing must be performed using the regulatory methods. The frequenc y of the sampling and testing must be at least one sample for each fift y of an importer’s trucks that are loaded at the terminal, or one sample per month, whichever is more frequent.

- Treat each truck load of imported gasoline as a separate batch for purp oses of assigning batch numbers, maintaining records, and reporting * These requirements only appl y if the importer elects to use this alternative way of demonstrating compliance.

- For a truck importer to use the alternative sampling and testing procedures, the foreign terminal must agree to fulfill the following requirements:

- Sample and test the gasoline contained in the storage tank from which the trucks used to transport gasoline are loaded, to demonstrate that a sulfur content does not e xceed the applicable per

- gallon standard. This sampling and testing must be performed after each receipt of gasoline into the storage tank, or immediately before each transfer of gasoline into the importer’s truck. * These requirements apply onl y if the importer elects to use the alternative procedures to demonstrate compliance with the every batch sampling and testing requirement. These additional requirements are not applicable if the importer has an independent third part y conduct the required testing at the foreign terminal facility . This is generally the case because of the cost savings that result for the importer as well as the foreign terminal operator. Terminal testing conducted b y a third party satisfies the testing requirements that are other

wise applicable to the importer. Therefore, EPA expects that these requirements will not result in additional activities for foreign terminal operators. (E ) Alternative Requirements for Refiners, Pipelines, and Terminals that Produce Gasoline by Blending Butane or Other Blendstocks into Previously Certified Gasoline (PCG)- As an alternative to the every batch sampling and testing requirements, refiner

- blenders who blend butane into PCG may meet the sampling and testing requirements by using sulfur test results from the butane supplier provided that the refiner

- blender:

- Obtains a cop y of the test results from the butane supplier which shows that the sulfur content of each load of butane in the storage tank from which the blendstock was drawn does not exceed the applicable per

- gallon standard and that the tests were performed using the regulatory method

- Treats the butane as a batch (re: sulfur content and volume) for the purpose of calculating compliance with the applicable sulfur aver aging standard

- Conducts a quality

assurance program including sampling and testing from each butane supplier to demonstrate that butane sulfur content is below the applicable per

gallon standard. The frequency of butane sampling and testing from each su pplier must be one sample for every 500,000 gallons of butane received, or one sample every 3 months, which ever results in more frequent sampling

- As an alternative to the every batch sampling testing requirements, refiner

- blenders who blend other blend stocks into PCG may :

- Sample and test the PCG for sulfur content prior to blending and subsequent to blending and calculate the volume and sulfur content of the blendstock b y subtracting the volume and sulfur content of the PCG from the volume and sulfur content of the gasoline subsequent to blending, or

- If every

batch of blendstock used during an averaging period has a sulfur content that is equal to or less then the applicable per

- gallon standard, sample and test each batch of blendstock for volume and sulfur content when received and treat each blendstock receipt as a separate batch for purposes of compliance calculations (F ) Requirements for Pipelines and Terminals Pipelines and terminals that receive SRGAS must:

- Fulfill testing requireme nts to assure that gasoline designated as SRGAS has the applicable sulfur content to qualify as SRGAS. (G) Requirements for Gasoline Retailers and Wholesale Purchaser

- Consumers:

- If research and development (R&D) gasoline is to be stored b y a retailer or wholesale purchaser

- consumer (WPC), records must be kept to demonstrate that the retailer or WPC is associated with the facility that will be using the R&D gasoline. Documents associated with R&D gasoline are required to be retained for five y ears.

* The requirement to maintain records associated with R&D gasoline for five years is a new requirement under the gasoline sulfur program. As discussed above, in evaluating the burdens associated with the information collection requirements under the RFG pro gram, EPA assumed that the requirement that retailers and WPCs retain PTDs associated with the transfer of RFG for five years did not result in a significant additionalburden on these parties, since most retailers and WPCs retain such records as customary

business practice. Similarly , EPA believes that the requirement that retailers and WPCs retain documents relating to R&D gasoline no additional burden, since they are normally maintained as a customary business practice. (H) Requirements for Users of R& D Gasoline. Users of R&D gasoline must submit an application to EPA prior to initial use of the R&D gasoline. The application must contain the following:

- Statement of purpose

- Description of the R& D program, including the sulfur level of the gaso line expected to be used

- Expected start and completion dates of the R&D program

- Estimation of the number of vehicles or engines in which the fuel will be used and mileage to be accumulated

- Locations where gasoline will be stored and used

- Volume of gasoline to be used.

- Id entification of the gasoline distributor or other source of the R&D gasoline

- Explanation of why

sulfur

- compliant gasoline can not be used

- Provisions to ensure EPA monitoring capability * A report must be submitted to obtain an exemption for R&D gasoline under EPA’s gasoline detergent program. A similar requirement exists under EPA’s fuel volatility program. The application under the sulfur program may be combined with the report alread y submitted to gain an exemption under these existing EPA programs. Therefore, the R&D gasoline exemption application under the sulfur program does not result in additional reports/applications being submitted to EPA. The requirement to provide an explanation of why

sulfur

- compliant gasoline cannot be used represents a new information collection requirement under the sulfur program. However, this information will be readil y available, and the additional activity required to include it in the application is minimal.

- R&D gasoline must be id entified on PTDs as gasoline to be used only for this purpose * This requirement already exists to establish an exemption from EPA’s gasoline detergent program. Since manufacturers of R&D gasoline are likel y to seek an exemption under both the gasoline d etergent and sulfur programs, this PTD requirement should not result in a new activity

. (ii) Respondent Activities As noted above, much of the information needed for compliance with the recordkeeping requirements under the gasoline sulfur rule is being retained either to comply with the requirements of the RFG program or as a customary business practice. In addition, much of the information required to be reported is being reported to EPA to demonstrate compliance under the RFG program. The Agency mad e efforts to ensure that the requirements under the sulfurprogram are consistent with, and do not duplicate the requirements under the RFG program or

other EPA fuels programs. To the extent possible, EPA has ensured that information collected and reporte d under the RFG program can also be used to demonstrate compliance with the sulfur program without necessitating additional activities by the regulated parties. Only in cases where it is essential to ensure the realization of the projected benefits of the sulfur program, is EPA requiring testing, recordkeeping, and reporting beyond that alread y required under the RFG program. The activities arising out of the testing, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements outlined in the preceding section are liste d below according to the respondent class to which they apply . Activities that apply to a broad class of respondents (such as refiners and importers) are also applicable to respondent subclasses (such as small refiners, GPA producers and importers and ref iners who participate in the ABT credit trading program) unless otherwise noted. Several burden activities associated with the gasoline sulfur rule were required to be completed b y 2004. These activities were included in the I CR for the final rule. Th e burdens and costs included in this I CR are those which are expected to be incurred during the next three ye ars, the period of time covered by this ICR. The following lists detail the activities of the various regulated parties: (A ) Activities of Gasoline Refiners and Importers

- Test each batch of gasoline for its sulfur content, retain samples from the most recent 20 samples collected or for each sample collected during the most recent 21 day period, whichever is greater, and retain records of the testing for five y ears. As discussed above, the RFG program allows testing on composite samples taken from multiple CG batches. Therefore, this activit y requires testing of additional batches of CG for their sulfur content (and the retention of addit ional test reports and CG batch samples), but does not require additional samples to be taken.

- Conduct a QA periodic sampling and testing program for sulfur content for defense purposes.

- Calculate the average annual sulfur level of each refinery , or all imported gasoline, using batch test reports.

- Submit refinery

and importer annual averaging reports to EPA by the last day

of February of the y ear following the prior y ear’s averaging period.

- Arrange to have an independent third part y submit to EPA an attest engagement report b y May 31 of each y ear for the prior calendar ye ar averaging period. * Data collected to comply with the RFG program will be reviewed to find the relevant information, which will then be used to determine whether the refin er or importer had evaluated their compliance with the requirements of the sulfur program correctl y.(B

) Activities of Gasoline Refiners That Utilize the Small Refiner Provisions:

- For transfers of gasoline with a small refiner designation, identi fy the gasoline as small refiner gasoline (SRGAS) and indicate the downstream small refiner sulfur standard on PTDs.

- Notify

EPA if refiner wishes to withdrawal small refiner status. Upon notice to EPA, effective on January

1 of the y ear following such notification, the small refiner will become subject to the non

- small refiner sulfur standards. (C ) Activities of Refiners and Importers of Geographic Phase

-In Area (GPA) Gasoline

- Submit annual sulfur averaging reports to EPA for GPA gasoline and id entify GPA gasoline on PTDs. (D) Activities of Refiners and Importers Who are Exempt from Requirements for Extreme Hardship

- Submit annual sulfur averaging reports to EPA under the terms of the hardship application. (E ) Activities of Refiners and I mporters Who Participate in the ABT Credit Trading Program

- In clude in the annual sulfur averaging report to EPA.

- The credits carried over from prior averaging period, generated, used, terminated, transferred or carried over to the next averaging pe riod.

- The identity

of the refiners/refineries and importers (including EPA registration numbers) involved in credit transactions.

- Retain records related to ABT credit activit y. *These activities are required only if a refiner or importer elects to participate in the ABT credit trading program. (F ) Alternate Activities for Importers that Import Gasoline by Truck

- Use the following alternative requirements to satisfy the requirement to sample and test every batch of gasoline:

- Obtain test re sults from the foreign terminal at which the gasoline was loaded which shows the sulfur content of each truck load of gasoline imported into the U.S.

- Satisfy

the program requirement for each truck loading terminal*Samples from the truck

- loading termina l may be taken for testing either by the importer or an independent third party . The frequency of the sampling and testing must be at least one sample for each fift y of an importer’s trucks that are loaded at the terminal, or one sample per month, whichev er is more frequent. * These alternative requirements only appl y if the importer elects to use this alternative way of demonstrating compliance. (G) Alternative Activities for Refiners, Terminals, and Pipelines That Produce Gasoline by Blending Butane or Other Blendstocks into Previously Certified Gasoline

- For butane blenders, use the test results from the butane supplier to satisfy the requirement to sample and test each batch of gasoline, provided that:

- The butane blender obta ins a copy of the test results from the butane supplier which shows that the butane in the storage tank from which the butane was drawn does not exceed the applicable per

- gallon standard.

- The butane is treated as a batch regarding sulfur content and volu me for the purpose of calculating compliance with the applicable sulfur averaging standard.

- The refiner conducts a QA program including sampling and testing from each butane supplier to demonstrate that butane sulfur content does not exceed the applicabl e per gallon standard. The frequency of butane sampling and testing from each supplier must be one sample for every 500,000 gallons of butane received, or one sample every 3 months, which ever results in more frequent sampling.

- For blenders who blend o ther blendstocks into PCG, calculate the volume and sulfur content of the blendstock by subtracting the volume and sulfur content of the PCG from the volume and sulfur content of the finished blend, or

- If every

batch of blendstock used during the averag ing period has a sulfur content that is equal to, or less than, the applicable per

- gallon cap standard, sample and test each batch of blendstock received and treat each receipt as a separate batch for purposes of compliance calculations (H) Activities of Pipelines and Terminals

- Conduct sampling and testing of gasoline designated as SRGAS.

- Conduct periodic QA assurance testing for sulfur content for defense purposes. (I) Activities of Users of Research and Development Gasoline:

- Prior to initi al use of R&D gasoline, submit an application to EPA * As discussed above, the application for an R&D exemption under the gasoline sulfur program may

be combined with the report already submitted to gain exemptions under other EPA programs. This requiremen t, therefore, is not expected to result in additional reports or applications being submitted to EPA.(J) Activities of Distributors, Retailers, and WPCs

- WPCs identify

and keep records of an y R &D gasoline. *As discussed above, this activity sh ould not result in any

additional burden since the documents are kept as a customary business practice.

5. THE INFORMATION COLLECTED
-- AGENCY ACTIVITIES, COLLECTION METHODOLOGY, AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT 5(a) Agency Activities Agency activities associat ed with the annual reporting requirements of this information collection consist of the following: 1) Review submitted reports (includes associated Agency inspections and investigations); 2) Enter data from the reports into the database; 3) Anal yz e reque sts for confidentiality and provide appropriate protection; 4) Store the data and archive according to a record retention schedule conforming to EPA policy

. Agency activities associated with the attest engagement requirements of this information collect ion consist of the following: 1) Review submitted reports (includes associated Agency inspections and investigations); 2) Store the data and archive according to a record retention schedule conforming to EPA policy

. 5(b) Collection Methodology and Manag ement The collection methodology and management of the information collected is similar to the process used for the RFG program. The information can be reported in a standard format. Additionally , submitters may tailor their reports for efficient utili zation of their individual software s ys tems, subject to acceptance b y the Administrator. The information requested is amenable to electronic transfer. When the submittal is received, EPA reviews it for completeness and, as appropriate, enters the data i nto a database which is incorporated into the existing database for the RFG program. EPA may

also review respondents' records as a part of its enforcement effort to ensure the accuracy

and validity of the data submitted. Non

- confidential data will be mad e available to the public upon request. 5(c) Small Refiner, GPA Gasoline and Temporary Relief FlexibilitiesAs discussed in Section 3(c) above, as part of its effort to comply with the Small Business Regulatory

Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) requirem ents, EPA met several times with small entity

representatives. Additionally , EPA convened an intergovernmental panel, in accordance with the SBREFA, which also met with small entity representatives and which then made specific recommendations to EPA regar ding the impact of sulfur control on small businesses. A cop y of the panel’s report is available in the docket for this regulatory action. The report contains a list of the fuel industry ’s participating small entity representatives, and provides a summar y of their comments. The panel’s recommendations were carefully considered b y EPA in developing the gasoline sulfur rule and the specific provisions for small refiners. The panel did not recommend a wholesale exemption for small refiners, but rather th at they be provided additional time to comply . As a result, the gasoline sulfur rule provides for less stringent sulfur standards for qualify ing small refiners until 2008, with a possible extension until 2010, to be determined on a case - by

- case basis. An extension of the gasoline small refiner standards may also be granted under certain provisions of the diesel sulfur rule until 2011. As discussed in Section 3(c) above, the gasoline sulfur rule also provided somewhat less stringent standards for refin ers who produce gasoline for certain states and counties in the western U.S. in the earl y phase of the program (GPA gasoline). In addition, the gasoline sulfur rule provided temporary

relief from the sulfur requirements for refiners who demonstrated that extreme hardship would result in the absence of such relief. Most of the information collection requirements associated with the temporary flexibilities described above (e.g., small refiner applications) were required in the earl y ye ars of the program an d are no longer applicable. As a result, they are not covered in this I CR. A Regulatory

I mpact Analy sis (RIA) which further discusses the measures taken to minimize the impact on small business entities is included in the docket for the gasoline sul fur rulemaking. 5(d) Collection Schedule The collection schedule of the sulfur program reporting requirements is shown in Table 5(d). Table 5(d). Collection Schedule Item Due Date Refinery and importer annual averaging reports, including ABT informati on Last day of February following the previous year’s averaging period Attest reports May 31 following the previous year’s averaging period

6. ESTIMATING THE ANNUAL BURDEN AND COST OF THE COLLECTION 6(a) Estimating Respondent BurdenThe estimated hourl y burdens for this I CR are contained in Tables 6(a)1 and 6(a)2. The

accounting assumptions made in making the estimates of annual hourl y burden and cost are summarized after the following tables on respondent hourly burdens. Table 6(a)1: Annual Ho urly Burden for Gasoline Refiners and Importers Collection Activity Annual Burden Hours per Response Number of Responses per Respondent per Year Total Annual

Burden Hours (per respondent) Managerial Technical Clerical C ontractor Equivalent
1) Annual refinery/importer averaging report: Refiners Importers 0.083 0.083 0

0 0.25

0.25 0

0 3*

1 0.99

0.33 2) ABT credit and/or allotment trading report 0.25 0.25 0.25 0 1 0.75 3) Additional batch reports for CG: Refs (own equip) Refs (lab $74/hr) Importers (lab $74/hr) 0.1 0 0 0.7

0 0 0.2

0 0 0

1.0 1.0 400

400 27 400

400 27 4) Alternative sampling/testing: PCG Butane 0 0 0.5

0.25 0.5

0.5 0

0 40

5 40

3.75 5) S mall refiners: PTDs Reporting 0 0 1.0

0 1.0

0.5 0

0 1

1 2.0

0.5 6) GPA Refiners PTDs Reporting 0 0 1.0

0 1.0

0.5 0

0 1

1 2.0

0.5 7) Separate annual averaging report for temporary hardship 0 0 0.5 0 1 0.5 8) Alternativ e sampling/testing for truck importers 0 0.25 0.75 0 12 12 9) Attest engagements: Refineries Importers 0 0 5

5 0

0 0

0 3

1 15

5 10) Refiner Q/A periodic sampling/testing for defense (field test $40) 0 0 0 1.0 10 10 *This est imate is based on an average of 3 refineries per refiner. I n reality, larger refiners may own several refineries, while smal ler refiners may own only one refinery.Table 6(a)2: Annual Hourly Burden for Gasoline Terminals, Pipelines and Users of

Researc h and Development (R&D) Gasoline Collection Activity Annual Burden Hours per Respondent Number of Responses per Respondent per Year Total Annual

Burden Hours (per Respondent) Managerial Technical Clerical Contractor Equivalent ($40/hr

- field tes t) Sampling and Testing for S

- RGAS Terminals Pipelines 0 0 0

0 0

0 1.0

1.0 2

2 2.0

2.0 Q/A Periodic Sampling and Testing for Defense Terminals Pipelines 0 0 0

0 0

0 1.0

1.0 10

10 10

10 R&D Applications 0 0 0.5 0 1 0.5 Accounting As sumptions: The discussion of the requirements under the sulfur program (Section 4(b)(i)) contains notes on the extent to which these requirements could be satisfied without necessitating additional activities by

using information that is already collecte d and submitted to EPA under other EPA fuels programs. This discussion helps to support the selection of the activities that were newl y required under the sulfur rule (Section 4(b)(ii)), the selection of the respondent classes (Section 6(a)), and the foll owing accounting assumptions. Accounting Assumptions that Pertain to Labor Costs: 1) The cost of managerial time is $108/hour. 2) The cost of technical time is $71/hour. 3) The cost of clerical time is $49/hour. An hourly

equivalent rate of $74 w as assumed for dependent laboratory testing and $40 for field testing for sulfur. Accounting Assumptions that Pertain to Activities: These costs are similar to those used in other recent fuels programs ICR’s, and are based upon Bureau of L abor Statistics figures from “Employ er Costs for Employ ee Compensation

– Table 12

– Private Industry , Manufacturing and Non

- Manufacturing Industries by Occupational Group (December 2003).1) The following assumptions were made in estimating the burden to re finers and importers of submitting refinery or importer averaging reports to EPA:

- There are currentl y about 80 refiners and 39 importers of gasoline. There are approximately 245 active refineries.

- Preparing the report in the proper format and submi tting it to EPA will require 0.75 hour of a clerical employ ee’s time and 0.25 hour of a manager’s time. Sampling and testing that provides the basis for these reports is already being conducted for purposes of compliance with the RFG/anti

- dumping requirem ents, except for the additional testing required for CG refiners as discussed below.

- Reporting associated with ABT credit and/or allotment activity is estimated to be 0.25 hour of managerial time, 0.25 technical time, and 0.25 clerical time. 2) The fol lowing assumptions were used to estimate the additional burden for refiners and importers associated with testing the sulfur content of each batch of CG rather than testing composite samples.

- There are approximately 75 domestic refiners that produce CG and 30 importers that import CG

- The number of additional sulfur tests required on batches of CG will be approximately 400 for each refiner and 27 for each importer

- Composite samples on which tests for the sulfur content of CG have been performed are made up of samples from approximately

10 separate batches of CG

- Refiners of CG produce an average of approximately 440 batches of CG a y ear, and importers import an average of 30 batches a ye ar of CG

- Thus, each refiner conducted approximately 44 tests of sulfur content on composite samples, and each importer conducted approximately 3 tests of sulfur content on composite samples

- 2/3 of refiners will perform their own sulfur testing; 1/3 will have the testing done b y an independent third party laborator y

- Importers will have testing done b y an independent third party laboratory

- A sulfur test conducted at a private laboratory will cost a refiner or importer $50 for the test itself, plus $24 for the transportation of the sample to the lab and to perf orm other administrative functions, for a total cost of $74/test (this assumes that the cost of the employ ee to transport the sample and handle the associated administrative duties is $24/hour, and it takes one hour to perform the task)

- An annual cost of the additional testing of gasoline sulfur content for refiners who conduct their own testing was calculated using the following assumptions:

- The hourl y burden associated with batch reports for the additional testing for sulfur is 0.1 hour for managerial time, 0.7 hour for technical time, and 0.2 hour for clerical time. Since the average CG refiner will need to test 400 additional batches, the hourl y burden for this additional testing is 400 hours.- The annual cost of the additional testing of gasoline sulfur content for refiners and importers who use an independent third party laboratory

was estimated using the following assumptions:

- Since the average CG refiner will need to test 400 additional batches, and the cost of a test conducted at a private l aboratory

is $74 per test, the annual cost of the additional testing for those refiners that use a private laboratory is $29,600/y ear

- Since the average importer will need to test 27 additional batches of CG per y ear, and the cost of a test conducted at a private laboratory

is $74 per test, the annual cost of the testing for such parties is $1,998/y ear

- There are no additional costs associated with storing the CG batch samples for 30 day s bey ond those considered above 3) The following assumptions were m ade in estimating the burden that would result from the use of the alternate provisions to satisfy the CG batch test requirement by refiners that blend blendstocks (other than butane) into previously certified gasoline:

- These alternate provisions will be used to the fullest extent possible by all refiners who blend blendstocks into previously

certified gasoline, since their use will result in a significant savings in the overall cost of compliance

- The refiner alread y tests each blendstock upon receipt t o determine its sulfur content in order to comply with the requirements of the RFG program or as a customary business practice

- Fifteen refiners blend blendstocks other than butane into CG

-- on average, each of these refiners produces 40 batches of gasol ine b y blendstock addition

- The costs related to the use of this alternate provision will be related to performing calculations using existing data and o f keeping records regarding compliance

– these tasks could be accomplished using 0.5 hour of technical time and 0.5 hour of clerical time 4) The following assumptions were made in estimating the burden associated with the use of the alternate provisions to satisfy t he CG batch test requirement by refiners who blend butane into previously certified gasolin e:

- Due to gasoline volatility requirements, butane is blended only during the winter season (from September 16 through February 28)

- Refiner/blenders at eight terminals, eight pipelines, and four refiners blend butane into previously

- certified gasoline during the winter season.

- On average, each blender blends butane into five batches of gasoline during the winter season

- On average, each blender is supplied butane by two suppliers

- All tests will be conducted by an independent laboratory at a cost o f $74 per test

- The administrative duties associated with the alternative requirements could be accomplished using 0.5 hour of clerical time, and 0.25 hour of technical time5) The following additional assumptions were made in estimating the burden to re finers of participating in the small refiner

program:

- Only minor changes to the format of the PTDs that are currentl y used are required to accommodate the addition of the new information required regarding the small refiner status of the gasoline

-- this task could be accomplished using 0.5 hour of technical time and 0.5 hour of clerical time

- Administrative duties associated with recording, maintaining, and reporting the information required during the participation in the small refiner program (such as on the annual sulfur averaging report) could be accomplished with an additional 0.5 hour clerical time 6) The following additional assumptions were made in estimating the burden to refiners and importers of participating in the GPA gasoline program:

- O nly minor changes to the formal of the PTDs that are currentl y used are required to accommodate the addition of the new information required regarding the GPA status of the gasoline

– this task could be accomplished using 0.5 hour of technical time and 0.5 hour of clerical time

- Administrative duties associated with recording, maintaining, and reporting information required during the participation in the GPA gasoline program (such as on the annual sulfur averaging report) could be accomplished with an ad ditional 0.5 hour of clerical time 7) The following additional assumptions were made in estimating the burden to refiners who are granted temporary hardship relief:

- Administrative duties associated with recording, maintaining, and reporting the informa tion required during the period of temporary

relief (such as on the annual sulfur averaging report) could be accomplished with an additional 0.5 hour clerical time 8) The following assumptions were made in estimating the burden associated with the use by importers that import gasoline by truck of the alternate provisions to satisfy the requirement to test every batch of CG:

- All importers that import by truck will utilize the alternate provisions, since this will result in a significant reduction i n the o verall cost of compliance

- Foreign terminal operators currently have sampling and testing conducted by an independent third party as a customary business practice, and will continue to do so

-- this will release the terminal operator from additional activ ities which would otherwise be required

- To minimize the number of tests required, samples are alread y drawn after the receipt of each batch of gasoline into the storage tank at the terminal as a customary business practice- All importers will contract w ith the independent third part y that performs sampling and testing at the terminal(s) from which the importer receives gasoline to keep records of the required data and report it to the importer

-- by making this arrangement directly , the importer can demo nstrate compliance with the requirement to conduct testing at the terminal facility without the need to undertake additional sampling and testing

- On average, two importers draw gasoline from the same terminal facility for importation into the U.S.

– in s uch cases, the importers will split the cost of the third part y’s services.

- Twenty

five percent of importers use trucks (10 importers)

- The following costs will be billed to importers by the independent third party for services related to testing condu cted at one terminal: Independent third party will use an additional 1 hour of clerical employ ee time and 0.25 hour of technician time to complete the task (an additional 10 % of this base cost could be added to account for overhead cost and to provide a profit margin) 9) The following assumptions were made in estimating the burden to refiners and importers of having an independent third party prepare an attest engagement report for submission to EPA:

- The main cost of preparing the attest engagement wil l be associated with reviewing existing records on gasoline sulfur content

- It is estimated this task will require an extra 5 hours of technical employ ee time (to account for other costs and to provide a profit margin an additional 10% could be added to the cost derived using the assumptions under the previous bullet) 10) The following assumptions were made in estimating the burden to refiners, terminals and pipelines who conduct periodic QA testing for sulfur for defense purposes:

- 60 pipelines and 120 terminals will conduct downstream QA testing for sulfur in addition to many refiners (RFG refiners ty picall y conduct downstream QA testing). Assume $40 cost per periodic test, based on availability of field test equipment. Assume 10 samples per ye ar for QA testing per respondent. 11) The following assumptions were made in estimating the burden to terminal and pipelines that are required to test SRGAS batches for sulfur content:

S 1200 terminals and 60 pipelines will test 2 batches of SRGAS for sulfur a nnually (man y t erminals and pipelines will test none and others more than 2). Assume cost of testing per batch is approximately $40, based on availability of field test equipment. 12) The following assumptions were made in estimating the burden to u sers of research and development gasoline of adding the required information to the application submitted to EPA to obtain an exemption:- Adding the information on why sulfur compliant gasoline could not be used will require 0.5 hours of clerical time

- This information is already available as a customary business practice *Data reported to EPA under the RFG program and the initial phase of the gasoline sulfur program was used in formulating these assumptions. 6(b) Estimating Respondent Costs The es timation of the hourly managerial, technical and clerical employ ee pay rates for the various regulated parties as well as the accounting assumptions used are discussed in the previous section on respondent burdens. The estimated costs for the var ious regu lated parties for this ICR are contained in Tables 6(b)1 and 6(b)2.Table 6(b)1: Annual Hourly Costs for Gasoline Refiners and Importers

Collection Activity La bor Cost per Response ($) Number of Responses per Respondent per Year Total Annual Cost

($ per respondent) Managerial ($108/hr) Technical

($71/hr) Clerical

($49/hr) Contractor

Equivalent 1) Annual refinery/importer averaging report: Refiners Importers 9 9 0

0 12

12 0

0 3*

1 63

21 2) ABT credit and/or allotment trading Report 27 18 12 0 1 57
3) Addition batch reports for CG: Refs (own equip) Refs (lab $74) Importers (lab $74) 10 0 0 50

0 0 108

0 0 0

74 74 400

400 27 28,000

29,600 1,998 4) Alternative samplin g/testing: PCG Butane 0 0 35

18 24

24 0

0 40

5 2,360

210 5) Small refiners: PTDs Reporting 0 0 71

0 49

24 0

0 1

1 120

24 6) GPA refiners: PTDs Reporting 0 0 71

0 49

24 0

0 1

1 120

24 7) Separate a

nnual averaging report for temporary hardship 0 0 24 0 1 24 8) Alternative sampling/testing for truck importers 0 18 37 0 12 660 9) Attest engagements: Refineries Importers 0 0 355

355 0

0 0

0 3

1 1065

355 10) Ref iner Q/A periodic sampling & testing for defense (field test $40) 0 0 0 40 10 400
* This estimate is based on an average of 3 refineries per refiner. In reality, larger refiners may own more refineries, while smal ler refiners may own only one refinery.Table 6(b)2: Annual Costs for Gasoline Terminals, Pipelines, Truckers and Users of Research and Development (R&D)

Gasoline Collection Activity Cost per Respondent ($) Number of Responses per Respondent per Year Total Annual

Burden ($ per respondent Managerial ($108/hr) Technical

($71/hr) Clerical

($49/hr) Contractor

Equivalent ($40/hr

- field test) Sampling and Testing for S

- RGAS Terminals Pi pelines 0 0 0

0 0

0 1.0

1.0 2

2 80

80 Q/A Periodic Sampling and Testing for Defense Terminals Pi pelines 0 0 0

0 0

0 1.0

1.0 10

10 400

400 R&D Applications 0 0 0.5 0 1 24

6(c) Estimating Agency Burden Gasoline sulfur reports are handled as part of other fuels reporting, including items accounted for in the reformulated gasoline (RFG) and anti

- dumping ICR. This estimate is restricted only to the reporting of sulfur values to EPA. The Agency burden consist of 0.10 of a GS

- 13 technical worker ($ 161,000 including overhead), or $16,000; and 0.10 of a GS

- 7 clerical worker ($ 76,000 including overhead), or $7,600, for a total of $23,700.
6(d) Estimating the Respondent Universe and Total Burden and Costs Gasoline Refiners and Importers : Number of respondents (80 refiners/39 importers) 119 Number of responses: 33,344Annual burden hours, all refiners and importers*: 34,252

Annual cost, all refiners and importers*: $2,401,130 *These burden estimates are for all collection activities preformed b y all refiners (see Table 6(e).1) Gasoline Terminal an d Pipeline Operators : Number of respondents (1200 terminals/60 pipelines: 1,260 Number of responses: 4,320 Annual burden hours, all terminal/pipeline operators: 4,320 Annual cost, all terminal operators: $172,800

Research and Developm ent Applications : Number of respondents: 1 Number of responses: 1 Annual burden, all R&D gasoline users: 0.5 Annual cost, all R&D gasoline users: $24 6(e) Bottom Line Burden Hours and Cost Tables (i) Respondent Tally The tot al annual hourl y burden and cost for this I CR is estimated to be 38,573 hours and $2,573,954, respectivel y. The total number of responses for this I CR is estimated to be 37,665.Table 6(e).1: Annual Burdens and Costs for Gasoline Refiners and Imp orters

Collection Activity Responses per Respondent Number of

Respondents Burden Hours

per Response Total Annual

Cost ($ per respondent) Total Number

of Responses Total Hours per

Year (all refiners and importers) Total Annual Cost ($ all refi ners and importers) 1) Annual refiner/importer averaging report: Refiners Importers 3.0 1.0 80

39 0.33

0.33 63

21 240 39 80

13 5,040 819
2) Credit / allotment report: 1.0 70 0.75 57 70 53 3,9 90 3) Test add’l batches of CG Refiners (own equip) Refiners (lab) Importers (lab) 400 400 27 50

25 30 1.0

1.0 1.0 28,000

29,600 1,998 20,000

10,000 810 20,000

10,000 810 1,400,000 740,000 59,940 4) Alternative sampling & testing: PCG Butane 40 5 15

20 1.0

0.75 2,360

210 600

100 600

75 35,400 4,200 5) Small refiners: PTDs Reporting 1.0 1.0 12

12 2.0

0.5 120

24 12

12 24

6 1,440 288 6) GPA refiners: PTDs Reporting 1.0 1.0 30

30 2.0

0.5 120

24 30

30 60

15 3,600 720 7) Annual averaging report for temporary hardship 1.0 2 0.5 24 2 1 48 8) Alternative sampling/testing for truck importers 12 10 1.0 660 120 120 6,6009) Attest engagements: Refiners Importers 3.0 1.0 80

39 5.0

5.0 1065

355 240

39 1,200 195 85,200

13,845 10) Refiner Q/A testing for defense 10 100 1.0 400 1,000 1,000 40,000 Total 33,344 34,252 2,401,130

Table 6(e)2: Annual Burdens and Costs for Gasoline Terminals, Pipelines and Users of Research and Development (R&D) Gasoline Collection Activity Annual Responses per Respondent Number of

Respondents Burden Hours

pe r Response Total Annual Cost

($ per respondent) Total Number of

Responses Total Hours per Year (all

entities) Total Annual Cost ($ all entities)
Sampling/testing for S

- RGAS: Terminals Pipelines 2 2 1200

60 1.0

1.0 80

80 2400

120 2400

120 9 6,000 4,800 Q/A periodic sampling/ testing for defense: Terminals Pipelines 10 10 120

60 1.0 1.0 400

400 1200

600 1200 600 48,000 24,000 R&D Applications 1 1 0.5 24 1 0.5 24 Total 4,321 4,321 172,824(ii) Variations in the An nual Bottom L ine No annual variations in the respondent reporting/recordkeeping burden or cost over the course of this clearance period are expected. 6(f) Reasons for Change in Burden This submittal is a renewal of the ICR for the Tier 2 gasoline s ulfur rule. The initial submittal estimated the annual burden and costs associated with the initial phase of the program through 2003 I t was subsequentl y renewed. The only change is the Agency burden which increased $ 1,070. 6(g) Burden Statement
T his information collection request covers the requirements regarding the control of gasoline sulfur content in Tier 2 gasoline sulfur program. The information collection requirements for certifiers of motor vehicles under the sulfur program are covered un der a separate information collection request. Sections 6(d) & (e) presents the total estimated burden on parties involved in the production, distribution, and sale of gasoline under the sulfur program for the next three y ears. The total annual burden fo r the three ye ars covered b y this ICR (August 1, 2010

– July 21, 2013) is approximately 38,573 hours and $2,573,954. Because the universe of respondents to the sulfur program is quite diverse, there is no “t ypical” respondent; however, the burden estimate s for the various individual activities in Section 6(a) can be used to estimate the burden for a particular respondent. The annual burden is estimated to average between 12 and 500 hours per respondent, depending on the information collection requirements of the particular party. The average number of hours per response is estimated to be approximately 1 hour. We estimate there will be 37,665 annual responses. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended b y 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 sy stems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and verify ing information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; adjust the existing way s to compl y with any previously

applicable instructions and requirements; train personnel to be able to respond to a collection of informa tion; 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 displ ay s a currentl y 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 an y sug gested 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

- 2010

- 0258 , which isavailable 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 holiday s. 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

- 1 742 . 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 docke t that are available electronically . When in the sy stem, select “search,” then key in the Docket ID Number identified above. Also, y ou 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

- 2010

- 0258 and OMB Control Number 2060

- 0437 in any correspondence.
C. Attachments Citations regarding the legal authority for the informat ion collection requirements related to the control of gasoline sulfur content under the sulfur program are contained in the attachment. Due to the length and complex technical nature of the regulations under the sulfur program, they

are not contained in t he attachment. These sulfur regulations are located in subpart H of 40 CFR part 80. Attachment Legal Authorit y Citations Clean Air Act
42 U.S.C. 7414. Section 114: I nspection, Monitoring, and Entry (a) For the purpose: (i) of developing or assist ing in the development of an y implementation plan under Section 110 or 111(d), an y standard of performance under Section 111, any

emission standard under Section 112, [, or any regulation of solid waste combustion under Section 129,] [or any regulat ion under section 129 (relating to solid waste combustion),]1 (ii) of determining whether an y person is in violation of any such standard or an y requirement of such a plan, or (iii) carry ing out any

provision of this Act (except a provision of title II with respect to a manufacturer of new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines): (1) the Administrator may require an y person who owns or operates any emission source, who manufactures emission control equipment orprocess equipment, who the Admini strator believes may have information necessary

for the purposes set forth in this subsection, or who is subject to any

requirement of this Act (other than a manufacturer subject to the provisions of Section 206(c) or 208 with respect to a provision of ti tle II) on a one

- time, periodic or continuous basis to

- (A) establish and maintain such records; (B) make such reports; (C) install, use, and maintain such monitoring equipment, and use such audit procedures, or methods; (D) sample such emissions (in accordance with such procedures or methods, at such locations, at such intervals, during such periods and in such manner as the Administrator shall prescribe); (E) keep records on control equipment par ameters, production variables or other indirect data when direct monitoring of emissions is impractical; (F) submit compliance certifications in accordance with Section 114(a)(3); and (G) provide such other information as the Administr ator may reasonabl y require; and (2 the Administrator or his authorized representative, upon presentation of his credentials

- (A) shall have a right of entry to, upon, or through any premises of such person or in which an y records required to b e maintained under paragraph (1) of this section are located, and B) may at reasonable times have access to and copy any records, inspect an y monitoring equipment and method required under paragraph (1), and sample an y emissions which such person is requir ed to sample under paragraph (1).
45 U.S.C. 7542.

Section 208: I nformation Collection: (a) Manufacturers responsibility

. "Every manufacturer shall establish and maintain such records, make such reports, and provide such information as the Administra tor may reasonabl y require to enable him to determine whether such manufacturer has acted or is acting in compliance with this part and the regulations thereunder and shall, upon request of an officer or emplo yee dul y designated b y the Administrator, permi t such officer or employ ee at reasonable times to have access to and copy such records."