2021-17321. Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; NESHAP for Natural Gas Transmission and Storage (Renewal)

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), NESHAP for Natural Gas Transmission and Storage (EPA ICR Number 1789.11, OMB Control Number 2060-0418), to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through October 31, 2021. Public comments were previously requested, via the Federal Register , on February 8, 2021 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 neither 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.

DATES:

Additional comments may be submitted on or before September 13, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0623, 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. 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.

Submit written comments and recommendations to OMB for the proposed information collection within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

Out of an abundance of caution for members of the public and our staff, the EPA Docket Center and Reading Room are closed to the public, with limited exceptions, to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19. Our Docket Center staff will continue to provide remote customer service via email, phone, and webform. We encourage the public to submit comments via https://www.regulations.gov/​,, or email, as there may be a delay in processing mail and faxes. Hand deliveries and couriers may be received by scheduled appointment only. For further information on the EPA Docket Center services and the current status, please visit us online at https://www.epa.gov/​dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Muntasir Ali, Sector Policies and Program Division (D243-05), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, 27711; telephone number: [phone]; 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 https://www.regulations.gov,, or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West Building, 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 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Natural Gas Transmission and Storage (40 CFR part 63, subpart HHH) apply to existing facilities and new facilities that are major sources of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) and that either transport or store natural gas prior to entering the pipeline to a local distribution company or to a final end user (if there is no local distribution company). In general, all NESHAP standards require initial notifications, performance tests, and periodic reports by the owners/operators of the affected facilities. They are also required to maintain records of the occurrence and duration of any startup, shutdown, or malfunction in the operation of an affected facility, or any period during which the monitoring system is inoperative. These notifications, reports, and records are essential in determining compliance with 40 CFR part 63, subpart HHH.

Form Numbers: None.

Respondents/affected entities: Natural gas transmission and storage facilities.

Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory (40 CFR part 63, subpart HHH).

Estimated number of respondents: 73 (total).

Frequency of response: Initially, occasionally, and semiannually.

Total estimated burden: 3,780 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).

Total estimated cost: $448,000 (per year), includes $0 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.

Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase in the total estimated burden from the most recently-approved ICR as currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved Burdens. This increase is not due to any program changes. This increase is due to an increase in the number of affected sources subject to the rule based on the latest available data and taking into account growth in this industry. The growth rate for the industry is based on our consultations with the Agency's internal industry experts, including a review of EPA's ECHO, GHGRP, and data from related rulemakings. There are no capital/startup or operation and maintenance costs incurred as a result of these standards because the industry has primarily installed flares to control emissions.

Courtney Kerwin,

Director, Regulatory Support Division.