Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0489-0059
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Air Emissions Reporting Requirements
Posted Date: 2011-09-14T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56750-56751]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23531]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0489; FRL-9463-2]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Air Emissions Reporting Requirements (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 the EPA is planning 
to submit a request to renew an existing approved Information 
Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 
This ICR is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2012. Before submitting 
the ICR to OMB for review and approval, the EPA is soliciting comments 
on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described 
below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 14, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2004-0489, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: a-and-r-docket@epa.gov.
     Fax: (202) 566-1741.
     Mail: Air Emissions Reporting Requirements, Docket No. 
EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0489, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail code: 
2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. Please 
include two copies.
     Hand Delivery: Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0489, EPA Docket 
Center, Public Reading Room, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460. Such deliveries are only accepted 
during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements 
should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2004-0489. The EPA's policy is that all comments received will be 
included in the public docket without change and may be made available 
online at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided, unless the comment includes information claimed 
to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information 
that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site 
is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means the EPA will not know 
your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body 
of your comment. If you send an email comment directly to the EPA 
without going through http://www.regulations.gov, your email address 
will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that 
is placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If 
you submit an electronic comment, the EPA recommends that you include 
your name and other contact information in the body of your comment and 
with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If the EPA cannot read your comment 
due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, 
the EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files 
should avoid the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and 
be free of any defects or viruses. For additional information about 
EPA's public docket, visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberly D. Paylor, Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards, Air Quality Assessment Division, Mail 
Code C339-02, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone: (919) 541-
5474, e-mail: paylor.kim@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

How can I access the docket and/or submit comments?

    The EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket 
ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0489, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Air and 
Radiation Docket and Information Center, EPA/DC, EPA East Building Room 
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The Public Reading 
Room is open from 8 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 http://www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft 
collection of information, submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those 
documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once 
in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number 
identified in this document.

What information is the EPA particularly interested in?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the EPA specifically solicits comments and 
information to enable it to:
    (i) Evaluate whether the proposed 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. In particular, the EPA is requesting comments 
from very small businesses (those that employ less than 25 people) on 
examples of specific additional efforts that the EPA could make to 
reduce the paperwork burden for very small businesses affected by this 
collection.

What should I consider when I prepare my comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific 
examples.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.

[[Page 56751]]

    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.
    7. To ensure proper receipt by the EPA, be sure to identify the 
docket ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the 
first page of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and 
Federal Register citation.

What information collection activity or ICR does this apply to?

    Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0489.
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
generally State, territorial and local government air quality 
managements programs. Tribal governments are not affected unless they 
have sought and obtained treatment as state status under the Tribal 
Authority Rule and on that basis, are authorized to implement and 
enforce the Air Emissions Reporting Requirements rule.
    Title: Air Emissions Reporting Requirements (Renewal) .
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No.2170.03, OMB Control No. 2060-0580.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on April 30, 
2012. 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 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: The EPA promulgated the Air Emissions Reporting 
Requirements (AERR) (40 CFR part 51 subpart A) to coordinate emissions 
inventory reporting requirements with existing requirements of the 
Clean Air Act and 1990 Amendments. Under this reporting, 55 State and 
Territorial air quality agencies, including the District of Columbia, 
as well as an estimated 49 local air quality agencies, must submit 
emissions data every three years for all point, non-point, on-road 
mobile, and non-road mobile sources of volatile organic compounds, 
oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter 
less than or equal to 10 micrometers in diameter, particulate matter 
less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers in diameter, ammonia, and lead.
    In addition, the air quality agencies must submit annually emission 
data for point sources emitting at greater than specified levels of 
those pollutants. The data supplied to the emission reporting 
requirement is needed so that the EPA can compile and make available a 
national inventory of air pollutant emissions. A comprehensive 
inventory updated at regular intervals is essential to allow the EPA to 
fulfill its mandate to monitor and plan for the attainment and 
maintenance of the national ambient air quality standards established 
for criteria pollutants.
    This information is collected under 23 U.S.C. 101; 42 U.S.C 7401-
7671q, and the authority of the AERR. This information is mandatory 
and, as specified, cannot be treated as confidential by the EPA.
    The number and frequency of data collection and submittal is 
expected to remain the same for 2011-2014.
    Burden: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for 
this collection of information is estimated to average 42 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.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 104.
    Frequency of response: Annual.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 51,095.
    Estimated total annual costs: $4,060,576. This includes an 
estimated burden cost of $4,060,576 and an estimated cost of $0 for 
capital investment or maintenance and operational costs.

Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

    There is no significant change of hours in the ICR currently 
approved by OMB.

What is the next step in the process for this ICR?

    The 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 pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, the EPA 
will issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the 
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any 
questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the 
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: September 8, 2011.
Mary Henigin,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2011-23531 Filed 9-13-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P