Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Implementation of the Oil Pollution Act Facility Response Plan Requirements (Renewal); EPA ICR No. 1630.09, OMB Control No. 2050-0135, 65569-65571 [E7-22756]
Download as PDF
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 224 / Wednesday, November 21, 2007 / Notices
4. PART II: STRENGTHENING
GLOBAL OIL EMERGENCY RESPONSE
CAPABILITIES
• Evolution of the IEA emergency
response.
• Assessing a supply disruption from
a market perspective.
• Sharing information in an
emergency.
5. INTERACTING WITH CHINA AND
INDIA.
6. Any other business and tentative
dates of forthcoming SEQ/SOM
sessions.
The agenda of the SEQ meeting on
December 4, 2007 is under the control
of the SEQ. It is expected that the SEQ
will adopt the following agenda:
1. Adoption of the Agenda.
2. Approval of the Summary Record
of the 120th Meeting.
3. Status of Compliance with IEP
Stockholding Commitments.
4. Program of Work.
—The SEQ Program of Work for 2008.
5. Emergency Response Exercise 4.
—Report on Exercise in Capitals.
—Schedule for remainder of ERE4.
6. Report on Current Activities of the
IAB.
7. Policy and Other Developments in
Member Countries.
—Japan.
—Turkey.
—Poland.
—Slovak Republic.
8. Other Emergency Response
Activities.
—Presentation of IEA publication ‘‘Oil
Supply Security: Emergency Response
of IEA Countries 2007’’.
9. Activities with International
Organizations and Non-Member
Countries.
—European Commission.
—Office of Global Dialogue activities.
—Report on ASEAN workshop on oil
stockholding.
—Report on development of oil security
measures and strategic stockholding
in China and India.
10. Documents for Information.
—Emergency Reserve Situation of IEA
Member Countries on July 1, 2007.
—Emergency Reserve Situation of IEA
Candidate Countries on July 1, 2007.
—Base Period Final Consumption: 3Q
2006–2Q 2007.
—Monthly Oil Statistics: August 2007.
—Update of Emergency Contacts List.
—Nominations for the Settlement
Dispute Centre Panel of Arbitrators.
11. Other Business.
—Tentative dates of Next SEQ Meetings.
—March 17–20, 2008.
—June 24–26, 2008.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:56 Nov 20, 2007
Jkt 214001
The agenda of the ERE4 Design Group
meeting on December 5, 2007, starting at
9:30 a.m. is to discuss planning for
ERE4.
As provided in section 252(c)(1)(A)(ii)
of the Energy Policy and Conservation
Act (42 U.S.C. 6272(c)(1)(A)(ii)), the
meetings of the IAB are open to
representatives of members of the IAB
and their counsel; representatives of
members of the IEA’s Standing Group
on Emergency Questions and the IEA’s
Standing Group on the Oil Markets;
representatives of the Departments of
Energy, Justice, and State, the Federal
Trade Commission, the General
Accounting Office, Committees of
Congress, the IEA, and the European
Commission; and invitees of the IAB,
the SEQ, the SOM, or the IEA.
Issued in Washington, DC, November 19,
2007.
Diana D. Clark,
Assistant General Counsel for International
and National Security Programs.
[FR Doc. E7–22764 Filed 11–20–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–SFUND–2007–0559, FRL–8498–3]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Implementation of the Oil
Pollution Act Facility Response Plan
Requirements (Renewal); EPA ICR No.
1630.09, OMB Control No. 2050–0135
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
Collection Request (ICR) has been
forwarded to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and
approval. This is a request to renew an
existing approved 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 21,
2007.
Submit your comments,
referencing Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
SFUND–2007–0559, to (1) EPA online
using https://www.regulations.gov (our
preferred method) or by mail to: EPA
Docket Center (EPA/DC), Superfund
Docket (Mailcode 2822T), 1200
ADDRESSES:
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
65569
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington,
DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail to:
Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer
for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lori
Lee, Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response, Office of
Emergency Management, (Mail Code:
5104A), Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone
number: 202–564–8006; fax number:
202–564–2501; e-mail address:
lee.lori@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 18, 2007 (72 FR 39406), EPA
sought comments on this ICR pursuant
to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no
comments. Any additional 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–SFUND–2007–0559, which is
available for online viewing at
www.regulations.gov, or in person
viewing at the Superfund 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
8:30 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 Superfund Docket is
202–566–0276.
Use EPA’s electronic docket and
comment system at
www.regulations.gov, to submit or view
public comments, access the index
listing of the contents of the docket, and
to 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 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: Implementation of the Oil
Pollution Act Facility Response Plan
Requirements (Renewal).
E:\FR\FM\21NON1.SGM
21NON1
65570
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 224 / Wednesday, November 21, 2007 / Notices
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 1630.09,
OMB Control No. 2050–0135.
ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to
expire on November 30, 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, 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: The authority for EPA’s
facility response plan (FRP)
requirements is derived from section
311 of the Clean Water Act, as amended
by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. EPA’s
FRP regulation is codified at 40 CFR
112.20 and 112.21. All FRP-related
reporting and recordkeeping activities
are mandatory. No amendments were
made to the FRP regulation since
submission of the current ICR approval
(November 30, 2004). While EPA
recently finalized amendments to the
SPCC rule (71 FR 77266 (December 26,
2006) and 72 FR 27443 (May 16, 2007)),
these amendments are not expected to
impact the number of facilities subject
to FRP requirements, nor are they
expected to substantively affect the
burden of complying with FRP
requirement.
Purpose of Data Collection
A facility-specific response plan will
help an owner or operator identify the
necessary resources to respond to an oil
spill in a timely manner. If implemented
effectively, the FRP will reduce the
impact and severity of oil spills and
may prevent spills because of the
identification of risks at the facility.
Although the facility owner or operator
is the primary data user, EPA also uses
the data in certain situations to ensure
that facilities comply with the
regulation and to help allocate response
resources. State and local governments
may also use the data to assist in local
emergency preparedness planning
efforts.
EPA reviews all submitted FRPs and
must approve FRPs for those facilities
whose discharges may cause
‘‘significant and substantial harm’’ to
the environment. EPA approval is
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:56 Nov 20, 2007
Jkt 214001
needed in order to ensure that facilities
believed to pose the highest risk have
planned for adequate resources and
procedures to respond to a spill. (See 40
CFR 112.20(f)(3) for further information
about the criteria for ‘‘significant and
substantial harm.’’)
Response Plan Certification. Under
§ 112.20(e), the owner or operator of a
facility subject to SPCC requirements in
40 CFR part 112 but that does not meet
the ‘‘substantial harm’’ criteria in
§ 112.20(f)(1) must complete and
maintain at the facility the certification
form contained in Appendix C to part
112.
Response Plan Preparation. Under
§ 112.20(a) or (b), the owner or operator
of a facility that meets the ‘‘substantial
harm’’ criteria in § 112.20(f)(1) must
prepare and submit to the EPA Regional
Administrator an FRP following
§ 112.20(h). Such a facility may be a
newly constructed facility or may be an
existing facility that meets paragraph
(f)(1) as a result of a planned change
(paragraph (a)(2)(iii)) or an unplanned
change (paragraph (a)(2)(iv)) in facility
characteristics. Under paragraph (c), the
owner or operator may be required to
amend the FRP.
Response Plan Maintenance. Under
§ 112.20(g), the owner or operator must
periodically review the FRP to ensure
consistency with the National Oil and
Hazardous Substances Pollution
Contingency Plan and Area Contingency
Plans. Under § 112.20(d), the facility
owner or operator must revise and
resubmit revised portions of the FRP
after material changes at the facility.
FRP changes that do not result in a
material change in response capabilities
shall be provided to the Regional
Administrator as they occur. Training
and periodic drills and exercises are
required to test the effectiveness of the
FRP and are required under § 112.21.
Recordkeeping. Under § 112.20(e), an
owner or operator who determines that
the FRP requirements do not apply must
certify and retain a record of this
determination. An owner or operator
who is subject to the requirements must
keep the FRP at the facility (§ 112.20(a)),
keep updates to the FRP (§ 112.20(d)(1)
and (2)), and log activities such as
discharge prevention meetings, response
training, and drills and exercises
(§ 112.20(h)(8)(iv)).
Burden Statement. The average
annual reporting and recordkeeping
burdens for this collection of
information to a newly regulated facility
for which an FRP is not required (i.e.,
facility where the owner or operator
certifies that the facility does not meet
the ‘‘substantial harm’’ criteria) are
estimated at 0.4 hours per year. The
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
average annual reporting and
recordkeeping burdens to a newly
regulated facility for which an FRP is
required (i.e., first-year costs for plan
development) are estimated at 99.7
hours per year. The average annual
reporting and recordkeeping burdens to
a facility for which the owner or
operator is maintaining an FRP (i.e.,
subsequent year costs for annual plan
maintenance) are estimated at 240.1
hours. 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.
Respondents/Affected Entities:
Entities potentially affected by this
action are a subset of facilities that are
required to have a spill prevention,
control, and countermeasure (SPCC)
plan under the Oil Pollution Prevention
regulation (40 CFR part 112).
Estimated Number of Respondents:
22,574.
Frequency of Response: Less than
once a year.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden:
432,627.
Estimated Total Annual Cost:
$17,427,828 includes $29,483
annualized capital costs.
Changes in the Estimates: There is a
decrease of 202,367 hours in the total
estimated burden currently identified in
the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR
Burdens. This decrease reflects EPA’s
current inventory of facilities that have
submitted and are maintaining an FRP
as per 40 CFR part 112. While there
have been no changes in the regulation
that affected the per-facility regulatory
burden, the number of facilities
currently subject to FRP requirements is
lower than had been estimated for the
current ICR, resulting in a lower
aggregate burden.
E:\FR\FM\21NON1.SGM
21NON1
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 224 / Wednesday, November 21, 2007 / Notices
Dated: November 14, 2007.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies
Division.
[FR Doc. E7–22756 Filed 11–20–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL–8498–4]
State Innovation Grant Program,
Notice of Availability of Solicitation for
Proposals for 2008 Awards
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, National Center for
Environmental Innovation (NCEI) is
giving notice of the availability of its
solicitation for proposals for the 2008
grant program to support innovation by
state environmental regulatory
agencies—the ‘‘State Innovation Grant
Program.’’
The solicitation is available at the
Agency’s State Innovation Grant Web
site: https://www.epa.gov/innovation/
stategrants/solicitation2008.pdf, or may
be requested from the Agency by e-mail
to: innovation_state_grants@epa.gov,
telephone, or by mail. Only the
principal environmental regulatory
agency within each State (generally,
where delegated authorities for Federal
environmental regulations exist) is
eligible to receive these grants.
DATES: State environmental regulatory
agencies will have until January 3, 2008
to respond with a pre-proposal, budget,
and project summary. The
environmental regulatory agencies from
the fifty (50) States; Washington, DC,
and four (4) territories were notified of
the solicitation’s availability by fax and
email transmittals on November 15,
2007.
Copies of the solicitation
can be downloaded from the Agency’s
Web site at: https://www.epa.gov/
innovation/stategrants or may be
requested by telephone (202–566–2186),
or by e-mail
(Innovation_State_Grants@epa.gov).
You can request a solicitation
application package be sent to you by
fax or by mail by contacting NCEI as
indicated below.
Applicants are requested to apply
online using the Grants.gov Web site
with an electronic signature. Applicants
are encouraged to submit their preproposals early. For those applicants
who lack the technical capability to
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
ADDRESSES:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:56 Nov 20, 2007
Jkt 214001
apply electronically via Grants.gov,
please contact Sherri Walker by phone
at: (202) 566–2186 and/or by e-mail to:
innovation_state_grants@epa.gov for
alternative submission procedures.
Proposals submitted in response to this
solicitation, or questions concerning the
solicitation should be sent to: State
Innovation Grants Program, National
Center for Environmental Innovation,
Office of the Administrator, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (MC
1807T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460, (202) 566–2186,
(202) 566–2220 FAX,
Innovation_State_Grants@epa.gov.
For courier delivery only: Sherri
Walker, State Innovation Grants
Program, U.S. EPA, EPA West Building,
Room 4214D, 1301 Constitution Ave.,
NW., Washington, DC 20005.
Proposal responses or questions may
also be sent by fax to (202–566–2220),
addressed to the ‘‘State Innovation
Grant Program,’’or by e-mail to:
Innovation_State_Grants@epa.gov. We
encourage e-mail responses. If you have
questions about responding to this
notice, please contact EPA at this e-mail
address or fax number, or you may call
Sherri Walker at 202–566–2186. EPA
will acknowledge all responses it
receives to this notice.
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
is soliciting pre-proposals for an
assistance agreement program (the
‘‘State Innovation Grant Program’’) in an
effort to support innovation by State
environmental regulatory agencies. In
April 2002, EPA issued its plan for
future innovation efforts, published as
Innovating for Better Environmental
Result: A Strategy to Guide the Next
Generation of Innovation at EPA (EPA
100–R–02–002; https://www.epa.gov/
innovation/pdf/strategy.pdf). This
assistance agreement program
strengthens EPA’s partnership with the
States by supporting state innovation
compatible with EPA’s Innovation
Strategy. EPA wants to encourage states
to build on previous experience (theirs
and others) to undertake strategic
innovation projects that promote largerscale models for ‘‘next generation’’
environmental protection and promise
better environmental outcomes and
other beneficial results. EPA is
interested in funding projects that: (i)
Go beyond a single facility experiment
and provide change that is ‘‘systemsoriented;’’ (ii) provide better results
from a program, process, or sector-wide
innovation; and (iii) promote integrated
(multi-media) environmental
management with a high potential for
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
65571
transfer to other states, U.S. territories,
and tribes.
‘‘Innovation in Permitting’’ is again
the theme for the 2008 solicitation.
Under this theme, EPA is interested in
pre-proposals that:
(a) Support the development of state
Environmental Results Programs (ERPs);
(b) Implement National
Environmental Performance Track (PT)
or similar performance-based
environmental leadership programs by
states, particularly including the
development and implementation of
incentives; or
(c) Involve the application of
Environmental Management Systems
(EMS), including those that explore the
relationship of EMS to permitting, or
otherwise support integrated or
multimedia strategies.
EPA continues to interpret ‘‘innovation
in permitting’’ broadly to include
permitting programs, pesticide licensing
programs, and other alternatives or
supplements to permitting programs.
EPA is interested in creative approaches
for both: (1) Achieving mandatory
federal and state standards; and (2)
encouraging performance and
addressing environmental issues above
and beyond minimum requirements.
EPA’s focus on a small number of topics
within this general subject area
effectively concentrates the limited
resources available for greater strategic
impact. EPA may contemplate a very
limited number of projects not linked to
these focus areas, but otherwise related
to the general theme of innovation in
permitting, in particular as they address
EPA regional and state environmental
permitting priorities.
This solicitation begins the sixth State
Innovation Grant competition. Of the 35
projects that have been awarded in the
prior rounds seventeen (17) were
provided for development of
environmental results programs, eight
(8) were to enhance performance-based
environmental leadership programs,
eight (8) were related to environmental
management systems and permitting,
two (2) were for watershed-based
permitting, and one (1) was for an
information technology innovation for
the application of geographic
information systems (GIS) and a webbased portal to a permitting process. For
information on prior State Innovation
Grant Program solicitations and awards,
please see the EPA State Innovation
Grants Web site at https://www.epa.gov/
innovation/stategrants.
E:\FR\FM\21NON1.SGM
21NON1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 21, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65569-65571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-SFUND-2007-0559, FRL-8498-3]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Implementation of the Oil
Pollution Act Facility Response Plan Requirements (Renewal); EPA ICR
No. 1630.09, OMB Control No. 2050-0135
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
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an
existing approved 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 21,
2007.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
SFUND-2007-0559, to (1) EPA online using https://www.regulations.gov
(our preferred method) or by mail to: EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC),
Superfund 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), Attention:
Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lori Lee, Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response, Office of Emergency Management, (Mail Code: 5104A),
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-8006; fax number: 202-
564-2501; e-mail address: lee.lori@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 18, 2007 (72 FR 39406), EPA sought comments on this
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. Any
additional 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-SFUND-2007-0559, which is available for online viewing at
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Superfund 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
8:30 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 Superfund Docket is 202-566-0276.
Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at
www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to 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 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: Implementation of the Oil Pollution Act Facility Response
Plan Requirements (Renewal).
[[Page 65570]]
ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 1630.09, OMB Control No. 2050-0135.
ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on November 30, 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, 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: The authority for EPA's facility response plan (FRP)
requirements is derived from section 311 of the Clean Water Act, as
amended by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. EPA's FRP regulation is
codified at 40 CFR 112.20 and 112.21. All FRP-related reporting and
recordkeeping activities are mandatory. No amendments were made to the
FRP regulation since submission of the current ICR approval (November
30, 2004). While EPA recently finalized amendments to the SPCC rule (71
FR 77266 (December 26, 2006) and 72 FR 27443 (May 16, 2007)), these
amendments are not expected to impact the number of facilities subject
to FRP requirements, nor are they expected to substantively affect the
burden of complying with FRP requirement.
Purpose of Data Collection
A facility-specific response plan will help an owner or operator
identify the necessary resources to respond to an oil spill in a timely
manner. If implemented effectively, the FRP will reduce the impact and
severity of oil spills and may prevent spills because of the
identification of risks at the facility. Although the facility owner or
operator is the primary data user, EPA also uses the data in certain
situations to ensure that facilities comply with the regulation and to
help allocate response resources. State and local governments may also
use the data to assist in local emergency preparedness planning
efforts.
EPA reviews all submitted FRPs and must approve FRPs for those
facilities whose discharges may cause ``significant and substantial
harm'' to the environment. EPA approval is needed in order to ensure
that facilities believed to pose the highest risk have planned for
adequate resources and procedures to respond to a spill. (See 40 CFR
112.20(f)(3) for further information about the criteria for
``significant and substantial harm.'')
Response Plan Certification. Under Sec. 112.20(e), the owner or
operator of a facility subject to SPCC requirements in 40 CFR part 112
but that does not meet the ``substantial harm'' criteria in Sec.
112.20(f)(1) must complete and maintain at the facility the
certification form contained in Appendix C to part 112.
Response Plan Preparation. Under Sec. 112.20(a) or (b), the owner
or operator of a facility that meets the ``substantial harm'' criteria
in Sec. 112.20(f)(1) must prepare and submit to the EPA Regional
Administrator an FRP following Sec. 112.20(h). Such a facility may be
a newly constructed facility or may be an existing facility that meets
paragraph (f)(1) as a result of a planned change (paragraph
(a)(2)(iii)) or an unplanned change (paragraph (a)(2)(iv)) in facility
characteristics. Under paragraph (c), the owner or operator may be
required to amend the FRP.
Response Plan Maintenance. Under Sec. 112.20(g), the owner or
operator must periodically review the FRP to ensure consistency with
the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan
and Area Contingency Plans. Under Sec. 112.20(d), the facility owner
or operator must revise and resubmit revised portions of the FRP after
material changes at the facility. FRP changes that do not result in a
material change in response capabilities shall be provided to the
Regional Administrator as they occur. Training and periodic drills and
exercises are required to test the effectiveness of the FRP and are
required under Sec. 112.21.
Recordkeeping. Under Sec. 112.20(e), an owner or operator who
determines that the FRP requirements do not apply must certify and
retain a record of this determination. An owner or operator who is
subject to the requirements must keep the FRP at the facility (Sec.
112.20(a)), keep updates to the FRP (Sec. 112.20(d)(1) and (2)), and
log activities such as discharge prevention meetings, response
training, and drills and exercises (Sec. 112.20(h)(8)(iv)).
Burden Statement. The average annual reporting and recordkeeping
burdens for this collection of information to a newly regulated
facility for which an FRP is not required (i.e., facility where the
owner or operator certifies that the facility does not meet the
``substantial harm'' criteria) are estimated at 0.4 hours per year. The
average annual reporting and recordkeeping burdens to a newly regulated
facility for which an FRP is required (i.e., first-year costs for plan
development) are estimated at 99.7 hours per year. The average annual
reporting and recordkeeping burdens to a facility for which the owner
or operator is maintaining an FRP (i.e., subsequent year costs for
annual plan maintenance) are estimated at 240.1 hours. 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.
Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by
this action are a subset of facilities that are required to have a
spill prevention, control, and countermeasure (SPCC) plan under the Oil
Pollution Prevention regulation (40 CFR part 112).
Estimated Number of Respondents: 22,574.
Frequency of Response: Less than once a year.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 432,627.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $17,427,828 includes $29,483
annualized capital costs.
Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 202,367 hours in
the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of
Approved ICR Burdens. This decrease reflects EPA's current inventory of
facilities that have submitted and are maintaining an FRP as per 40 CFR
part 112. While there have been no changes in the regulation that
affected the per-facility regulatory burden, the number of facilities
currently subject to FRP requirements is lower than had been estimated
for the current ICR, resulting in a lower aggregate burden.
[[Page 65571]]
Dated: November 14, 2007.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E7-22756 Filed 11-20-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P