2022-24081. Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plans (Renewal) EPA ICR No. 0328.19, OMB Control No. 2050-...

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans” (EPA ICR No. 0328.19, OMB Control No. 2050-0021), to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION . This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through July 30, 2023. 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:

Comments must be submitted on or before January 3, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPA-2007-0584, 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 [e-mail].

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mark W. Howard, Office of Emergency Management, Mail Code 5104A, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: [phone]; email address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Supporting documents, which explain in detail the information that 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.

Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA is soliciting 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. 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. At that time, EPA will issue another Federal Register notice to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB.

Abstract: The authority for EPA's oil pollution prevention requirements is derived from section 311(j)(1)(C) of the Clean Water Act, as amended by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. EPA's regulation is codified at 40 CFR part 112. An SPCC Plan will help an owner or operator identify the necessary procedures, equipment, and resources to prevent an oil spill and to respond to an oil spill in a timely manner. Although the owner or operator is the primary data user, EPA may also require the owner or operator to submit data to the Agency in certain situations to ensure facilities comply with the SPCC regulation and to help allocate response resources. State and local governments may use the data, which are not generally available elsewhere and can assist local emergency preparedness planning efforts.

Form Numbers: None.

Respondents/affected entities: Owners or operators of facilities required to have Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans under the Oil Pollution Prevention regulation (40 CFR part 112) and which, because of their location, could reasonably be expected to cause substantial harm to the environment.

Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory.

Estimated number of respondents: 549,785 (total).

Frequency of response: Facilities must prepare and implement an SPCC Plan before beginning operations and review, evaluate and update the SPCC Plan every five years. In the event of certain discharges of oil into navigable waters, a facility owner or operator must submit certain information to the Regional Administrator within 60 days.

Total estimated burden: 6,309,523 hours (per year). This figure will be updated as needed during the 60-day OMB review period. Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).

Total estimated cost: $857,835,543 (per year), includes $201,002,128 annualized capital or operation & maintenance (O&M) costs. These figures will be updated with most recent available wage rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and to account for any changes in O&M costs, burden and number of respondents.

Changes in Estimates: The above burden estimates are based on the current approved ICR, OMB Control No. 0328.18. In the final notice for the renewal ICR, EPA will publish revised burden estimates based on updates to respondent data and unit costs. Any change in burden will be described and explained in this section when the updated ICR Supporting Statement is completed during the 60-day OMB review period.

Donna Salyer,

Director, Office of Emergency Management.