Notice2023-06732
Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Regional Haze Regulations (Renewal)
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 31, 2023
Issuing agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Abstract
The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), "Renewal of the ICR for the Regional Haze Regulations" (EPA ICR No. 2540.04 OMB Control No. 2060- 0704) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). 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 September 30, 2023. 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 62 (Friday, March 31, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 62 (Friday, March 31, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19301-19302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06732]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2023-0138; FRL-10865-01-OAR]
Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request;
Regional Haze Regulations (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), ``Renewal of the ICR for the
Regional Haze Regulations'' (EPA ICR No. 2540.04 OMB Control No. 2060-
0704) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and
approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). 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
September 30, 2023. 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 May 30, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Comments. Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No.
EPA-HQ-OAR-2023-0138, at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot
be edited or removed from <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>. 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 (e.g., 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 <a href="http://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets">http://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets</a>. Certain other material,
such as copyrighted material, will not be placed on the internet but
may be viewed, with prior arrangement, at the EPA Docket Center.
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically
in <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> or in hard copy at the Air and Radiation
Docket and Information Center, EPA/DC, EPA William Jefferson Clinton
West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC.
The 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
Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744 and the telephone number for the
Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center is (202) 566-1742. For
additional information about the EPA's public docket, visit the EPA
Docket Center homepage at: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/dockets">https://www.epa.gov/dockets</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Macie Moore, Air Quality Policy
Division, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, mail code C539-
04, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC
27709; email address: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f19c9e9e8394df9c90929894b1948190df969e87"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4a272525382f64272b29232f0a2f3a2b642d253c">[email protected]</span></a>.
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
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> 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 (202) 566-1744. For additional
information about EPA's public docket, visit <a href="http://www.epa.gov/dockets">http://www.epa.gov/dockets</a>.
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., permitting electronic submission of responses. The
EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR
[[Page 19302]]
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 (2017 rule revision),\1\ for the period
between September 30, 2023, and September 30, 2026, 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 period, all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will be developing and submitting
2nd planning period progress reports pursuant to 40 CFR 51.308(g) and
40 CFR 51.309(d)(10). In accordance with the 2017 rule revision, the
progress reports associated with the 2nd planning period are not
required to be submitted as SIP revisions. Further, 13 states and the
U.S. Virgin Islands will be developing and submitting periodic
comprehensive implementation plan revisions for the 2nd planning period
to comply with the regulations.
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\1\ Final Rule: Protection of Visibility: Amendments to
Requirements for State Plans, 82 FR 3078, January 10, 2017.
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Form Numbers: None.
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.
Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory [see 40 CFR
51.308(b), (f) and (g)].
Estimated number of respondents: 52 (total); 52 state agencies.
Frequency of response: Approximately every 5 years.
Total estimated burden: 14,459 hours (per year). Burden is defined
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
Total estimated cost: $850,478.38 (per year). There are no
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
Changes in Estimates: There is decrease of 23,796 hours in the
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently
approved by OMB. This decrease in burden reflects changes in labor
rates and changes in the activities conducted due to the normal
progression of the program. In the currently approved ICR, the
estimated respondent burden assumed 50 states, the District of
Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands would be developing and
submitting comprehensive State Implementation Plans (SIPs), which were
due by July 31, 2021. In practice, 37 states and the District of
Columbia submitted SIPs during the currently approved ICR period.
Within the proposed ICR, the estimated respondent burden assumes that
all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
will be developing and submitting progress reports by January 31, 2025,
while 13 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands will be submitting
outstanding periodic comprehensive SIP revisions.
Scott Mathias,
Director, Air Quality Policy Division.
[FR Doc. 2023-06732 Filed 3-30-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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