2012-15866. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Emission Guidelines for Existing Other Solid Waste Incineration Units (Renewal)

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

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 collection and the estimated burden and cost.

DATES:

Additional comments may be submitted on or before July 30, 2012.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number EPA-HQ-OECA-2011-0256, to: (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), or by email to: [e-mail], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Environmental Protection Agency, Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; and (2) OMB 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:

Learia Williams, Monitoring, Assistance, and Media Programs Division, Office of Compliance, Mail Code 2227A, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: [phone]; fax number: [phone]; email 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 May 9, 2011 (76 FR 26900), 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 both EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice.

EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under docket ID number EPA-HQ-OECA-2011-0256, which is available for public viewing online at http://www.regulations.gov,, or in person viewing at the Enforcement and Compliance Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center 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 [phone], and the telephone number for the Enforcement and Compliance Docket is [phone].

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 www.regulations.gov.

Title: Emission Guidelines for Existing Other Solid Waste Incineration Units (Renewal).

ICR Numbers: EPA ICR Number 2164.04, OMB Control Number 2060-0562.

ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on July 31, 2012. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to either conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB.

Abstract: The emission guidelines address existing OSWI units that commenced construction before the proposal of the emission guidelines (December 9, 2004). The emission guidelines do not apply directly to existing OSWI unit owners and operators.

The emission guidelines can be considered a model regulation that a State agency can use in developing plans to implement the emission guidelines. If a State does not develop, adopt, and submit an approvable State plan, the Federal government must develop a plan to implement the emission guidelines. This ICR includes the burden for an affected entity, even if it is ultimately regulated under either a State or Federal plan.

All reports are sent to the delegated state or local authority. In the event that there is no such delegated authority, the reports are sent directly to the EPA regional office. This information is being collected to assure compliance with 40 CFR part 60, subpart FFFF, as authorized in sections 112 and 114(a) of the Clean Air Act. The required information consists of emissions data and other information that have been determined to be private.

An Agency may not conduct nor 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 Number for EPA regulations listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR chapter 15, are identified on the form and/or instrument, if applicable.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 236 hours per response. “Burden” means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide information either 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: Owners or operators of other existing solid waste incinerators.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 99.

Frequency of Response: Initially, annually, and semiannually.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 70,132.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: $7,215,028, which includes $6,720,028 in labor costs, no capital/startup costs, and $495,000 in operation and maintenance (O&M) costs.

Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease in the total estimated burden for both the respondents and the Agency from the most recently approved ICR due to a decrease in the number of sources. At the time of rule promulgation, EPA estimated that 248 respondents were subject to the standard. However, many facilities have shut down or ceased operation since 2005. In recent years in support of potential OSWI regulatory development, the Agency consulted with internal data experts and conducted data and permits searches to inventory the number of existing OSWI units. The data collection activities in 2010 suggest that only 99 VSMWC and IWI sources are subject to the standard. This represents an approximately 60 percent decrease in the respondent universe since 2005.

The decrease in the respondent universe also results in significant reduction of the overall O&M costs to the respondents.

Additionally, this ICR corrects a mathematical error in the previous ICR's estimate for the respondents' recordkeeping burden.

John Moses,

Director, Collection Strategies Division.