2011-8161. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; National Refrigerant Recycling and Emissions Reduction Program (Renewal)

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

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 May 6, 2011.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-1016 to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by e-mail to [e-mail] or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center, Mail Code 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), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cynthia Newberg; Stratospheric Protection Division, Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Atmospheric Programs; Mail Code 6205J; Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: [phone]; fax number: [phone] e-mail address: [e-mail].

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 December 14, 2010 (75 FR 77864), EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments during the comment period. 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 -2010-1016, which is available for online viewing at http://www.regulations.gov,, or in person viewing at the Office of 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 Office of Air and Radiation 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: National Refrigerant Recycling and Emissions Reduction Program (Renewal)

ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1626.11, OMB Control No. 2060-0256.

ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on April 30, 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: EPA has developed regulations under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (the Act) establishing standards and requirements regarding the use and disposal of class I and class II ozone-depleting substances used as refrigerants during the service, maintenance, repair, or disposal of refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment. Section 608(c) of the Act states that effective July 1, 1992 it is unlawful for any person in the course of maintaining, servicing, repairing, or disposing of refrigeration or air-conditioning equipment to knowingly vent or otherwise knowingly release or dispose of any class I or class II substance used as a refrigerant in the equipment in a manner which permits the substance to enter the environment.

In 1993, EPA promulgated regulations under section 608 of the Act for the recycling of ozone-depleting refrigerants recovered during the servicing and disposal of air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. These regulations were published on May 14, 1993 (58 FR 28660) and codified in 40 CFR part 82, subpart F (§ 82.150 et seq.).

The regulations require persons servicing refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment to observe certain service practices that reduce emissions of ozone depleting refrigerants. The regulations also establish certification programs for technicians, recycling and recovery equipment, and off-site refrigerant reclaimers. In addition, EPA requires that ozone depleting refrigerants contained “in bulk” in appliances be removed prior to disposal of the appliances and that all refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, except for small appliances and room air conditioners, be provided with a servicing aperture that facilitates recovery of the refrigerant. Moreover, the Agency requires that substantial refrigerant leaks in equipment be repaired when they are discovered. These regulations significantly reduce emissions of ozone depleting refrigerants, and therefore aid U.S. and global efforts to minimize damage to the ozone layer and the environment as a whole.

To facilitate compliance with and enforcement of section 608 requirements, EPA requires reporting and record keeping requirements of technicians; technician certification programs; equipment testing organizations; refrigerant wholesalers and purchasers; refrigerant reclaimers; refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment owners; and other establishments that perform refrigerant removal, service, or disposal. The recordkeeping requirements and periodic submission of reports to EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Atmospheric Programs, occur on an annual, biannual, one-time or occasional basis depending on the nature of the reporting entity and the length of time that the entity has been in service. Specific reporting and recordkeeping requirements were published in 58 FR 28660 and codified under 40 CFR part 82, subpart F (i.e., § 82.166). These reporting and recordkeeping requirements also allow EPA to evaluate the effectiveness of the refrigerant regulations, and help the Agency determine if we are meeting the obligations of the Unites States, under the 1987 Montreal Protocol, to reduce use and emissions of ozone-depleting substances to the lowest achievable level.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 3 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: Entities potentially affected are those that recover, recycle, reclaim, sell or distribute in interstate commerce ozone-depleting refrigerants that contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs); and those that service, maintain, repair, or dispose of appliances containing CFC or HCFC refrigerants. In addition, the owners or operators of appliances containing more than 50 pounds of CFC or HCFC refrigerants are regulated.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 663,669.

Frequency of Response: Primarily annually, with the exception of technician testing organizations that are required to report biannually.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 2,404,913.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: $96,364,851, which includes $0 annualized capital or O&M costs.

Changes in the Estimates: There is no increase of hours in the total estimated individual respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB. This is due to the fact that there have been no changes in any program requirement, no changes in EPA's estimates of the time required to submit reports and maintain records, and no changes in EPA's estimates of the overall number of respondents. However, due to a correction of miscalculated estimates in the ICR currently approved by OMB, there is a change in the estimated number of respondents from that identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB. There is also an increase in the estimated total annual cost as a result of changes in EPA's estimates of labor rates.

Dated: March 31, 2011.

John Moses,

Director, Collection Strategies Division.