2013-18047. Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard Implementation Rule, EPA ICR No. 2236.04

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 the EPA is planning to submit to the Office of Management and Budget a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection Request (ICR) 2236.03—8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard Implementation Rule. This ICR is scheduled to expire on July 31, 2013. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, the EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before August 26, 2013.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0079, by one of the following methods:

• www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
• Email: [e-mail].
• Fax: [phone].
• Mail: Environmental Protection Agency, Air and Radiation Docket, Mailcode 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, D.C 20460. Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information. Please include a total of two copies.
• Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center, Public Reading Room, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20004. Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.

Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0079. The EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the public docket without change and may be made available online at www.regulations.gov,, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov or email. The www.regulations.gov Web site is an “anonymous access” system, which means the EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an email comment directly to the EPA without going through www.regulations.gov,, your email address will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, the EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If the EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, the EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters and any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional information about the EPA's public docket, visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/​epahome/​dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. H. Lynn Dail, Air Quality Policy Division, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Mail Code C539-01, Environmental Protection Agency, T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: [phone]; fax number: 919-541-0824; email address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

How can I access the docket and/or submit comments?

The EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0079, which is available for online viewing at www.regulations.gov,, or in person viewing at the Air 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 Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center is 202-566-1742.

Use www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft collection of information, submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the docket, and access those documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select “search” and then key in the docket ID number identified in this document.

What information is the EPA particularly interested in?

Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, the EPA specifically solicits 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., by permitting electronic submission of responses. In particular, the EPA is requesting comments from very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of specific additional efforts that the EPA could make to reduce the paperwork burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.

What should I consider when I prepare my comments for EPA?

You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your comments:

1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific examples.

2. Describe any assumptions that you used.

3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used that support your views.

4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you arrived at the estimate that you provide.

5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.

6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified under DATES.

7. To ensure proper receipt by the EPA, be sure to identify the docket ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page of your response. You may also provide the name, date and Federal Register citation.

What information collection activity or ICR does this apply to?

Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are state and local air agencies. They are potentially affected by the attainment demonstration, Reasonable Further Progress (RFP) State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission and Reasonable Available Control Technology (RACT) SIP submission for their nonattainment areas. State and local agencies are part of the North American Industrial Classification System Code number 924110. There are other entities that may be indirectly affected, as they may comment on the draft submissions before they are forwarded to the EPA's regional offices. These include potentially regulated entities, representatives of special interest groups and individuals.

Title: 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard Implementation Rule.

ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2236.03, OMB Control No. 2060-0594.

ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on July 31, 2013. 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 the EPA's regulations in title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), after appearing in the Federal Register when approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9. They 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: The PRA requires the information found in this ICR number 2236.03 to assess the burden (in hours and dollars) of the 1997 8-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) Implementation Rule as well as the periodic reporting and record keeping necessary to maintain the rule. The rule was proposed on June 2, 2003 (68 FR 32802), and promulgated in two Phases: Phase 1 published on April 30, 2004 (69 FR 23951), and Phase 2 published on November 29, 2005 (70 FR 71612). The preamble to the proposed and final regulations addressed the administrative burden in general terms. The preamble to the final Phase 2 rule stated that an ICR would be prepared (70 FR 71692). The rule includes requirements that involve collecting information from states with areas that remain designated nonattainment for the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. The time period covered in this ICR is a 3-year period from August 1, 2013, through July 31, 2016. These information collection milestones include state submission of an attainment demonstration SIP, an RFP SIP submission and an RACT SIP. However, not all of the milestones and associated burden and administrative costs estimates apply to every designated nonattainment area. The burden estimated is for 6 of the 38 nonattainment areas that were reclassified to a higher classification resulting in new SIP revisions required. The remaining 32 nonattainment areas have either met the requirements or have had their requirements suspended.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1,111 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.

The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the agency's estimate, which is only briefly summarized here:

Respondents/Affected Entities: State and local governments.

Estimated total number of respondents: 6.

Frequency of response: Annual.

Estimated total annual burden hours: 6,667 hours.

Estimated total annual costs: $434,000. This includes an estimated burden cost of $0 for capital investment or maintenance and operational costs.

Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

There is neither an increase nor a decrease of hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB.

What is the next step in the process for this ICR?

The 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 pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, the EPA will issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

Dated: July 22, 2013.

Mary E. Henigin,

Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.