Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Transportation Conformity Determinations for Federally Funded and Approved Transportation Plans, Programs and Projects, EPA ICR No. 2130.03, OMB Control No. 2060-0561, 64609-64611 [07-5712]
Download as PDF
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 221 / Friday, November 16, 2007 / Notices
All documents (original and eight
copies) should be filed with: Kimberly
D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
Comments, protests, and interventions
may be filed electronically via the
Internet in lieu of paper; see 18 CFR
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions
on the Commission’s Web site under the
‘‘e-Filing’’ link. The Commission
strongly encourages electronic filings.
Please include the project number (P–
12895–000) on any comments or
motions filed.
The Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure require all intervenors
filing documents with the Commission
to serve a copy of that document on
each person in the official service list
for the project. Further, if an intervenor
files comments or documents with the
Commission relating to the merits of an
issue that may affect the responsibilities
of a particular resource agency, they
must also serve a copy of the document
on that resource agency.
k. Description of Project: The
proposed project using the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers’ Mississippi Lock &
Dam No. 13 and operated in a run-ofriver mode would consist of: (1) A new
125-foot long, 160-foot wide, 60-foot
high concrete powerhouse; (2) a new
intake channel and tailrace on the levee
section of the Corps’ facility opposite
the existing lock structure; (3) three
turbine/generator units with a combined
installed capacity of 11.5 megawatts; (4)
a new 6,500-foot long above ground
transmission line extending from the
switchyard near the powerhouse to an
interconnection point with an existing
transmission line west of the
powerhouse; and (5) appurtenant
facilities. The proposed Mississippi
Lock & Dam No. 13 Project would have
an average annual generation of 86
gigawatt-hours.
l. This filing is available for review at
the Commission in the Public Reference
Room or may be viewed on the
Commission’s Web site at https://
www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link.
Enter the docket number excluding the
last three digits in the docket number
field to access the document. For
assistance, call toll-free 1–866–208–
3676 or e-mail
FERCONLINESUPPORT@FERC.GOV.
For TTY, call (202) 502–8659. A copy is
also available for inspection and
reproduction at the address in item h
above.
m. Competing Preliminary Permit:
Anyone desiring to file a competing
application for preliminary permit for a
proposed project must submit the
competing application itself, or a notice
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21:48 Nov 15, 2007
Jkt 214001
of intent to file such an application, to
the Commission on or before the
specified comment date for the
particular application (see 18 CFR 4.36).
Submission of a timely notice of intent
allows an interested person to file the
competing preliminary permit
application no later than 30 days after
the specified comment date for the
particular application. A competing
preliminary permit application must
conform with 18 CFR 4.30 and 4.36.
n. Competing Development
Application: Any qualified development
applicant desiring to file a competing
development application must submit to
the Commission, on or before a
specified comment date for the
particular application, either a
competing development application or a
notice of intent to file such an
application. Submission of a timely
notice of intent to file a development
application allows an interested person
to file the competing application no
later than 120 days after the specified
comment date for the particular
application. A competing license
application must conform with 18 CFR
4.30 and 4.36.
o. Notice of Intent: A notice of intent
must specify the exact name, business
address, and telephone number of the
prospective applicant, and must include
an unequivocal statement of intent to
submit, if such an application may be
filed, either a preliminary permit
application or a development
application (specify which type of
application). A notice of intent must be
served on the applicant(s) named in this
public notice.
p. Proposed Scope of Studies Under
Permit: A preliminary permit, if issued,
does not authorize construction. The
term of the proposed preliminary permit
would be 36 months. The work
proposed under the preliminary permit
would include economic analysis,
preparation of preliminary engineering
plans, and a study of environmental
impacts. Based on the results of these
studies, the Applicant would decide
whether to proceed with the preparation
of a development application to
construct and operate the project.
q. Comments, Protests, or Motions to
Intervene: Anyone may submit
comments, a protest, or a motion to
intervene in accordance with the
requirements of Rules of Practice and
Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, 385.211,
385.214. In determining the appropriate
action to take, the Commission will
consider all protests or other comments
filed, but only those who file a motion
to intervene in accordance with the
Commission’s Rules may become a
party to the proceeding. Any comments,
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64609
protests, or motions to intervene must
be received on or before the specified
comment date for the particular
application.
r. Filing and Service of Responsive
Documents: Any filings must bear in all
capital letters the title ‘‘COMMENTS’’,
‘‘NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE
COMPETING APPLICATION’’,
‘‘COMPETING APPLICATION’’,
‘‘PROTEST’’, and ‘‘MOTION TO
INTERVENE’’, as applicable, and the
Project Number of the particular
application to which the filing refers.
Any of the above-named documents
must be filed by providing the original
and the number of copies provided by
the Commission’s regulations to: The
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20426. An additional
copy must be sent to Director, Division
of Hydropower Administration and
Compliance, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, at the above-mentioned
address. A copy of any notice of intent,
competing application or motion to
intervene must also be served upon each
representative of the Applicant
specified in the particular application.
s. Agency Comments: Federal, State,
and local agencies are invited to file
comments on the described application.
A copy of the application may be
obtained by agencies directly from the
Applicant. If an agency does not file
comments within the time specified for
filing comments, it will be presumed to
have no comments. One copy of an
agency’s comments must also be sent to
the Applicant’s representatives.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7–22401 Filed 11–15–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–OAR–2007–0269; FRL–8496–4]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Transportation Conformity
Determinations for Federally Funded
and Approved Transportation Plans,
Programs and Projects, EPA ICR No.
2130.03, OMB Control No. 2060–0561
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 an Information
E:\FR\FM\16NON1.SGM
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mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
64610
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 221 / Friday, November 16, 2007 / Notices
Collection Request (ICR) has been
forwarded to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and
approval. This is a request to revise and
renew an existing approved Information
Collection. The ICR, which is abstracted
below, describes the nature of the
information collection and its estimated
burden and cost.
DATES: Additional comments may be
submitted on or before December 17,
2007.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
referencing Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
OAR–2007–0269, to (1) EPA online
using https://www.regulations.gov (our
preferred method), or by mail to EPA
Docket Center, Environmental
Protection Agency, Air and Radiation
Docket, Mailcode 2822T, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington,
DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail to:
Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget (OMB), 725 17th Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20503, Attention: Desk
Officer for EPA.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patty Klavon, State Measures and
Conformity Group, Transportation and
Regional Programs Division, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 2000
Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, MI
48105; telephone number: (734) 214–
4476; fax number: (734) 214–4052; email address: klavon.patty@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has
submitted the following ICR to OMB for
review and approval according to the
procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12.
On July 19, 2007 (72 FR 39620), EPA
sought comments on this ICR pursuant
to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no
comments. Any comments on this ICR
should be submitted to EPA and OMB
within 30 days of this notice.
EPA has established a public docket
for this ICR under Docket ID No. EPA–
HQ–OAR–2007–0269, which is
available for online viewing at https://
www.regulations.gov, or in person
viewing at the Air Docket in the EPA
Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West,
Room 3334, 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 Docket is (202) 566–
1742.
Use EPA’s electronic docket and
comment system at https://
www.regulations.gov to submit or view
public comments, access the index
listing of the contents of the docket, and
access those documents in the docket
VerDate Aug<31>2005
21:48 Nov 15, 2007
Jkt 214001
that are available electronically. Once in
the system, select ‘‘docket search,’’ then
key in the docket ID number identified
above. Please note that EPA’s policy is
that public comments, whether
submitted electronically or in paper,
will be made available for public
viewing at https://www.regulations.gov
as EPA receives them and without
change, unless the comment contains
copyrighted material, Confidential
Business Information (CBI), or other
information whose public disclosure is
restricted by statute. For further
information about the electronic docket,
go to https://www.regulations.gov.
Title: Transportation Conformity
Determinations for Federally Funded
and Approved Transportation Plans,
Programs and Projects (Renewal).
ICR number: EPA ICR No. 2130.03,
OMB Control No. 2060–0561.
ICR status: This ICR is scheduled to
expire on December 31, 2007. Under
OMB regulations, the Agency may
continue to conduct or sponsor the
collection of information while this
submission is pending at OMB. 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.
Abstract: Transportation conformity is
required under Clean Air Act section
176(c) (42 U.S.C. 7506(c)) to ensure that
federally supported transportation
activities are consistent with (‘‘conform
to’’) the purpose of the state air quality
implementation plan (SIP).
Transportation activities include
transportation plans, transportation
improvement programs (TIPs), and
federally funded or approved highway
or transit projects. Conformity to the
purpose of the SIP means that
transportation activities will not cause
new air quality violations, worsen
existing violations, or delay timely
attainment of the relevant national
ambient air quality standards (NAAQS
or ‘‘standards’’).
Transportation conformity applies,
under EPA’s conformity regulations at
40 CFR part 93, subpart A, to areas that
are designated nonattainment and those
redesignated to attainment after 1990
(‘‘maintenance areas’’ with plans
developed under Clean Air Act section
175A) for the following transportationrelated criteria pollutants: Ozone,
particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10),
carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen
dioxide (NO2). The EPA published the
original transportation conformity rule
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
on November 24, 1993 (58 FR 62188),
and subsequently published several
revisions. EPA develops the conformity
regulations in coordination with the
Federal Highway Administration and
the Federal Transit Administration.
Transportation conformity
determinations are required before
federal approval or funding is given to
certain types of transportation planning
documents as well as non-exempt
highway and transit projects.1
EPA considered the following in
renewing the existing ICR:
• Burden estimates for transportation
conformity determinations in current
8-hour ozone and PM2.5 nonattainment
and maintenance areas, which made up
EPA ICR 2130.02;
• Burden estimates for conformity
determinations for CO, NO2, and PM10,
which were previously included in the
Department of Transportation’s (DOT)
ICR for Metropolitan and State-wide
Transportation Planning (OMB Control
Number 2132–0529); 2
• Efficiencies associated with the
Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for
Users (SAFETEA–LU), which was
signed into law on August 10, 2005;
• Burden estimates for hypothetical
areas that may be designated
nonattainment for the revised 24-hour
PM2.5 standard, which EPA promulgated
on October 17, 2006 (71 FR 61144);
• Differences in conformity resource
needs in large and small metropolitan
areas and isolated rural areas; and
• Additional burden associated with
EPA’s adequacy review process for
submitted SIP motor vehicle emissions
budgets that are to be used in
conformity determinations.
This ICR does not include burden
associated with the general
development of transportation planning
and air quality planning documents for
meeting other federal requirements.
Burden Statement: The annual public
reporting and recordkeeping burden for
this collection of information is
estimated to average 5 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,
1 Some projects are exempt from all or certain
conformity requirements, see 40 CFR 93.126,
93.217, and 93.128.
2 EPA, in consultation with DOT, concluded that
it would be advantageous to join transportation
conformity burden estimates for all pollutants into
one ICR.
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 221 / Friday, November 16, 2007 / Notices
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.
Respondents/Affected Entities: States
and local governments.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
177.
Frequency of Response: Occasionally.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden:
52,304.
Estimated Total Annual Cost:
$2,873,060, which includes no capital
or O&M costs.
Changes in the Estimates: There is an
increase of 22,890 hours in the total
estimated state and local respondent
burden compared with that identified in
the ICR currently approved by OMB.
This increase reflects the following
adjustments and program changes:
• Program change associated with
transfer of DOT ICR (OMB #2132–0529)
to EPA ICR 2130.03.
• Adjustments associated with the
implementation of transportation
conformity revisions from SAFETEA–
LU.
• Reduced burden from the previous
ICR, which included substantial start-up
burden for areas that had never done
transportation conformity prior to PM2.5
and 8-hour ozone nonattainment
designations. These areas now have
experience with conformity.
• Other factors that have been
updated since the existing ICR was
approved.
Dated: October 8, 2007.
Sara Hisel-McCoy,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 07–5712 Filed 11–15–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
[EPA–HQ–OPP–2007–0299; FRL–8156–7]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Worker Protection
Standard Training and Notification;
EPA ICR No. 1759.05, OMB Control No.
2070–0148
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
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21:48 Nov 15, 2007
Jkt 214001
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, entitled: ‘‘Worker Protection
Standard Training and Notification’’
and identified by EPA ICR No. 1759.05
and OMB Control No. 2070–0148, is
scheduled to expire on May 31, 2008.
Before submitting the ICR to OMB for
review and approval, EPA is soliciting
comments on specific aspects of the
proposed information collection.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before January 15, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by docket identification (ID)
number EPA–HQ–OPP–2007–0299, by
one of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line
instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: Office of Pesticide Programs
(OPP) Regulatory Public Docket (7502P),
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington,
DC 20460–0001.
• Delivery: OPP Regulatory Public
Docket (7502P), Environmental
Protection Agency, Rm. S–4400, One
Potomac Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S.
Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. Deliveries
are only accepted during the Docket’s
normal hours of operation (8:30 a.m. to
4 p.m., Monday through Friday,
excluding legal holidays). Special
arrangements should be made for
deliveries of boxed information. The
Docket Facility telephone number is
(703) 305–5805.
Instructions: Direct your comments to
docket ID number EPA–HQ–OPP–2007–
0299. EPA’s policy is that all comments
received will be included in the docket
without change and may be made
available on-line 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.
Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise
protected through regulations.gov or email. The regulations.gov website 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
regulations.gov, your e-mail address
will be automatically captured and
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
64611
included as part of the comment that is
placed in the 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.
Docket: All documents in the docket
are listed in the docket index available
in regulations.gov. To access the
electronic docket, go to https://
www.regulations.gov, select ‘‘Advanced
Search,’’ then ‘‘Docket Search.’’ Insert
the docket ID number where indicated
and select the ‘‘Submit’’ button. Follow
the instructions on the regulations.gov
website to view the docket index or
access available documents. Although
listed in the index, some information is
not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other
information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Certain other
material, such as copyrighted material,
is not placed on the Internet and will be
publicly available only in hard copy
form. Publicly available docket
materials are available either in the
electronic docket at https://
www.regulations.gov, or, if only
available in hard copy, at the OPP
Regulatory Public Docket in Rm. S–
4400, One Potomac Yard (South Bldg.),
2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. The
hours of operation of this Docket
Facility are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, excluding legal
holidays. The Docket Facility telephone
number is (703) 305–5805.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Joseph Hogue, Field and External
Affairs Division (7506P), Office of
Pesticide Programs, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460–
0001; telephone number: (703) 308–
9072; fax number: (703) 305–5884; email address: hogue.joe@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. 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:
1. Evaluate whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the Agency, including
E:\FR\FM\16NON1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 221 (Friday, November 16, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64609-64611]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-5712]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0269; FRL-8496-4]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Transportation Conformity
Determinations for Federally Funded and Approved Transportation Plans,
Programs and Projects, EPA ICR No. 2130.03, OMB Control No. 2060-0561
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 an Information
[[Page 64610]]
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to revise
and renew an existing approved Information Collection. The ICR, which
is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection
and its estimated burden and cost.
DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before December 17,
2007.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2007-0269, to (1) EPA online using https://www.regulations.gov (our
preferred method), or by mail to EPA Docket Center, Environmental
Protection Agency, Air and Radiation Docket, Mailcode 2822T, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail to:
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget (OMB), 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention:
Desk Officer for EPA.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patty Klavon, State Measures and
Conformity Group, Transportation and Regional Programs Division, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 2000 Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, MI
48105; telephone number: (734) 214-4476; fax number: (734) 214-4052; e-
mail address: klavon.patty@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR
1320.12. On July 19, 2007 (72 FR 39620), EPA sought comments on this
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. Any comments
on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this
notice.
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0269, which is available for online viewing at
https://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Air Docket in
the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 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 Docket is (202) 566-1742.
Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at https://
www.regulations.gov to submit or view public comments, access the index
listing of the contents of the docket, and access those documents in
the docket that are available electronically. Once in the system,
select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number identified
above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public comments, whether
submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public
viewing at https://www.regulations.gov as EPA receives them and without
change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, Confidential
Business Information (CBI), or other information whose public
disclosure is restricted by statute. For further information about the
electronic docket, go to https://www.regulations.gov.
Title: Transportation Conformity Determinations for Federally
Funded and Approved Transportation Plans, Programs and Projects
(Renewal).
ICR number: EPA ICR No. 2130.03, OMB Control No. 2060-0561.
ICR status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2007.
Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor
the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB.
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.
Abstract: Transportation conformity is required under Clean Air Act
section 176(c) (42 U.S.C. 7506(c)) to ensure that federally supported
transportation activities are consistent with (``conform to'') the
purpose of the state air quality implementation plan (SIP).
Transportation activities include transportation plans, transportation
improvement programs (TIPs), and federally funded or approved highway
or transit projects. Conformity to the purpose of the SIP means that
transportation activities will not cause new air quality violations,
worsen existing violations, or delay timely attainment of the relevant
national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or ``standards'').
Transportation conformity applies, under EPA's conformity
regulations at 40 CFR part 93, subpart A, to areas that are designated
nonattainment and those redesignated to attainment after 1990
(``maintenance areas'' with plans developed under Clean Air Act section
175A) for the following transportation-related criteria pollutants:
Ozone, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10),
carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The EPA
published the original transportation conformity rule on November 24,
1993 (58 FR 62188), and subsequently published several revisions. EPA
develops the conformity regulations in coordination with the Federal
Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.
Transportation conformity determinations are required before
federal approval or funding is given to certain types of transportation
planning documents as well as non-exempt highway and transit
projects.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Some projects are exempt from all or certain conformity
requirements, see 40 CFR 93.126, 93.217, and 93.128.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EPA considered the following in renewing the existing ICR:
Burden estimates for transportation conformity
determinations in current 8-hour ozone and PM2.5
nonattainment and maintenance areas, which made up EPA ICR 2130.02;
Burden estimates for conformity determinations for CO,
NO2, and PM10, which were previously included in
the Department of Transportation's (DOT) ICR for Metropolitan and
State-wide Transportation Planning (OMB Control Number 2132-0529); \2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ EPA, in consultation with DOT, concluded that it would be
advantageous to join transportation conformity burden estimates for
all pollutants into one ICR.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Efficiencies associated with the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users
(SAFETEA-LU), which was signed into law on August 10, 2005;
Burden estimates for hypothetical areas that may be
designated nonattainment for the revised 24-hour PM2.5
standard, which EPA promulgated on October 17, 2006 (71 FR 61144);
Differences in conformity resource needs in large and
small metropolitan areas and isolated rural areas; and
Additional burden associated with EPA's adequacy review
process for submitted SIP motor vehicle emissions budgets that are to
be used in conformity determinations.
This ICR does not include burden associated with the general
development of transportation planning and air quality planning
documents for meeting other federal requirements.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 5
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,
[[Page 64611]]
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.
Respondents/Affected Entities: States and local governments.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 177.
Frequency of Response: Occasionally.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 52,304.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $2,873,060, which includes no capital
or O&M costs.
Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 22,890 hours in
the total estimated state and local respondent burden compared with
that identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB. This increase
reflects the following adjustments and program changes:
Program change associated with transfer of DOT ICR (OMB
2132-0529) to EPA ICR 2130.03.
Adjustments associated with the implementation of
transportation conformity revisions from SAFETEA-LU.
Reduced burden from the previous ICR, which included
substantial start-up burden for areas that had never done
transportation conformity prior to PM2.5 and 8-hour ozone
nonattainment designations. These areas now have experience with
conformity.
Other factors that have been updated since the existing
ICR was approved.
Dated: October 8, 2007.
Sara Hisel-McCoy,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 07-5712 Filed 11-15-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P