[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 180 (Tuesday, September 17, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57153-57154]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-22602]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2006-0947; FRL--9901-08-OAR]
Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; NOX
Budget Trading Program To Reduce the Regional Transport of Ozone
(Renewal)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an
information collection request (ICR), ``Information Collection Request
Renewal for the NOX Budget Trading Program to Reduce the
Regional Transport of Ozone'' (EPA ICR No. 1857.06, OMB Control No.
2060-0445) 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.). Before doing so, 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 February 28, 2014. 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 18, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2006-0947. 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.
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.
Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, 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., permitting electronic submission of responses. 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, 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: The NOX Budget Trading Program is a market-
based cap and trade program created to reduce emissions of nitrogen
oxides (NOX) from power plants and other large combustion
sources in the eastern United States. NOX is a prime
ingredient in the formation of ground-level ozone (smog), a pervasive
air pollution problem in many areas of the eastern United States. The
NOX Budget Trading Program was designed to reduce
NOX emissions during the warm summer months, referred to as
the ozone season, when ground-level ozone concentrations are highest.
In 2009 the program was replaced by the Clean Air Interstate Rule Ozone
Season Trading Program (CAIROS). Although the trading program was
replaced after the 2008 compliance season, this information collection
is being renewed for two reasons. First, some industrial sources in
certain States are still required to monitor and report emissions data
to EPA under these rules, so we will account for their burden. Second,
the Agency may at some future time, reinstitute the NOX
Budget Trading Program. For example, this might happen if both the CAIR
and CAIR replacement rules were vacated by the Court. All data received
by EPA will be treated as public information. 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 40 CFR are listed in
40 CFR part 9.
Form Numbers: None.
Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by
this action are those which participate in the NOX Budget
Trading Program to Reduce the Regional Transport of Ozone.
[[Page 57154]]
Respondent's obligation to respond: mandatory (Sections 110(a) and
301(a) of the Clean Air Act).
Estimated number of respondents: EPA estimates that there are 122
former NOX Budget Trading Program units that will continue
to conduct monitoring in accordance with Part 75 solely under the
NOX SIP call.
Frequency of response: yearly, quarterly, occasionally.
Total estimated burden: 57,586 hours (per year). Burden is defined
at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
Total estimated cost: $7,466.951 (per year), includes $3,777,000
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
Changes in Estimates: There is no increase in hours in the total
estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by
OMB.
Dated: August 29, 2013.
Reid Harvey,
Director, Clean Air Markets Division.
[FR Doc. 2013-22602 Filed 9-16-13; 8:45 am]
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