[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70748-70749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-28651]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2009-0022; FRL 9524-4]


Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; Acid Rain Program Under Title IV of the 
Clean Air Act Amendments (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), Acid Rain Program under Title IV 
of the Clean Air Act Amendments (Renewal) (EPA ICR No. 1633.16, OMB 
Control No. 2060-0258) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is 
currently approved through November 30, 2012. Public comments were 
previously requested via the Federal Register (77 FR 4066) on July 10, 
2012 during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an 
additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR 
is given below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. 
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: Additional comments may be submitted on or before December 27, 
2012.

[[Page 70749]]


ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OAR-2009-0022, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), by email to [email protected], or by mail to: 
EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB via email 
to [email protected]. Address comments to OMB Desk Officer 
for EPA.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen VanSickle, Clean Air Markets 
Division, Office of Air and Radiation, (6204J), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: 202-343-9220; fax number: 202-343-2361; email 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents, 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, EPA West, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone 
number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Abstract: The Acid Rain Program was established under Title IV of 
the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. The program calls for major 
reductions of the pollutants that cause acid rain while establishing a 
new approach to environmental management. This information collection 
is necessary to implement the Acid Rain Program. It includes burden 
hours associated with developing and modifying permits, transferring 
allowances, obtaining allowances from the conservation and renewable 
energy reserve, monitoring emissions, participating in the annual 
auctions, completing annual compliance certifications, participating in 
the Opt-in program, and complying with NOX permitting 
requirements.
    Form Numbers: 7610-1, 7610-5, 7610-6, 7610-7A, 7610-8, 7610-11, 
7610-16, 7610-19, 7610-20, 7610-26, 7610-27, 7610-28, 7610-29, 7620-4, 
7620-8, 7620-9, 7620-10, and 5900-172.
    Respondents/affected entities: Electric utilities, Industrial 
sources, and other persons.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory and voluntary under 
provisions of Title IV of the Clean Air Act Amendments that cover:
     Allowance tracking and transfers (section 403);
     Permits (section 408);
     Emissions monitoring (section 412);
     Auctions (section 416);
     Opt-in (section 410 a-g); and
     NOX permitting (section 407).
    Estimated number of respondents: 1700.
    Frequency of response: On occasion, quarterly, and annually.
    Total estimated burden: 2,123,405 hours (per year). Burden is 
defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $302,368,573.05 (per year), includes 
$152,015,161 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 66,459 hours in 
the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. Most of the change in burden for this collection is 
due to adjustments. Adjustments stem from actions outside the Agency's 
control. Adjustments include changes to the number of responses and the 
time it takes to respond to a particular activity. Some new estimates 
for the number of responses are based on queries of EPA databases for 
activities reported in recent years. In addition to adjustments, a 
portion of the overall increase is due to the incorporation of ARP 
affection portion of the Protocol Gas Verification Program and Air 
Emissions Protocol Testing Body ICR requirements from the EPA ICR 
Number 2203.04, OMB Control Number 2060-0626.

John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-28651 Filed 11-26-12; 8:45 am]
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