81 FR 33249 - Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (Renewal)

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 101 (May 25, 2016)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ``Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 2300.17, OMB Control No. 2060-0629) 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.). This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through May 31, 2016. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (80 FR 68534) on November 5, 2015 during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. 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.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 101 (Wednesday, May 25, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33249-33250]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-12310]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2012-0333; FRL-9946-96-OEI]


Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Greenhouse Gas Reporting 
Program (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 2300.17, OMB Control No. 2060-0629) 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.). 
This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved 
through May 31, 2016. Public comments were previously requested via the 
Federal Register (80 FR 68534) on November 5, 2015 during a 60-day 
comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public 
comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, including its 
estimated burden and cost to the public. 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: Additional comments may be submitted on or before June 24, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OAR-2012-0333, to (1) EPA 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, and (2) OMB via email 
to [email protected]. Address comments to OMB Desk Officer 
for EPA.
    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: Carole Cook, Climate Change Division, 
Office of Atmospheric Programs (MC-6207A), Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: (202) 343-9263; fax number: (202) 343-2342; 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, 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 http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Abstract: In response to the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act 
(H.R. 2764; Pub. L. 110-161) and under authority of the Clean Air Act, 
the EPA finalized the Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule (GHG 
Reporting Rule) (74 FR 56260; October 30, 2009). The GHG Reporting 
Rule, which became effective on December 29, 2009, establishes 
reporting requirements for certain large facilities and suppliers. It 
does not require control of greenhouse gases. Instead, it requires that 
sources emitting above certain threshold levels of carbon dioxide 
equivalent (CO2e) monitor and report emissions.
    Subsequent rules have promulgated requirements for additional 
facilities, suppliers, and mobile sources; provided clarification and 
corrections to existing requirements; finalized confidentiality 
business information (CBI) determinations, amended recordkeeping 
requirements, and implemented an alternative verification approach. 
Collectively, the GHG Reporting Rule and its associated rulemakings are 
referred to as the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP).
    The purpose for this ICR is to renew and revise the GHG Reporting 
Rule ICR to update the burden and cost imposed by the current ICR under 
the GHGRP.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: The respondents in this information 
collection include owners and operators of facilities that must report 
their GHG emissions and other data to EPA to comply with the 
rulemaking. To facilitate the analysis, EPA has divided

[[Page 33250]]

respondents into groups that align with the source categories 
identified in the rule.
    Reporting facilities include, but are not limited to, those 
operating one or more units that exceed the CO2e threshold 
for the industry sectors listed in Table A-4 of 40 CFR 98.2(a)(2) or 
those in the categories in which all must report, such as petroleum 
refining facilities and all other large emitters listed in Table A-3 of 
40 CFR 98.2(a)(1). Additionally, the GHGRP requires reporting of GHGs 
from certain suppliers as listed in Table A-5 of 40 CFR 98.2(a)(4) and 
of certain emissions information associated with mobile sources (e.g., 
for permit applications or emissions control certification testing 
procedures).
    Respondent's Obligation To Respond: Mandatory (Sections 114 and 208 
of the Clean Air Act provide EPA authority to require the information 
mandated by the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program because such data will 
inform and are relevant to future policy decisions).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 11,080 (total).
    Frequency of Response: Annual.
    Total Estimated Burden: 739,187 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total Estimated Cost: $99,831,931 per year, which includes 
$30,621,791 for capital investment and operation and maintenance costs 
for respondents, labor cost of $57,210,010 for respondents, and 
$12,000,130 for the EPA.
    Changes in the Estimates: This change in burden reflects an update 
in the number of respondents, an adjustment of labor rates to 2014 
Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) labor rates, an adjustment of 
capital costs to reflect 2013 dollars, a re-evaluation of the costs to 
monitor and report combustion emissions across the entire program, a 
re-evaluation of the activities and costs associated with Petroleum and 
Natural Gas Systems (Subpart W) and Geologic Sequestration of Carbon 
Dioxide (Subpart RR), and the addition of new segments and new 
reporters under Subpart W.

Courtney Kerwin,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2016-12310 Filed 5-24-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P