2014-24319. Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Oil Pollution Act Facility Response Plans (Renewal)

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), “Oil Pollution Act Facility Response Plans (Renewal)” (EPA ICR No. 1630.12, OMB Control No. 2050-0135) 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.). This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through October 31, 2014. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (79 FR 44768) on August 1, 2014 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 November 13, 2014.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OPA-2014-0445, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), [e-mail] 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 [e-mail]. 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 Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

J. Troy Swackhammer, Office of Emergency Management, Mail Code 5104A, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-1966; fax number: 202-564-2625; email address: [e-mail].

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: The authority for EPA's facility response plan (FRP) requirements is derived from section 311(j)(5) of the Clean Water Act, as amended by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. EPA's regulation is codified at 40 CFR 112.20 and 112.21 and related appendices. All FRP reporting and recordkeeping activities are mandatory. The purpose of an FRP is to help an owner or operator identify the necessary resources to respond to an oil spill in a timely manner. If implemented effectively, the FRP will reduce the impact and severity of oil spills and may prevent spills because of the identification of risks at the facility. Although the owner or operator is the primary data user, EPA also uses the data in certain situations to ensure that facilities comply with the regulation and to help allocate response resources. State and local governments may use the data, which are not generally available elsewhere and can greatly assist local emergency preparedness planning efforts. The EPA reviews all submitted FRPs and must approve FRPs for those facilities whose discharges may cause significant and substantial harm to the environment in order to ensure that facilities believed to pose the highest risk have planned for adequate resources and procedures to respond to a spill. (See 40 CFR 112.20(f)(3) for further information about the criteria for significant and substantial harm.)

Form Numbers: None.

Respondents/affected entities: Private entities and States, local or tribal governments.

Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory under section 311(j)(5) of the Clean Water Act, as amended by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.

Estimated number of respondents: 22,966 (total).

Frequency of response: Once.

Total estimated burden: 455,743 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b)

Total estimated cost: $17,630,700 (per year), includes $14,763 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.

Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 7,676 hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. This estimate is based on EPA's current inventory of facilities that have submitted and are maintaining an FRP as per 40 CFR part 112 versus the projected inventory for the prior ICR renewal.

Courtney Kerwin,

Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.