03-19747. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Production Line Testing, In-use Testing, and Selective Enforcement Auditing Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for Manufacturers of Nonroad Spark ...

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 EPA is planning to submit a continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on 10/31/2003. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before October 3, 2003.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OAR-2003-0145, to EPA online using EDOCKET (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 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ms. Nydia Y. Reyes-Morales, Mail Code 6403J, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-9264; fax number: 202-565-2057; e-mail address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID number OAR-2003-0145, which is available for public viewing at the Air and Radiation Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., 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 Air and Radiation Docket is [phone]. An electronic version of the public docket is available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) at http://www.epa.gov/​edocket. Use EDOCKET to obtain a copy of the draft collection of information, submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select “search,” then key in the docket ID number identified above.

Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA within 60 days of this notice. EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing in EDOCKET 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. When EPA identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that material in the version of the comment that is placed in EDOCKET. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket. Although identified as an item in the official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the official public docket, and will not be available for public viewing in EDOCKET. For further information about the electronic docket, see EPA's Federal Register notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102 (May 31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov./​edocket.

Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are manufacturers of spark ignition engines rated at or below 19 kilowatts.

Title: Production Line Testing, In-use Testing, and Selective Enforcement Auditing Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for Manufacturers of Nonroad Spark Ignition Engines At or Below 19 Kilowatts.

Abstract: Title II of the Clean Air Act requires engine manufacturers to obtain a certificate of conformity with applicable emission standards for each engine prototype before they may legally introduced their products into commerce. The Act also mandates EPA to verify that manufacturers have successfully translated their certified engine prototypes into mass produced engines and that these engines comply with emission standards throughout their useful lives. Under the Production Line Testing (PLT) Program, manufacturers test a sample of engines as they leave the assembly line. This self-audit program allows manufacturers to monitor compliance with statistical certainty and minimize the cost of correcting errors through early detection. Under the Voluntary In-use Testing Program, manufacturers test engines after a number of years of use to verify that the engines comply with emission standards throughout their useful lives. Under the spark ignition engine emissions rule, codified at 40 CFR part 90, only Phase 2 SI engines are elegible to participate in the PLT and the In-use Programs. Engine manufacturers can choose to participate in either the PLT Program or the In-use Program.

Sections 206(b) and 213(d) of the Act also mandate that EPA conduct testing of a sample of certified engines to determine if these engines do in fact conform with the applicable emission regulations. Under the Selective Enforcement Audit (SEA) Program, EPA selects a number of engines to be taken directly from the assembly line and tested according to EPA specifications. These audits are performed to ensure that test data submitted by manufacturers is reliable and testing is performed according to EPA regulations. All SI engine manufacturers are subject to be audited. Participation in the SEA program is mandatory.

The information requested by this information collection is used to enforce different provisions of the Act and maintain the integrity of the overall emissions reduction program. Data generated through the PLT, In-use and SEA programs may be used to evaluate future applications for certification, to identify potential issues, and as basis to suspend or revoke the certificate of conformity of those engines that fail. There are recordkeeping requirements in all programs.

The information is collected by the Engine Programs Group, Certification and Compliance Division, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Office of Air and Radiation. Confidentiality of proprietary information submitted by manufacturers is granted in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, EPA regulations at 40 CFR part 2, and class determinations issued by EPA's Office of General Counsel. 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 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9.

The EPA would like to solicit comments 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.

Table I.—Burden Statement

	PLT	In-use	SEA
Estimated Total Burden Hours	6,709	1,410	1,056
Estimated Average Burden Hours/Response	1,677	705	528
Frequency of Response	Quarterly	On occasion	On occasion
Number of Respondents	5	2	2
Total Annual Cost (Industry-wide)	$1,129,021	$54,927	$36,907
Total Annual Capital and Start Up Cost	0	0	0
Total Annual Operation and Maintenance Costs	$14,170	$3,260	$480

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; 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.

Dated: July 23, 2003.

Robert Brenner,

Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation.