Document ID: EPA-HQ-RCRA-2015-0836-0001
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Anaerobic Digestion Facilities Processing Wasted Food to Support EPA's Sustainable Food Management Programs
Posted Date: 2016-03-02T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 2, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10856-10857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04603]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-RCRA-2015-0836; FRL-9943-12-Region 3]

Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Collection of Information on Anaerobic Digestion Facilities Processing 
Wasted Food To Support EPA's Sustainable Food Management Programs

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Collection of Information on 
Anaerobic Digestion Facilities Processing Wasted Food to support EPA's 
Sustainable Food Management Programs'' (EPA ICR No. 2533.01, OMB 
Control No. 2050-NEW) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public 
comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as 
described below. This is a request for approval of a new collection. An 
Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to 
respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before May 2, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-RCRA-
2015-0836 online using www.regulations.gov or by mail to: EPA Docket 
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 228221T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Pennington, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Region 3, Mail Code 3LC40, 1650 Arch Street, 
Philadelphia, PA 19103; telephone number: 215-814-3372; fax number: 
215-814-3114; email address: pennington.melissa@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents which explain in detail 
the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the 
public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at 
www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone 
number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA is soliciting 
comments and information to enable it to: (i) Evaluate whether the 
proposed

[[Page 10857]]

collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Agency, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (ii) evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's 
estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, 
including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (iii) 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (iv) minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of 
appropriate automated electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of responses. EPA will consider the 
comments received and amend the ICR as appropriate. The final ICR 
package will then be submitted to OMB for review and approval. At that 
time, EPA will issue another Federal Register notice to announce the 
submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit additional 
comments to OMB.
    Abstract: EPA's Office of Land and Emergency Management Sustainable 
Food Management (SFM) program is designed to advance sustainable food 
management practices throughout the United States by preventing and 
diverting wasted food from landfills. The focal point of the SFM 
program is the Food Recovery Challenge in which organizations pledge to 
improve their sustainable food management practices. The success of the 
SFM program efforts to divert wasted food from landfills requires 
sufficient capacity to process the diverted materials which includes 
composting and anaerobic digestion operations. In addition to 
increasing opportunity to process wasted food diverted from the 
municipal solid waste stream, anaerobic digesters achieve social, 
environmental and economic benefits, such as generation of renewable 
energy, reduction of methane emissions, and opportunities to improve 
soil health through the production of soil amendments. The SFM program 
supports these efforts by educating state and local governments and 
communities about the benefits of wasted food diversion. The SFM 
program also builds partnerships with state agencies and other 
strategic partners interested in developing organics recycling capacity 
and provides tools to assist organizations in developing anaerobic 
digestion (AD) projects.
    This information collection consists of a request for data not 
currently available on AD facilities processing wasted food as well as 
a review and update of the existing SFM AD facility inventory. 
Correspondence will include a questionnaire through which respondents 
can provide new information on their AD projects and an update to the 
existing AD facility inventory, if appropriate. This will be the first 
time the SFM program has formally collected data for this inventory.
    Form numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: State Liaisons, Industry 
Representatives, Project Owner/Operators, and Other Stakeholders (e.g. 
non-profits).
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.
    Estimated number of respondents: 460 (total).
    Frequency of response: Annually.
    Total estimated burden: 231 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 
5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $16,972 (per year), includes $0 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in estimates: There are no changes in burden estimates as 
this is a new ICR.

    Dated: February 18, 2016.
John A. Armstead,
Director, Land and Chemicals Division, EPA Region III.
[FR Doc. 2016-04603 Filed 3-1-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P