Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Information Collection Activities Associated With EPA's ENERGY STAR Program in the Commercial and Industrial Sectors; EPA ICR No. 1772, OMB Control No. 2060-0347, 31179-31181 [E6-8473]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 105 / Thursday, June 1, 2006 / Notices
corporate GHG reduction goal;
submitting a GHG inventory
management plan; participating in an
onsite review of the inventory
management plan, and reporting to EPA,
on an annual basis, the company’s GHG
emissions inventory, and progress
toward their GHG reduction goal via
Climate Leaders Annual GHG Inventory
Summary and Goal Tracking Form. The
information contained in the inventories
of the companies that join Climate
Leaders may be considered confidential
business information and is maintained
as such. EPA uses the data obtained
from the companies to assess the
success of the program in achieving its
GHG reduction goals. Responses to the
information collection are voluntary.
Burden Statement: The annual public
reporting and recordkeeping burden for
this (3) three year collection of
information is estimated to equal 11,955
hours and to average 94.13 hours per
year per respondent. The average
number of annual burden hours on first
year partners for each type of one-time
response is: 9.67 hours to complete and
submit a Partnership Agreement, 46.75
hours for documenting and submitting
an Inventory Management Plan, 22.25
hours participating in an on-site
verification of the Inventory
Management Plan, 41 hours for
negotiating and setting a GHG reduction
goal, 117.5 hours for establishing a base
year inventory, and 3.5 hours to submit
a company profile that is posted on the
Web. For all other partners who have
been part of the program for longer than
one year, the average number of annual
burden hours is 67 hours for verifying
and updating the Annual GHG
Inventory Summary and Goal Tracking
Form one time per year.
Partners may also submit voluntary
updates of company profiles or contact
information, via the Climate Leaders
Web site or e-mail. These updates
would take 3 hours per response. All of
these activities are included in the
annual burden estimate.
The estimated number of annual
respondents averaged over three (3)
years is 127, which includes an average
of 20 first-time respondents and 107
repeat respondents.
There are no capital or start-up costs
associated with this information
collection. The average annual
operation and maintenance cost
resulting from this (3) three year
collection of information is $3 per
respondent. The average annual labor
cost is $6,914 per respondent. The
resulting total annual cost averaged over
the three year period is $878,176.
Burden means the total time, effort, or
financial resources expended by persons
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19:10 May 31, 2006
Jkt 208001
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; 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.
Are There Changes in the Estimates
from the Last Approval?
There is an increase of 6,841 hours in
the total estimated respondent burden
compared with that identified in the ICR
currently approved by OMB. This
increase reflects an evolution of the
Climate Leader Partnership which has
modified the reporting and tracking
procedures in order to continue to
assess the program’s effectiveness. EPA
has collaborated with partners to
develop these revised reporting
requirements, which are better suited
for establishing and tracking progress of
corporate GHG reduction goals. This
change is the result of a more interactive
program approach between EPA and
Climate Leaders partners and a larger
number of partners in the program since
the currently approved ICR.
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: May 24, 2006.
James T. Sullivan,
EPA Office of Air & Radiation.
[FR Doc. E6–8468 Filed 5–31–06; 8:45 am]
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31179
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–OAR–2006–0407; FRL–8177–1]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Information
Collection Activities Associated With
EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program in the
Commercial and Industrial Sectors;
EPA ICR No. 1772, OMB Control No.
2060–0347
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
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 November
30, 2006. 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 July 31, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
OAR–2006–0407, by one of the
following methods:
• https://www.regulations.gov: Follow
the online instructions for submitting
comments.
• E-mail: a-and-r-Docket@epa.gov.
• Fax: 202–566–1741.
• Mail: Air and Radiation Docket and
Information Center, Environmental
Protection Agency, Mailcode: 6102T,
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460.
• Hand Delivery: Air and Radiation
Docket and Information Center in the
EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA
West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution
Ave., NW., Washington, DC. 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–OAR–2006–
0407. EPA’s policy is that all comments
received will be included in the public
docket without change and may be
made available online at https://
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.
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31180
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 105 / Thursday, June 1, 2006 / Notices
Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise
protected through www.regulations.gov
or e-mail. The https://
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
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 https://
www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mary Susan Bailey, Climate Protection
Partnerships Division, Mailcode: 6202J,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington,
DC 20460; telephone number: 202–343–
9014; fax number: 202–343–2204; e-mail
address: bailey.marysusan@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
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–OAR–2006–0407, which is
available for online viewing at
www.regulations.gov, or in person
viewing at the Air and Radiation Docket
and Information Center 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 and Information Center is 202–
566–1742.
Use 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
VerDate Aug<31>2005
19:10 May 31, 2006
Jkt 208001
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.
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.
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What Information Collection Activity or
ICR Does This Apply To?
Affected entities: Entities affected by
this action are participants in EPA’s
ENERGY STAR Program in the
Commercial and Industrial Sectors.
Title: Information Collection
Activities Associated with EPA’s
ENERGY STAR Program in the
Commercial and Industrial Sectors.
ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1772,
OMB Control No. 2060–0347.
ICR status: This ICR is currently
scheduled to expire on November 30,
2006. 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: ENERGY STAR is a
voluntary program helping businesses
and individuals protect the environment
through superior energy efficiency. The
Program focuses on reducing utilitygenerated emissions by reducing the
demand for energy. In 1991, EPA
launched the Green Lights program to
encourage corporations, State and local
governments, colleges and universities,
and other organizations to adopt energyefficient lighting as a profitable means
of preventing pollution and improving
lighting quality. Since then, EPA has
rolled Green Lights into ENERGY STAR
and expanded ENERGY STAR to
encompass organization-wide energy
performance improvement, such as
building technology upgrades, product
purchasing initiatives, and employee
training. At the same time, EPA has
streamlined the reporting requirements
of ENERGY STAR and focused on
providing incentives for improvements
(e.g., ENERGY STAR Awards Program).
EPA also makes tools and other
resources available over the Web to help
the public overcome the barriers to
evaluating their energy performance and
investing in profitable improvements.
To join ENERGY STAR, organizations
are asked to complete a Partnership
Letter or Agreement that establishes
their commitment to energy efficiency.
Partners agree to undertake efforts such
as baselining, tracking, and
benchmarking their organization’s
energy performance by using tools such
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as those offered by ENERGY STAR;
developing and implementing a plan to
improve energy performance in their
facilities and operations by following
the energy management strategy
provided by ENERGY STAR; and
educating staff and the public about
their Partnership with ENERGY STAR,
and highlighting achievements with the
ENERGY STAR, where available.
Partners also may be asked to
periodically submit information to EPA
as needed to assist in program
implementation. For example, EPA
maintains the Service and Product
Provider Directory to provide the public
with easy access to energy efficiency
services and products that can help
companies lower operating costs and
increase their bottom line. Businesses
wishing to appear in this directory are
asked to submit a completed profile that
details their services and products.
Partnership in ENERGY STAR is
voluntary and can be terminated by
Partners or EPA at any time. EPA does
not expect organizations to join the
program unless they expect
participation to be cost-effective and
otherwise beneficial for them.
In addition, Partners and any other
interested party can help EPA promote
energy-efficient technologies by
evaluating the efficiency of their
buildings using EPA’s on-line tools (e.g.,
Portfolio Manager) and applying for
recognition. EPA does not expect to
deem any information collected under
ENERGY STAR to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI).
Burden Statement: The annual public
reporting and recordkeeping burden for
this collection of information will vary
depending on the type of participant,
the specific collection activity, and
other factors. The annual burden for
joining ENERGY STAR and conducting
related activities is estimated to range
from about 2 to 8 hours per respondent.
This includes time for preparing and
submitting the Partnership Letter or
Agreement and other information as
requested. The burden for applying for
an ENERGY STAR is estimated to range
from about 5.5 to 10.5 hours per
respondent. This includes time for
reading the instructions of the
benchmarking tool if needed, gathering
and entering information on building
characteristics and energy use into the
tool, printing a Statement of Energy
Performance, and preparing/submitting
the ENERGY STAR application
materials to EPA. The burden for
applying for an ENERGY STAR Award
is estimated to range from 4 to 26.5
hours per respondent. This includes
time for preparing and submitting the
awards application materials to EPA.
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19:10 May 31, 2006
Jkt 208001
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: 5,000.
Frequency of response: One-time,
annually, and/or periodically,
depending on the type of respondent
and collection.
Estimated total annual burden hours:
83,343.
Estimated total annual costs:
$6,594,941. This includes a cost of
$5,054,411 for labor and $1,540,530 for
operation and maintenance. There is no
capital/start-up cost to respondents.
Are There Changes in the Estimates
From the Last Approval?
The burden estimates presented in
this document are from the last
approval. EPA is currently evaluating
and updating these estimates as part of
the ICR renewal process. EPA will
discuss its updated estimates, as well as
changes from the last approval, in the
next Federal Register notice to be
issued for this renewal.
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 320.5(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.
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31181
Dated: May 24, 2006.
Kathleen Hogan,
Director, Climate Protection Partnerships
Division.
[FR Doc. E6–8473 Filed 5–31–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[R08–OAR–2006–MT–0163; FRL–8177–5]
Adequacy Determination for the
Missoula, MT Carbon Monoxide
Maintenance State Implementation
Plan for Transportation Conformity
Purposes; State of Montana
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of adequacy.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In this document, EPA is
notifying the public that we have found
that the motor vehicle emissions
budgets in the Missoula, Montana
Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan,
that was submitted by Montana
Governor Brian Schweitzer with a letter
signed May 27, 2005, are adequate for
transportation conformity purposes. 40
CFR 93.118(e)(2) requires that EPA
declare an implementation plan
submission’s motor vehicle emissions
budgets adequate for conformity
purposes prior to the budgets being used
to satisfy the conformity requirements of
40 CFR part 93. As a result of our
finding, the Missoula City-County, the
Montana Department of Transportation
and the U.S. Department of
Transportation are required to use the
motor vehicle emissions budgets from
this submitted maintenance plan for
future transportation conformity
determinations.
DATES:
This finding is effective June 16,
2006.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jeffrey Kimes, Air & Radiation Program
(8P–AR), United States Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 8, 999 18th
Street, Suite 300, Denver, Colorado
80202–2466, (303) 312–6445,
kimes.jeffrey@epa.gov.
The letter documenting our finding is
available at EPA’s conformity Web site:
https://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp/
conform/adequacy.htm.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document ‘‘we’’, ‘‘us’’,
or ‘‘our’’ are used to mean EPA.
This action is simply an
announcement of a finding that we have
already made. We sent a letter to the
State of Montana, Department of
Environmental Quality on May 4, 2006,
stating that the motor vehicle emission
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 105 (Thursday, June 1, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31179-31181]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8473]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2006-0407; FRL-8177-1]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Information Collection Activities Associated With
EPA's ENERGY STAR Program in the Commercial and Industrial Sectors; EPA
ICR No. 1772, OMB Control No. 2060-0347
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 November 30, 2006. 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 July 31, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2006-0407, by one of the following methods:
https://www.regulations.gov: Follow the online instructions
for submitting comments.
E-mail: a-and-r-Docket@epa.gov.
Fax: 202-566-1741.
Mail: Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center,
Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
Hand Delivery: Air and Radiation Docket and Information
Center in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. 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-OAR-
2006-0407. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at
https://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.
[[Page 31180]]
Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise
protected through www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The https://
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 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 https://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Susan Bailey, Climate Protection
Partnerships Division, Mailcode: 6202J, Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone
number: 202-343-9014; fax number: 202-343-2204; e-mail address:
bailey.marysusan@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-OAR-2006-0407, which is available for online viewing at
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Air and Radiation
Docket and Information Center 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 and Information Center is 202-566-1742.
Use 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.
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 affected by this action are
participants in EPA's ENERGY STAR Program in the Commercial and
Industrial Sectors.
Title: Information Collection Activities Associated with EPA's
ENERGY STAR Program in the Commercial and Industrial Sectors.
ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1772, OMB Control No. 2060-0347.
ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on November
30, 2006. 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: ENERGY STAR is a voluntary program helping businesses and
individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency.
The Program focuses on reducing utility-generated emissions by reducing
the demand for energy. In 1991, EPA launched the Green Lights program
to encourage corporations, State and local governments, colleges and
universities, and other organizations to adopt energy-efficient
lighting as a profitable means of preventing pollution and improving
lighting quality. Since then, EPA has rolled Green Lights into ENERGY
STAR and expanded ENERGY STAR to encompass organization-wide energy
performance improvement, such as building technology upgrades, product
purchasing initiatives, and employee training. At the same time, EPA
has streamlined the reporting requirements of ENERGY STAR and focused
on providing incentives for improvements (e.g., ENERGY STAR Awards
Program). EPA also makes tools and other resources available over the
Web to help the public overcome the barriers to evaluating their energy
performance and investing in profitable improvements.
To join ENERGY STAR, organizations are asked to complete a
Partnership Letter or Agreement that establishes their commitment to
energy efficiency. Partners agree to undertake efforts such as
baselining, tracking, and benchmarking their organization's energy
performance by using tools such
[[Page 31181]]
as those offered by ENERGY STAR; developing and implementing a plan to
improve energy performance in their facilities and operations by
following the energy management strategy provided by ENERGY STAR; and
educating staff and the public about their Partnership with ENERGY
STAR, and highlighting achievements with the ENERGY STAR, where
available.
Partners also may be asked to periodically submit information to
EPA as needed to assist in program implementation. For example, EPA
maintains the Service and Product Provider Directory to provide the
public with easy access to energy efficiency services and products that
can help companies lower operating costs and increase their bottom
line. Businesses wishing to appear in this directory are asked to
submit a completed profile that details their services and products.
Partnership in ENERGY STAR is voluntary and can be terminated by
Partners or EPA at any time. EPA does not expect organizations to join
the program unless they expect participation to be cost-effective and
otherwise beneficial for them.
In addition, Partners and any other interested party can help EPA
promote energy-efficient technologies by evaluating the efficiency of
their buildings using EPA's on-line tools (e.g., Portfolio Manager) and
applying for recognition. EPA does not expect to deem any information
collected under ENERGY STAR to be Confidential Business Information
(CBI).
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information will vary depending on the
type of participant, the specific collection activity, and other
factors. The annual burden for joining ENERGY STAR and conducting
related activities is estimated to range from about 2 to 8 hours per
respondent. This includes time for preparing and submitting the
Partnership Letter or Agreement and other information as requested. The
burden for applying for an ENERGY STAR is estimated to range from about
5.5 to 10.5 hours per respondent. This includes time for reading the
instructions of the benchmarking tool if needed, gathering and entering
information on building characteristics and energy use into the tool,
printing a Statement of Energy Performance, and preparing/submitting
the ENERGY STAR application materials to EPA. The burden for applying
for an ENERGY STAR Award is estimated to range from 4 to 26.5 hours per
respondent. This includes time for preparing and submitting the awards
application materials to EPA.
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: 5,000.
Frequency of response: One-time, annually, and/or periodically,
depending on the type of respondent and collection.
Estimated total annual burden hours: 83,343.
Estimated total annual costs: $6,594,941. This includes a cost of
$5,054,411 for labor and $1,540,530 for operation and maintenance.
There is no capital/start-up cost to respondents.
Are There Changes in the Estimates From the Last Approval?
The burden estimates presented in this document are from the last
approval. EPA is currently evaluating and updating these estimates as
part of the ICR renewal process. EPA will discuss its updated
estimates, as well as changes from the last approval, in the next
Federal Register notice to be issued for this renewal.
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 320.5(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: May 24, 2006.
Kathleen Hogan,
Director, Climate Protection Partnerships Division.
[FR Doc. E6-8473 Filed 5-31-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
