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Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements Regarding the Sulfur Content of Motor Vehicle Gasoline Under the Tier 2 Rule, EPA ICR No.1907.04, OMB Control No. 2060-0437

 [Federal Register: December 1, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 231)]
[Notices]
[Page 69558-69559]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01de06-68]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0171, FRL-8250-2]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements Regarding the
Sulfur Content of Motor Vehicle Gasoline Under the Tier 2 Rule, EPA ICR
No.1907.04, OMB Control No. 2060-0437

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.), this document announces that 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 is
scheduled to expire on 4/30/07. 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 January 30, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
2003-0171, by one of the following methods:
    ? http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line
instructions for submitting comments.
    ? E-mail: a-and-r-docket@epa.gov
    ? Mail: Office of Air and Radiation Docket, Environmental
Protection Agency, Mailcode: 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460.
    ? Hand Delivery: Air and Radiation Docket in the EPA Docket
Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 3334 Constitution Ave., NW.,
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-2003-
0171. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in
the public docket without change and may be made available online at
http://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 http://
www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://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 e-mail comment directly to EPA without
going through http://www.regulations.gov your e-mail 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: Marilyn Bennett, Office of
Transportation and Air Quality, Mail Code 6406J, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460;
telephone number: (202) 343-9624; fax number: (202) 343-2803; e-mail
address: bennett.marilyn@epa.gov.

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-2003-0171, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Air and Radiation
Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room
is open from 8 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 http://www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft
collection of information, submit or view public comments, access the
index listing of 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., permitting 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.

[[Page 69559]]

    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?

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
those who manufacture, import, distribute and sell gasoline.
    Title: Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements Regarding the
Sulfur Content of Motor Vehicle Gasoline Under the Tier 2 Rule.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No.1907.04, Control No. 2060-0437.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on 4/30/07.
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 requirements covered under this ICR are included in
the final Tier 2 rule, published on the February 10, 2000 (65 FR 6698).
A minor additional ICR requirement was added to the Tier 2 rule on June
12, 2002 (67 FR 40169).
    The scope of the recordkeeping and reporting requirements for each
type of party in the gasoline distribution system, and therefore the
cost to that party, reflects the party's opportunity to create, control
or alter the sulfur content of gasoline. As a result, refiners and
importers have significant requirements, which are necessary both for
their own tracking and that of downstream parties, and for EPA
enforcement, while parties downstream from the gasoline production or
import point, such as distributors and pipelines, have minimal burdens
under the rule. Many of the reporting and recordkeeping requirements
for refiners and importers regarding the sulfur content of gasoline on
which the Tier 2 sulfur program relies currently exist under EPA's
reformulated gasoline (RFG) and conventional gasoline (CG) anti-dumping
programs. The ICR for the RFG/CG programs covered the majority of the
start-up costs associated with the reporting of gasoline sulfur
content. Consequently, much of the cost associated with the sulfur-
control requirements under the sulfur program has already been
accounted for under the ICR for the RFG/CG programs.
    The information under this ICR will be collected by EPA's
Transportation and Regional Programs Division, Office of Transportation
and Air Quality, Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), and by EPA's Air
Enforcement Division, Office of Regulatory Enforcement, Office of
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA). The information collected
will be used by EPA to evaluate compliance with the gasoline sulfur
control requirements under the Tier 2 rule. This oversight by EPA is
necessary to ensure attainment of the air quality goals of the Tier 2
program. Proprietary information will be submitted by refiners and
importers for demonstrating compliance with the sulfur standards.
Confidentiality is handled in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act and EPA regulations at 40 CFR Part 2.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1.024
hours per response. 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: 80 refiners; 39
importers; 1200 terminals; 60 pipelines.
    Frequency of response: Annual and periodic.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent:
405 per refiner; 27 per importer; 3 per terminal; 12 per pipeline.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 38,742 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $2,405,185. There are no capital
investment or maintenance and operational costs associated with this rule.

Are There Changes in the Estimates from the Last Approval?

    EPA does not anticipate any changes in the estimates from the last
ICR approval.

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 the
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: November 27, 2006.
Margo Tsirigotis Oge,
Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality.
[FR Doc. E6-20352 Filed 11-30-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

 
 

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