[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24488-24489]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9810]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0078; FRL-9516-5]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Landfill Methane Outreach Program
(Renewal)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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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 information collection and its estimated burden and cost.
DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before May 24, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID number EPA-HQ-
OAR-2003-0078, to (1) EPA on line using www.regulations.gov (our
preferred method), by email to a-and-r-Docket@epa.gov, or by mail to:
EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Environmental Protection Agency, Air and
Radiation Docket, mail code 22821T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; and (2) OMB by mail 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: Victoria Ludwig, Climate Change
Division, Office of Atmospheric Programs, 6207J, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460;
telephone number: 202-343-9291; fax number: 202-343-2202; email
address: ludwig.victoria@epa.gov.
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 January 27, 2012 (77 FR 4297), 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 EPA and OMB
within 30 days of this notice.
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
number EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0078, which is available for online viewing at
www.regulations.gov, or in-person
[[Page 24489]]
viewing at the Air and Radiation 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 is 202-566-1742.
Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at
www.regulations.gov to submit or view public comments, access the index
listing of the contents of the docket, and 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 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: Landfill Methane Outreach Program (Renewal).
ICR Numbers: EPA ICR Number 1849.06, OMB Control Number 2060-0446.
ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on 04/30/2012. Under
OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the
collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 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 title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when
approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, and 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 Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP), created by
EPA as part of the Climate Change Action Plan, is a voluntary program
designed to encourage and facilitate the development of environmentally
and economically sound landfill gas (LFG) energy projects across the
United States in order to reduce methane emissions from landfills. LMOP
does this by educating local governments and communities about the
benefits of LFG recovery and use; building partnerships between state
agencies, industry, energy service providers, local communities, and
other stakeholders interested in developing this valuable resource in
their community; and providing tools to evaluate LFG energy potential.
LMOP signs voluntary Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with these
organizations to enlist their support in promoting cost-effective LFG
utilization. The information collection includes completion and
submission of the MOU, and annual completion and submission of
information forms that include basic information on LFG energy projects
with which the organizations are involved as an effort to update the
LMOP Landfill and Landfill Gas Energy Project Database. The information
collection is to be utilized to maintain up-to-date data and
information about LMOP Partners and LFG energy projects with which they
are involved. The data will also be used by the public to assess LFG
energy project development opportunities in the United States. In
addition, the information collection will assist LMOP in evaluating the
reduction of methane emissions from landfills. Responses to the
information collection are voluntary.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 3
hours for each respondent. Burden means the total time, effort, or
financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain,
and 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.
Respondents/Affected Entities: Landfill owners and operators (both
public and private), LFG energy project developers, manufacturers and
suppliers of LFG energy equipment, utilities, industries using LFG
energy, state agencies involved in energy, air pollution, economic
development and solid waste management, and non-profits involved in the
solid waste management, public works, local government and renewable
energy sectors.
Estimated Total Number of Potential Respondents: 1,220 existing
Partners plus 113 new Partners per year.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 4,216 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $334,332, which includes $334,298 in
labor costs and $34 for operational and maintenance costs.
Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 1,671 hours in the
total estimated annual respondent burden compared with the burdens
identified in the existing ICR approved by OMB. The existing approved
ICR included a one-time, large-scale outreach to 1,000 additional
landfill owners and operators. This activity and group of entities are
not included in the scope of this ICR renewal, resulting in the overall
decreases in total hours and hours per respondent. This change is the
result of a program change. However, in the last approved ICR, Energy
Partners were not requested to update landfill gas energy project data,
and under this renewal, Energy Partners will be requested to provide
updates on their involvement in these projects. Also, there has been
growth in the number of overall Partners since the last renewal. These
changes offset the magnitude of the overall burden decrease. There have
been no major changes in how the information forms or MOU are dispersed
or collected since the last renewal. LMOP has previously implemented
simplifications and other changes to increase the efficiency of its ICR
process.
John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-9810 Filed 4-23-12; 8:45 am]
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