Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; EPA's ENERGY STAR Program in the Commercial and Industrial Sectors; EPA ICR No. 1772.06, 46089-46091 [2012-18873]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 149 / Thursday, August 2, 2012 / Notices
Dated: July 27, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012–18858 Filed 8–1–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 13305–004]
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Whitestone Power and
Communications; Notice of Availability
of Draft Environmental Assessment
In accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and
the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission’s (Commission)
regulations, 18 CFR part 380 (Order No.
486, 52 FR 47897), the Office of Energy
Projects has reviewed the application
for license for the Whitestone Poncelet
River-in-Stream Energy Conversion
Project, located on the Tanana River
near the town of Delta Junction, in
Alaska, and has prepared an
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the
project. The project would not be
located on federal lands.
The EA contains the staff’s analysis of
the potential environmental impacts of
the project and concludes that licensing
the project, with appropriate
environmental protective measures,
would not constitute a major federal
action that would significantly affect the
quality of the human environment.
A copy of the EA 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, contact FERC Online
Support at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or tollfree at 1–866–208–3676, or for TTY,
(202) 502–8659.
You may also register online at https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
esubscription.asp to be notified via
email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects.
For assistance, contact FERC Online
Support.
Any comments should be filed within
30 days from the date of this notice.
Comments may be filed electronically
via the Internet. See 18 CFR
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions
on the Commission’s Web site https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
Commenters can submit brief comments
up to 6,000 characters, without prior
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registration, using the eComment system
at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
ecomment.asp. You must include your
name and contact information at the end
of your comments. For assistance,
please contact FERC Online Support.
Although the Commission strongly
encourages electronic filing, documents
may also be paper-filed.
To paper-file, mail an original and
seven copies to: Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20426.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dianne Rodman at (202) 502–6077.
Dated: July 27, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012–18860 Filed 8–1–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–OAR–2006–0407; FRL–9709–2]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; EPA’s ENERGY
STAR Program in the Commercial and
Industrial Sectors; EPA ICR No.
1772.06
Environmental Protection
Agency.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 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 January
31, 2013. 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 October 1, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
OAR–2006–0407, by one of the
following methods:
• www.regulations.gov: Follow the
on-line instructions for submitting
comments.
• Email: a-and-r-docket@epa.gov.
• Fax: (202) 566–9744.
• Mail: U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center,
Air and Radiation Docket, Mail Code
28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue
NW., Washington, DC 20460.
SUMMARY:
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• Hand Delivery: Air and Radiation
Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/
DC), EPA West Building, Room 3334,
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
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 www.regulations.gov
or email. The 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 email
comment directly to EPA without going
through www.regulations.gov your email
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:
Alexandra Sullivan, Climate Protection
Partnerships Division, Mail Code: 6202J,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington,
DC 20460; telephone number: 202–343–
9040; fax number: 202–343–2204; email
address: sullivan.alexandra@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
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 149 / Thursday, August 2, 2012 / Notices
www.regulations.gov, or in person
viewing at the Air and Radiation 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 and
Radiation Docket 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?
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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.
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18:15 Aug 01, 2012
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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 potentially
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 January 31,
2013. 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: EPA created ENERGY STAR
as a voluntary program to help
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
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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 on 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 measuring, tracking, and
benchmarking their organization’s
energy performance by using tools such
as those offered by ENERGY STAR;
developing and implementing a plan to
improve energy performance in their
facilities and operations by adopting a
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.
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 seek recognition
and 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 burden for
joining the ENERGY STAR Program and
related activities is expected to vary
depending on the type of Partner. The
burden is estimated to be 30 minutes for
a Commercial and Industrial Sector
Partner to prepare/submit a Partnership
Letter, 1 hour for a Service and Product
Provider (SPP) to prepare/submit a
Partnership Agreement and related
documents, and 2.5 hours for an Energy
Efficiency Program Sponsor (EEPS) to
prepare/submit a Partnership
Agreement and a brief plan outlining
the key activities it intends to undertake
to promote ENERGY STAR. These
organizations also may undertake other
activities related to their partnership
during the year. The burden is estimated
to be about 1 hour for a SPP Partner to
update its contact information and
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 149 / Thursday, August 2, 2012 / Notices
communicate efforts and successes each
year and about 3 hours for an EEPS
Partner to update its brief plan and
contact information and promote
ENERGY STAR each year.
The burden for benchmarking in
Portfolio Manager is estimated to vary
depending on the type of benchmarking
method used. The burden is estimated
to be about 2.75 hours per building for
manual benchmarks, 1 hour per
building for benchmarks using the Excel
import spreadsheet, and 30 minutes per
building for benchmarks using the
Automated Benchmarking System. In
addition, the burden for using the
ENERGY STAR Energy Performance
Indicator is estimated to range from 10
to 15 minutes per plant. The burden for
tracking a plant’s energy performance
under the ENERGY STAR Challenge for
Industry (e.g., using the ENERGY STAR
Energy Tracking Tool) is estimated to be
2.5 hours per plant. These burden
estimates include the time for
conducting initial set-up, gathering
facility and energy data, and entering
the data to track energy performance
during the year.
The burden for applying to EPA for
recognition is estimated to vary
depending on the type of recognition.
The burden is estimated to range up to
5 hours to apply for the ENERGY STAR.
This includes the time for gathering
information and completing/submitting
the application materials. The burden is
estimated to be about 3 hours to apply
for the ‘‘Designed to Earn the ENERGY
STAR.’’ This includes the time for
gathering and entering data into Target
Finder and completing/submitting the
application materials. The burden is
estimated to range up to 17 hours for an
organization to apply for an ENERGY
STAR Award. This includes the time for
preparing and submitting the
application materials.
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.
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The ICR provides a detailed
explanation of the Agency’s estimate,
which is only briefly summarized here:
Estimated total number of potential
respondents: 18,000.
Frequency of response: One-time, on
occasion, monthly, annually, and/or
periodically, depending on the type of
respondent and collection.
Estimated total annual burden hours:
125,023.
Estimated total annual costs:
$14,659,784, including $8,694,520 in
labor costs and $5,965,264 in O&M
costs. There are no capital/start-up costs
to respondents.
Are there changes in the estimates from
the last approval?
The burden estimates presented in
this notice 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 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: July 25, 2012.
Elizabeth Craig,
Director, Climate Protection Partnerships
Division.
[FR Doc. 2012–18873 Filed 8–1–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL–9710–5]
Notice of Proposed Administrative
Settlement Pursuant to the
Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability
Act, As Amended; Anaconda Copper
Mine Site
AGENCY:
Environmental Protection
Agency.
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46091
Notice, request for public
comments.
ACTION:
In accordance with Section
122(i) of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act
(‘‘CERCLA’’), as amended, 42 U.S.C.
9622(i), notice is hereby given of a
proposed Settlement Agreement and
Order on Consent for Removal Action
by Bona Fide Administrative Agreement
for Recovery of Past Response Costs
(‘‘Agreement,’’ Region 9 Docket No. 9–
2012–07) pursuant to Section 122(h) of
CERCLA concerning the ANACONDA
COPPER MINE SITE (the ‘‘Site’’),
located in Yerington, Lyon County,
Nevada. The respondent is Singatse
Peak Services (‘‘Respondent’’). Through
the proposed Agreement, the
Respondent will fund up to $420,000
toward a response action by EPA to
address releases from the Arimetco heap
leach fluid management system
(‘‘FMS’’). Respondent will conduct a
study to assess options to ensure
approximately five years of fluid
capacity in the FMS, and may pay
toward any response to implement a
selected option. The Agreement
provides Respondent with a covenant
not to sue for past costs at the Site and
response actions funded in the
Agreement, as well as contribution
protection. For thirty (30) days
following the date of publication of this
Notice, the Agency will receive written
comments relating to the proposed
Agreement, and EPA’s responses to
comments received will be available for
public inspection at EPA’s Region IX
offices, located at 75 Hawthorne Street,
San Francisco, California 94105.
SUMMARY:
Comments must be submitted on
or before September 4, 2012.
DATES:
The proposed Agreement
may be obtained from Bryan Goodwin,
in the Office of Regional Counsel,
telephone (415) 972–3686. Comments
regarding the proposed Agreement
should be addressed to Mr. Goodwin at
the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (ORC–3), 75 Hawthorne Street,
San Francisco, California 94105, and
should reference the Singatse Peak
Services Agreement for the Anaconda
Copper Mine Site, and Region IX Docket
No. 9–2012–07.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Andrew Helmlinger, Office of Regional
Counsel, (415) 972–3904, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 9, 75 Hawthorne Street, San
Francisco, CA 94105.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 149 (Thursday, August 2, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46089-46091]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-18873]
=======================================================================
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2006-0407; FRL-9709-2]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; EPA's ENERGY STAR Program in the Commercial and
Industrial Sectors; EPA ICR No. 1772.06
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 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 January
31, 2013. 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 October 1, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2006-0407, by one of the following methods:
www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for
submitting comments.
Email: a-and-r-docket@epa.gov.
Fax: (202) 566-9744.
Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket
Center, Air and Radiation Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460.
Hand Delivery: Air and Radiation Docket in the EPA Docket
Center (EPA/DC), EPA West Building, Room 3334, 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
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 www.regulations.gov or email. The
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 email comment
directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov your email
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: Alexandra Sullivan, Climate Protection
Partnerships Division, Mail Code: 6202J, Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone
number: 202-343-9040; fax number: 202-343-2204; email address:
sullivan.alexandra@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
[[Page 46090]]
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Air and Radiation
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 and Radiation Docket 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 potentially 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 January
31, 2013. 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: EPA created ENERGY STAR as a voluntary program to help
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 on 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
measuring, tracking, and benchmarking their organization's energy
performance by using tools such as those offered by ENERGY STAR;
developing and implementing a plan to improve energy performance in
their facilities and operations by adopting a 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.
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 seek
recognition and 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 burden for joining the ENERGY STAR Program
and related activities is expected to vary depending on the type of
Partner. The burden is estimated to be 30 minutes for a Commercial and
Industrial Sector Partner to prepare/submit a Partnership Letter, 1
hour for a Service and Product Provider (SPP) to prepare/submit a
Partnership Agreement and related documents, and 2.5 hours for an
Energy Efficiency Program Sponsor (EEPS) to prepare/submit a
Partnership Agreement and a brief plan outlining the key activities it
intends to undertake to promote ENERGY STAR. These organizations also
may undertake other activities related to their partnership during the
year. The burden is estimated to be about 1 hour for a SPP Partner to
update its contact information and
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communicate efforts and successes each year and about 3 hours for an
EEPS Partner to update its brief plan and contact information and
promote ENERGY STAR each year.
The burden for benchmarking in Portfolio Manager is estimated to
vary depending on the type of benchmarking method used. The burden is
estimated to be about 2.75 hours per building for manual benchmarks, 1
hour per building for benchmarks using the Excel import spreadsheet,
and 30 minutes per building for benchmarks using the Automated
Benchmarking System. In addition, the burden for using the ENERGY STAR
Energy Performance Indicator is estimated to range from 10 to 15
minutes per plant. The burden for tracking a plant's energy performance
under the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry (e.g., using the ENERGY
STAR Energy Tracking Tool) is estimated to be 2.5 hours per plant.
These burden estimates include the time for conducting initial set-up,
gathering facility and energy data, and entering the data to track
energy performance during the year.
The burden for applying to EPA for recognition is estimated to vary
depending on the type of recognition. The burden is estimated to range
up to 5 hours to apply for the ENERGY STAR. This includes the time for
gathering information and completing/submitting the application
materials. The burden is estimated to be about 3 hours to apply for the
``Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR.'' This includes the time for
gathering and entering data into Target Finder and completing/
submitting the application materials. The burden is estimated to range
up to 17 hours for an organization to apply for an ENERGY STAR Award.
This includes the time for preparing and submitting the application
materials.
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: 18,000.
Frequency of response: One-time, on occasion, monthly, annually,
and/or periodically, depending on the type of respondent and
collection.
Estimated total annual burden hours: 125,023.
Estimated total annual costs: $14,659,784, including $8,694,520 in
labor costs and $5,965,264 in O&M costs. There are no capital/start-up
costs to respondents.
Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?
The burden estimates presented in this notice 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
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: July 25, 2012.
Elizabeth Craig,
Director, Climate Protection Partnerships Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-18873 Filed 8-1-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
