[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 175 (Monday, September 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55470-55472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-22206]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-9725-8; EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0039]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements of the HCFC
Allowance System; EPA ICR No. 2014.04
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is
planning to submit a request to renew an existing approved Information
Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
This ICR will expire on 02/28/2013. 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 November 9, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2003-0039 by one of the following methods:
www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for
submitting comments.
Email: a-and-r-Docket@epa.gov.
Fax: 202-566-1741.
Mail: Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0039, Air and
Radiation Docket and Information Center, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC
20460.
Hand Delivery: Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0039, Air
and Radiation Docket and Information Center at EPA West, 1301
Constitution Avenue NW., Room 3334, Washington, DC 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.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2003-0039. 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 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 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, 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 EPA cannot read your
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional
information about EPA's public docket visit the EPA Docket Center
homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Burchard, Stratospheric
Protection Division, Office of Atmospheric Programs, 6205J,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 343-9126; fax number:
(202) 343-2338; email address: burchard.robert@epa.gov.
[[Page 55471]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
How can I access the docket and/or submit comments?
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0039, which is available for online viewing at
www.regulations.gov, or in person 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 www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft collection of
information, submit or view public comments, access the index listing
the contents of the 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 in this
document.
What information is EPA particularly interested in?
Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, 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., electronic submission of
responses. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from very small
businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of specific
additional efforts that 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 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?
Docket ID No.: EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0039.
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
producers, importers, exporters, transformers, and destroyers of HCFCs.
Title: Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements of the HCFC
Allowance System ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2014.04, OMB Control No.
2060-0498.
ICR status: This ICR will expire on 02/28/2013. 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 EPA's regulations in title
40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when approved,
are listed in 40 CFR part 9, 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 international treaty The Montreal Protocol on
Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Protocol) and Title VI of the
Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) established limits on total U.S.
production, import, and export of class I and class II controlled ozone
depleting substances (referred to hereinafter as ``controlled
substances'').
Under its Protocol commitments, the United States was obligated to
cease production and import of class I controlled substances (e.g.,
chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs) with exemptions for essential uses,
critical uses, previously-used material, and material that is
transformed, destroyed, or exported to developing countries. The
Protocol also establishes limits and reduction schedules leading to the
eventual phaseout of class II controlled substances (i.e.,
hydrochlorofluorocarbons or HCFCs).
The U.S. is obligated to limit HCFC consumption (defined by the
Protocol as production plus imports, minus exports). The schedule
called for a 35 percent reduction on January 1, 2004, followed by a 75
percent reduction on January 1, 2010, a 90 percent reduction on January
1, 2015, a 99.5 percent reduction on January 1, 2020, and a total
phaseout on January 1, 2030. EPA is responsible for administering the
phaseout.
To ensure U.S. compliance with these limits and restrictions, EPA
established an allowance system to control U.S. production and import
of HCFCs by granting control measures referred to as baseline and
calendar-year allowances. Baseline allowances are based on the
historical activity of individual companies. Calendar-year allowances
allow holders to produce and/or import controlled substances in a given
year and are allocated as a percentage of baseline. There are two types
of baseline and calendar-year allowances: consumption and production
allowances. Since each allowance is equal to 1 kilogram of HCFC, EPA is
able to monitor the quantity of HCFCs being produced, imported and
exported. Transfers of production and consumption allowances among
producers and importers are allowed and are tracked by EPA.
The above-described limits and restrictions are monitored by EPA
through the recordkeeping and reporting requirements established in the
regulations in 40 CFR part 82, subpart A. To submit required
information, regulated entities can download reporting forms from EPA's
Web site (http://www.epa.gov/ozone/record), complete them, and send
them to EPA electronically, via mail, courier, or fax.
Upon receipt of the reports, the data is entered into the ODS
Tracking System. The ODS Tracking System is a secure database that
maintains the data submitted to EPA and helps the agency: (1) Maintain
oversight over total production and consumption of controlled
substances; (2) monitor compliance with limits and restrictions on
production, imports, and trades and specific exemptions from the
phaseout for individual U.S. companies; and (3)
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assess, and report on, compliance with U.S. obligations under the
Montreal Protocol.
EPA has implemented an electronic reporting system that allows
regulated entities to prepare and submit data electronically. Coupled
with the widespread use of the standardized forms, electronic reporting
has improved data quality and made the reporting process efficient for
both reporting companies and EPA. Most reporting is done
electronically.
Pursuant to regulations in 40 CFR part 2, subpart B, reporting
businesses are entitled to assert a business confidentiality claim
covering any part of the submitted business information as defined in
40 CFR 2.201(c). EPA's practice is to manage the reported information
as confidential business information.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1,601
hours and $161,793. 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:
Estimated total number of potential respondents: 49.
Frequency of response: Annually, quarterly, or as needed (depending
on the report).
Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 7.
Estimated total annual burden hours: 1,601.
Estimated total annual costs: $161,793. This includes an estimated
burden cost of $160,428 and an estimated cost of $1,365 for capital
investment or maintenance and operational costs.
Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?
There is a decrease of 259 hours in the total estimated respondent
burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by
OMB. This decrease reflects the expansion of the electronic reporting
program.
What is the next step in the process for this ICR?
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, 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 Robert
Burchard at burchard.robert@epa.gov.
Dated: September 4, 2012.
Drusilla Hufford,
Director, Stratospheric Protection Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-22206 Filed 9-7-12; 8:45 am]
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