2015-24332. Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Regional Haze Regulations (Renewal)

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), “Renewal of the ICR for the Regional Haze Regulations” (EPA ICR No. 1813.09, OMB Control No. 2060.0421) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Before doing so, the EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through March 31, 2016. 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.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before November 30, 2015.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0162, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or withdrawn. The EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. The EPA will generally not consider comments or comment contents located outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or other file sharing system). For additional submission methods, the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit http://www2.epa.gov/​dockets/​commenting-epa-dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Chris Werner, Air Quality Policy Division, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, C539-04, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709; telephone number: [phone]; fax number: [phone]; email address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Supporting document(s) 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 www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is [phone]. For additional information about the EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/​dockets.

Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, the EPA is soliciting 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., allowing electronic submission of responses. 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. At that time, the EPA will issue another Federal Register notice to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB.

Abstract: This ICR is for activities related to the implementation of the EPA's regional haze rule, for the time period between March 31, 2016, and March 31, 2019, and renews the previous ICR. The regional haze rule codified at 40 CFR parts 308 and 309, as authorized by sections 169A and 169B of the Clean Air Act, requires states to develop implementation plans to protect visibility in 156 federally-protected Class I areas. Tribes may choose to develop implementation plans. For this time period, states will primarily be developing and submitting periodic comprehensive implementation plan revisions (or initial implementation plans) and progress reports to comply with the regulations.

Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are state, local and tribal air quality agencies, regional planning organizations and facilities potentially regulated under the regional haze rule.

Title: Regional Haze Regulations; EPA ICR No. 1813.09, OMB Control No. 2060.0421.

Respondent's Obligation To Respond: Mandatory [see 40 CFR 51.308(b), (f) and (g) and 40 CFR 51.309(d)(10)].

Estimated Number of Respondents: 52 (total); 52 state agencies.

Frequency of Response: Approximately every 5 years.

Total Estimated Burden: 10,307 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).

Total Estimated Cost: $510,489 (per year). There are no annualized capital or operation and maintenance costs.

Changes in Estimates: There is an increase of 4,259 hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. This increase is due to this ICR renewal period covering different task elements than the previous renewal (EPA ICR No. 1813.08). These differences reflect the requirements of the current regional haze rule with respect to the scheduled events and activities in the implementation process. The last collection request anticipated the program consisting mainly of submission of 5-year progress reports. The change in burden reflects changes in labor rates and changes in the activities conducted due to the normal progression of the program, especially the fact that states will be working on and submitting periodic comprehensive State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions (or initial SIPs).

Dated: September 15, 2015.

Stephen D. Page,

Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.