Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0027-0006
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program
Posted Date: 2019-09-25T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 25, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50447-50448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-20787]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0027; FRL-9995-19-OMS]

Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; Information Collection Request for the 
Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program 
(EPA ICR No. 2300.18, OMB Control No. 2060-0629) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, 
which is currently approved through September 30, 2019. Public comments 
were previously requested via the Federal Register on February 26, 2019 
during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 
days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given 
below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. An agency 
may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a 
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB 
control number.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before October 25, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OAR-2019-0027, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 
Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB via email to 
oira_submission@omb.eop.gov. Address comments to OMB Desk Officer for 
EPA.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential

[[Page 50448]]

Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Schmeltz, Climate Change 
Division, Office of Atmospheric Programs (MC-6207A), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (202) 343-9124; fax number: (202) 343-2342; email 
address: GHGReporting@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.
    Abstract: In response to the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act 
(H.R. 2764; Pub. L. 110-161) and under authority of the Clean Air Act, 
the EPA finalized the Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule (GHG 
Reporting Rule) (74 FR 56260; October 30, 2009). The GHG Reporting 
Rule, which became effective on December 29, 2009, establishes 
reporting requirements for certain large facilities and suppliers. It 
does not require control of greenhouse gases. Instead, it requires that 
sources emitting above certain threshold levels of carbon dioxide 
equivalent (CO2e) monitor and report emissions.
    Subsequent rules have promulgated requirements for additional 
facilities and suppliers; provided clarification and corrections to 
existing requirements; finalized confidentiality business information 
(CBI) determinations, amended recordkeeping requirements, and 
implemented an alternative verification approach. Collectively, the GHG 
Reporting Rule and its associated rulemakings are referred to as the 
Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP).
    The purpose for this ICR is to renew and revise the GHG Reporting 
Rule ICR to update the burden and cost imposed by the current ICR under 
the GHGRP.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: The respondents in this information 
collection include owners and operators of facilities that must report 
their GHG emissions and other data to EPA to comply with the 
rulemaking. To facilitate the analysis, EPA has divided respondents 
into groups that align with the source categories identified in the 
rule.
    Reporting facilities include, but are not limited to, those 
operating one or more units that exceed the CO2e threshold 
for the industry sectors listed in Table A-4 of 40 CFR 98.2(a)(2) or 
those in the categories in which all must report, such as petroleum 
refining facilities and all other large emitters listed in Table A-3 of 
40 CFR 98.2(a)(1). Additionally, the GHGRP requires reporting of GHGs 
from certain suppliers as listed in Table A-5 of 40 CFR 98.2(a)(4).
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory (Section 114 of the 
Clean Air Act provides EPA authority to require the information 
mandated by the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program because such data will 
inform and are relevant to future policy decisions).
    Estimated number of respondents: 13,180 (total).
    Frequency of response: Annual.
    Total estimated burden: 740,012 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $87,945,711 (per year), includes $29,526,397 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs for respondents, 
labor cost of $58,419,314 for respondents.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 825 hours in the 
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This increase reflects an adjustment in the number of 
respondents from the previous ICR, an adjustment of capital costs to 
reflect 2017 dollars and changes to the tax law, a new methodology to 
determine the numbers of responses and responses per respondent, and a 
complete and comprehensive re-evaluation of the activities and costs 
associated with all subparts of the GHGRP. Finally, there is a large 
decrease in annual cost burden (represented by combined Capital and O&M 
costs) as compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB due to a data 
entry error. The amount entered for the previous ICR should have been 
$30,621,791 instead of $58,815,798.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2019-20787 Filed 9-24-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P