[Federal Register: August 11, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 154)] [Notices] [Page 42848-42849] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr11au98-99] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-6141-7] Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives, Gasoline Volatility Rule AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that the following Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives, Gasoline Volatility Rule; OMB Control Number 2060-0178, expiration date 8/31/98. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden and cost; where appropriate, it includes the actual data collection instrument. DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before September 10, 1998. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For a copy of the ICR, call Sandy Farmer at EPA, by phone at (202) 260-2740, by E-Mail at Farmer.Sandy@epamail.epa.gov or download off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr/icr.htm, and refer to EPA ICR No. 1367.05. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives, Gasoline Volatility Rule, OMB Control Number 2060-0178, EPA ICR Number 1367.05, expiration date 8/31/98. This is a request for extension of a currently approved collection. Abstract: Section 211(h) of the Clean Air Act (Act), 42 U.S.C. 7545(h), required the Administrator to promulgate regulations prohibiting the supply or sale of gasoline exceeding certain volatility standards during the high ozone season. The Act provides that for gasoline blends containing 10% ethanol the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) may be one pound per square inch (psi) greater than the applicable RVP standard for gasoline not containing 10% ethanol. Parties receiving gasoline (e.g., retailers), must know whether the gasoline contains ethanol. Otherwise gasoline not containing ethanol may be commingled with gasoline containing ethanol, resulting in gasoline exceeding the applicable non-ethanol RVP standard due to the presence of ethanol, but not at the 10% concentration required for the 1 psi exemption, in violation of the Act and regulations. Therefore, EPA requires, at 40 CFR 80.27(d)(3), that the customary business practice (CBP) transfer documents accompanying shipments of gasoline containing ethanol must state that the gasoline contains ethanol and the percentage concentration (by volume) of ethanol. The statement can be in brief code and it can be preprinted or automatically printed. There is no mandatory retention period or maintenance requirement. There is no reporting requirement or periodic recordkeeping requirement. All responses (print the information and submit to transferee of gasoline) are mandatory. EPA has authority to require this information under section 211 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 7545, section 114 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 7414 and section 208 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 7542. Confidentiality of information obtained from parties is protected under 40 CFR part 2. 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 are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter 15. The Federal Register document required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on 2/26/98 (63 FR 9791); May 5, 1998, no comments were received. Therefore, the ICR supporting statement does not summarize comments or EPA's actions taken in response to comments. However, EPA did consult industry persons by telephone and parties contacted indicated the paperwork requirement has virtually no measurable burden for those distributors whose CBP transfer documents are computer printed or pre-printed. Parties who are not automated use a few seconds per transaction to stamp or write their code on the CBP transfer document. Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 0.15 hour per year for all gasoline distributors handling gasoline containing ethanol and the average burden for non automated parties is 0.3 hour per year (and 0 hour per year for automated parties). Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or [[Page 42849]] 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. Respondents/Affected Entities: Distributors of gasoline containing ethanol. Estimated Number of Respondents: 8,792 gasoline distributors, only 4,396 of which have a measurable annual hourly burden. Frequency of Response: 307 business transactions per year per respondent with paperwork required on the occasion of the transactions; approximately 2,706,000 total annual responses. Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1,319 hours. Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: 0. Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of automated collection techniques to the following addresses. Please refer to EPA ICR No. 1367.05 and OMB Control No. 2060-0178 in any correspondence. Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Policy, Regulatory Information Division (2137), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460; and Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503. Dated: August 5, 1998. Stephen T. Vineski, Regulatory Information Division. [FR Doc. 98-21524 Filed 8-10-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-P