Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0269-0015
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Transportation Conformity Determinations for Federally Funded and Approved Transportation Plans (Renewal)
Posted Date: 2011-05-20T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 98 (Friday, May 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29235-29236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-12496]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0269; FRL-9308-7]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Transportation Conformity 
Determinations for Federally Funded and Approved Transportation Plans 
(Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)(44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection 
Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing 
approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the 
nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before June 20, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2007-0269, to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), or by mail to EPA Docket Center, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Air and Radiation Docket, Mailcode 28221T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail to: 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB), 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: 
Desk Officer for EPA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Astrid Larsen, State Measures and 
Conformity Group, Transportation and Regional Programs Division, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 2000 Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 
48105; telephone number (734) 214-4812; fax number: (734) 214-4052; e-
mail address: larsen.astrid@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the

[[Page 29236]]

procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12. On February 10, 2011 (76 FR 
7560), EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA 
received 4 comments during the comment period, which are addressed in 
the ICR. Any additional comments on this ICR should be submitted to EPA 
and OMB within 30 days of this notice.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0269, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Air Docket in 
the EPA Docket Center (EPA/D.C.), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/D.C. Public Reading 
Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading Room is 
202-566-1744, and the telephone number for the Air Docket is 202-566-
1742.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those 
documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the 
system, select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number 
identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public 
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made 
available for public viewing at http://www.regulations.gov as EPA 
receives them and without change, unless the comment contains 
copyrighted material, confidential business information (CBI), or other 
information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For 
further information about the electronic docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Transportation Conformity Determinations for Federally 
Funded and Approved Transportation Plans, Programs and Projects 
(Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2130.04, OMB Control No. 2060-0561.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on May 31, 2011. Under 
OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the 
collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. An 
Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to 
respond to, a collection of information, unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's regulations 
in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when 
approved, are listed in 40 CFR Part 9, are displayed either by 
publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such 
as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The 
display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is 
consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: Transportation conformity is required under Clean Air Act 
section 176(c) (42 U.S.C. 7506(c)) to ensure that federally supported 
transportation activities are consistent with (``conform to'') the 
purpose of the state air quality implementation plan (SIP). 
Transportation activities include transportation plans, transportation 
improvement programs (TIPs), and federally funded or approved highway 
or transit projects. Conformity to the purpose of the SIP means that 
transportation activities will not cause or contribute to new air 
quality violations, worsen existing violations, or delay timely 
attainment of the relevant national ambient air quality standards 
(NAAQS or ``standards'') or interim milestones.
    Transportation conformity applies under EPA's conformity 
regulations at 40 CFR Part 93, subpart A, to areas that are designated 
nonattainment, and those redesignated to attainment after 1990 
(``maintenance areas'' with plans developed under Clean Air Act section 
175A) for the following transportation related criteria pollutants: 
Ozone, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), 
carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The EPA 
published the original transportation conformity rule on November 24, 
1993 (58 FR 62188), and subsequently published several revisions. EPA 
develops the conformity regulations in coordination with the Federal 
Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
    Transportation conformity determinations are required before 
federal approval or funding is given to certain types of transportation 
planning documents as well as non-exempt highway and transit projects.
    EPA considered the following in renewing the existing ICR: Burden 
estimates for transportation conformity determinations in current 
nonattainment and maintenance areas for the ozone, PM2.5, 
PM10, CO, and NO2 NAAQS, which made up EPA's 
previous ICR; federal burden associated with EPA's adequacy review 
process for submitted SIP budgets that are to be used in conformity 
determinations; new start-up burden associated with learning to perform 
quantitative hot-spot analyses; new burden associated with using the 
MOVES model for conformity analyses; efficiencies in areas doing 
conformity for multiple NAAQS; and, differences in conformity resource 
needs in large and small metropolitan areas and isolated rural areas.
    This ICR does not include burden associated with the general 
development of transportation planning and air quality planning 
documents for meeting other federal requirements.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 8 
hours per response. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial 
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or 
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This 
includes the time needed to review instructions; develop, acquire, 
install, and utilize technology and systems for the purposes of 
collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and 
maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; 
adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable 
instructions and requirements which have subsequently changed; train 
personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information; search 
data sources; complete and review the collection of information; and 
transmit or otherwise disclose the information.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: State and local governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 174.
    Frequency of Response: Occasionally.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 88,404 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $5,199,040 includes no annualized 
capital or without O&M costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 36,100 hours in 
the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. This increase reflects EPA's adjustments 
associated with the actual number of 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS 
nonattainment areas versus the estimated number in the previous ICR, 
adjustment for increased burden associated with quantitative hot-spot 
analyses, an adjustment for the increased burden associated with the 
transition from the MOBILE6.2 to the MOVES model, an adjustment to the 
frequency of plan and TIP conformity determinations, and an adjustment 
for burden associated with increased consultation hours.

    Dated: May 16, 2011.
John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2011-12496 Filed 5-19-11; 8:45 am]
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