81 FR 66962 - Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Information Collection Effort for Oil and Gas Facilities

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 189 (September 29, 2016)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ``Information Collection Effort for Oil and Gas Facilities'' (EPA ICR No. 2548.01, OMB Control No. 2060--NEW) 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 request for approval of a new collection. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (81 FR 35763) on June 3, 2016, during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A complete description of the ICR is provided 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 189 (Thursday, September 29, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66962-66963]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23463]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2016-0204; FRL-9953-31-OEI]


Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; Information Collection Effort for Oil and 
Gas Facilities

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Information Collection Effort 
for Oil and Gas Facilities'' (EPA ICR No. 2548.01, OMB Control No. 
2060--NEW) 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 request for approval of a new collection. Public 
comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (81 FR 
35763) on June 3, 2016, during a 60-day comment period. This notice 
allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A complete 
description of the ICR is provided 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 October 31, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OAR-2016-0204, 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: Brenda Shine, Sector Policies and 
Programs Division (E143-01), Office of Air Quality Planning and 
Standards, Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 
27711; telephone number: (919) 541-3608; 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: Collectively, oil and gas facilities are the largest 
industrial emitters of methane in the U.S. While a great deal of 
information is available on the oil and gas industry and has to date 
provided a strong technical foundation to support the Agency's recent 
actions, the EPA is now seeking more specific information that would be 
of critical use in addressing existing source emissions pursuant to 
Clean Air Act (CAA) section 111(d). Taking into account the large 
number of sources that a national regulation development effort would 
need to consider, and the potential for taking a different approach to 
addressing co-located existing sources than was taken with new and 
modified sources, the EPA requires information that will enable the 
development of effective standards for this entire industry under CAA 
section 111(d).
    There will be two parts to the information collection. Part 1, 
referred to as the operator survey, is specifically designed to obtain 
information from onshore oil and gas production facilities to better 
understand the number and types of equipment at production facilities. 
Part 2, referred to as the detailed facility survey, will be sent to 
selected oil and gas facilities across the different industry segments. 
Part 2 will collect detailed, unit-specific information on emission 
sources at the facility and any emission control devices or management 
practices used to reduce emissions. Due to the large number of 
potentially affected facilities, Part 2 uses a statistical sampling 
method

[[Page 66963]]

considering each industry segment (and groupings of facilities in the 
production segment) to be separate sampling populations. Thus, a 
statistically significant number of facilities within each industry 
segment (or ``population'') will be required to complete the Part 2 
detailed facility survey.
    The data collected throughout this process will be used to 
determine the number of potentially affected emission sources and the 
types and prevalence of emission controls or emission reduction 
measures used for these sources at existing oil and gas facilities, 
among other purposes. This information may also be used to fill data 
gaps, to evaluate the emission and cost impacts of various regulatory 
options, and to establish appropriate standards of performance for oil 
and gas facilities.
    Respondents will be required to respond under the authority of 
section 114 of the CAA. The EPA anticipates issuing the CAA section 114 
letters by late October, 2016. These letters would require the owner/
operator of an oil and gas facility to complete and submit the Part 1 
survey within 30 days of receipt of the survey, and would require 
facilities to complete and submit the Part 2 survey with 120 days of 
receipt.
    All information submitted to the Agency in response to the surveys 
will be managed in accordance with applicable laws and the EPA's 
regulations governing treatment of CBI at 40 CFR part 2, subpart B. Any 
information determined to constitute a trade secret will be protected 
under 18 U.S.C. 1905.
    Form numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Respondents affected by this action 
are owners/operators of oil and natural gas facilities.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory. (Pursuant to section 
114 of the CAA.)
    Estimated number of respondents: The estimated number of 
respondents for Part 1 is 15,000 operators representing approximately 
698,800 facilities (total). The estimated number of respondents for 
Part 2 is 3,818.
    Frequency of response: This is a one-time survey.
    Total estimated burden: 245,481 hours. Burden is defined at 5 CFR 
1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $37,692,625, which includes $6,987,000 in 
operating and maintenance (O&M) costs.
    Changes in estimates: This is a new ICR.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2016-23463 Filed 9-28-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P