Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0078-0016
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Landfill Methane Outreach Program (Renewal)
Posted Date: 2012-04-24T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24488-24489]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9810]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0078; FRL-9516-5]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Landfill Methane Outreach Program 
(Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (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 May 24, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID number EPA-HQ-
OAR-2003-0078, to (1) EPA on line using www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), by email to a-and-r-Docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: 
EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Environmental Protection Agency, Air and 
Radiation Docket, mail code 22821T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; and (2) OMB by mail at: Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: 
Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Victoria Ludwig, Climate Change 
Division, Office of Atmospheric Programs, 6207J, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: 202-343-9291; fax number: 202-343-2202; email 
address: ludwig.victoria@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On January 27, 2012 (77 FR 4297), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. 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 
number EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0078, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in-person

[[Page 24489]]

viewing at the Air and Radiation Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/
DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. 
The EPA/DC Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number 
for the Reading Room is 202-566-1744 and the telephone number for the 
Air and Radiation Docket is 202-566-1742.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at 
www.regulations.gov to submit or view public comments, access the index 
listing of the contents of the docket, and 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 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 www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Landfill Methane Outreach Program (Renewal).
    ICR Numbers: EPA ICR Number 1849.06, OMB Control Number 2060-0446.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on 04/30/2012. 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, and 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: The Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP), created by 
EPA as part of the Climate Change Action Plan, is a voluntary program 
designed to encourage and facilitate the development of environmentally 
and economically sound landfill gas (LFG) energy projects across the 
United States in order to reduce methane emissions from landfills. LMOP 
does this by educating local governments and communities about the 
benefits of LFG recovery and use; building partnerships between state 
agencies, industry, energy service providers, local communities, and 
other stakeholders interested in developing this valuable resource in 
their community; and providing tools to evaluate LFG energy potential. 
LMOP signs voluntary Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with these 
organizations to enlist their support in promoting cost-effective LFG 
utilization. The information collection includes completion and 
submission of the MOU, and annual completion and submission of 
information forms that include basic information on LFG energy projects 
with which the organizations are involved as an effort to update the 
LMOP Landfill and Landfill Gas Energy Project Database. The information 
collection is to be utilized to maintain up-to-date data and 
information about LMOP Partners and LFG energy projects with which they 
are involved. The data will also be used by the public to assess LFG 
energy project development opportunities in the United States. In 
addition, the information collection will assist LMOP in evaluating the 
reduction of methane emissions from landfills. Responses to the 
information collection are voluntary.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 3 
hours for each respondent. Burden means the total time, effort, or 
financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, 
and 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: Landfill owners and operators (both 
public and private), LFG energy project developers, manufacturers and 
suppliers of LFG energy equipment, utilities, industries using LFG 
energy, state agencies involved in energy, air pollution, economic 
development and solid waste management, and non-profits involved in the 
solid waste management, public works, local government and renewable 
energy sectors.
    Estimated Total Number of Potential Respondents: 1,220 existing 
Partners plus 113 new Partners per year.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 4,216 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $334,332, which includes $334,298 in 
labor costs and $34 for operational and maintenance costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 1,671 hours in the 
total estimated annual respondent burden compared with the burdens 
identified in the existing ICR approved by OMB. The existing approved 
ICR included a one-time, large-scale outreach to 1,000 additional 
landfill owners and operators. This activity and group of entities are 
not included in the scope of this ICR renewal, resulting in the overall 
decreases in total hours and hours per respondent. This change is the 
result of a program change. However, in the last approved ICR, Energy 
Partners were not requested to update landfill gas energy project data, 
and under this renewal, Energy Partners will be requested to provide 
updates on their involvement in these projects. Also, there has been 
growth in the number of overall Partners since the last renewal. These 
changes offset the magnitude of the overall burden decrease. There have 
been no major changes in how the information forms or MOU are dispersed 
or collected since the last renewal. LMOP has previously implemented 
simplifications and other changes to increase the efficiency of its ICR 
process.

John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-9810 Filed 4-23-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P