Notice2024-29020
Information Collection Request Number 2265.04; Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Information Collection Activities Associated With the SmartWay Transport Partnership
Primary source
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Published
December 11, 2024
Issuing agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Abstract
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), "Information Collection Activities Associated with the SmartWay Transport Partnership" (EPA ICR No. 2265.04, OMB Control No. 2060-0663) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. 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 March 25, 2025. 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 89 Issue 238 (Wednesday, December 11, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 238 (Wednesday, December 11, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 99856-99857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-29020]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2024-0423; FRL-12291-01-OAR]
Information Collection Request Number 2265.04; Proposed
Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Information Collection
Activities Associated With the SmartWay Transport Partnership
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to
submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Information
Collection Activities Associated with the SmartWay Transport
Partnership'' (EPA ICR No. 2265.04, OMB Control No. 2060-0663) to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. 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 March 25, 2025. 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 February 10, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2024-0423 online using <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> (our preferred method), by
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4e3d232f3c3a392f37113a3c2f203d3e213c3a0e2b3e2f60292138"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="790a14180b0d0e1800260d0b18170a09160b0d391c0918571e160f">[email protected]</span></a>, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center,
Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221 T, 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: Erik Herzog, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 2000 Traverwood Drive, S-72, Ann Arbor, MI 48105;
telephone number: 734-214-4487; Fax: 734-214-4906; email address:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6e060b1c140109400b1c07052e0b1e0f40090118"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="412924333b2e266f2433282a012431206f262e37">[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="https://www.epa.gov/dockets">https://www.epa.gov/dockets</a>.
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
document to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB.
Abstract: The EPA's Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) developed the
SmartWay Transport Partnership (``SmartWay'') under directives outlined
[[Page 99857]]
in Subtitle D of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which calls on EPA to
assess the energy and air quality impacts of activities within the
freight industry. These activities include long-duration truck idling,
the development and promotion of strategies for reducing idling, fuel
consumption, and negative air quality effects. SmartWay's objectives
also are consistent with the Clean Air Act, the Federal Technology
Transfer Act and other laws that authorize and support research,
training and air pollutant control activities.
SmartWay is open to organizations that own, operate, or contract
with fleet operations, including truck, rail, barge, air and multi-
modal carriers, logistics companies, and shippers. Organizations that
do not operate fleets, but that are working to strengthen the freight
industry, such as industry trade associations, state and local
transportation agencies and environmental groups, also may join as
SmartWay affiliates. All organizations that join SmartWay are asked to
provide EPA with information as part of their SmartWay registration to
annually benchmark their transportation-related operations and improve
the environmental performance of their freight activities.
A company joins SmartWay when it completes and submits a SmartWay
Annual Reporting tool to EPA. The company submits an updated reporting
tool annually thereafter. Truck carriers with fewer than 20 trucks may
submit their annual updates through the On-Line Truck Tool Short Form,
rather than the full On-Line Truck Tool version. The data outputs from
the submitted tool are used by partners and SmartWay in several ways.
First, the data provides confirmation that SmartWay partners are
meeting established objectives in their Partnership Agreement. The
reporting tool outputs enable EPA to provide partners with
environmental performance information to assist them in incorporating
freight efficiency in their goods movement decisions. Additionally, the
data allows EPA to empower SmartWay partners, as appropriate, by
providing them with environmental strategies and technology information
that improve their efficiency. This information also improves EPA's
knowledge and understanding of the environmental and energy impacts
associated with goods movement, and the effectiveness of both proven
and emerging strategies to lessen those impacts.
In addition to requesting annual freight transportation-related
data, EPA may ask its SmartWay partners for other kinds of information
which could include opinions and test data on the effectiveness of new
and emerging technology applications, sales volumes associated with
SmartWay-recommended vehicle equipment and technologies, the reach and
value of partnering with EPA through the SmartWay Partnership, and
awareness of the SmartWay brand. In some instances, EPA might query
other freight industry representatives (not just SmartWay partners),
including trade and professional associations, nonprofit environmental
groups, energy and community organizations, and universities, and a
small sampling of the general public.
Form Numbers: None.
Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by
this action include private and public organizations that join the
SmartWay Transport Partnership; freight industry representatives who
engage in activities related to the SmartWay Partnership; and
representative samplings of consumers in the general public. These
entities may be affected by EPA efforts to assess the effectiveness and
value of the SmartWay program, awareness of the SmartWay brand, and
ideas for developing and improving SmartWay.
Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.
Estimated number of respondents: 4,770.
Frequency of response: The information collections described in the
ICR must be completed in order for an organization to register as or
continue its status as a SmartWay partner, to become a SmartWay
affiliate, to use the SmartWay logo on an EPA-designated tractor or
trailer, or to be considered for a SmartWay Excellence Award.
Total estimated burden: The annual burden for this collection of
information that all respondent partners and affiliates incur is
estimated to average 8,879 hours with a projected annual aggregate cost
of $732,210. The annual burden for this collection of information that
federal agency respondents incur is estimated to average 4,578 hours
with a projected annual aggregate cost of $122,602.
This ICR estimates that approximately 5,844 respondent partners
will incur burden associated with SmartWay in the first year, with a
growth of 330 partners per year projected into the future. The
estimated average burden time per respondent is 1.52 hours annually.
This is an average across all Smart Way partners, regardless of whether
they are affiliates, shippers, carriers or logistics companies. The
average also includes 150 consumer and industry respondents, who spend
far less time, providing the SmartWay program with basic information on
their awareness of the program. Among respondent partners the burden
hours are typically higher for larger companies with complex fleets,
than for smaller companies.
Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, 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;
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.
Total estimated cost: The total annual cost to all respondent
partners is $732,210. The total annual cost to federal agency
respondents is $122,602.
Changes in estimates: There is a decrease of 3,678 hours and
$129,672 in the total estimated respondent partner burden compared with
the ICR currently approved by OMB. This decrease reflects the following
adjustments and program changes:
(1) Implementation of a new On-Line Truck Tools for the majority of
partners.
(2) The reduction of the number of annual Affiliate Applications.
There is also a decrease of 110 hours and $48,228 in the total
estimated agency burden currently approved by OMB. This decrease is due
to the following:
(1) Implementation of a new On-Line Truck Tools for the majority of
partners.
(2) The reduction of the number of annual Affiliate Applications.
Karl Simon,
Director, Transportation and Climate Division, Office of Transportation
and Air Quality.
[FR Doc. 2024-29020 Filed 12-10-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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