Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Exhaust Emissions of Light-Duty Vehicles in Metropolitan Detroit; EPA ICR No. 2363.02, 34375-34376 [2013-13600]

Download as PDF 34375 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 110 / Friday, June 7, 2013 / Notices requests for construction practices the staff has determined are acceptable. For example, frequently requested guidance on beneficial reuse of construction materials is provided in revised Plan sections II.B.17 and III.E. Identification of baseline expectations for residential construction practices is provided in revised Plan section III.H. We expect variance requests will be reduced via revisions to Procedure section V.B.3.g that addresses construction through waterbodies that are dry or frozen, and Procedure section VI.B.2.f that addresses burning of woody debris in wetlands. Additionally, we expect revisions to Procedure section II.A to reduce reporting burden on jurisdictional entities, permitting detailed justifications rather than sitespecific plans for reduced workspace setbacks at waterbodies and wetlands, and expanded wetland construction rights-of-way. We revised terminology to be inclusive of prior notice, advanced notice, and automatic authorization projects to address the wider net of project types subject to the Plan and Procedure requirements. The revisions clarify applicability for projects constructed under the Commission’s blanket certificate program (18 CFR part 157, subpart F) and construction of facilities for transportation services under the Natural Gas Policy Act (NGPA) section 311 (18 CFR part 284, Subpart A). We expect these clarifications to improve the efficiency of the environmental review process, and reduce labor hours required of jurisdictional natural gas companies to prepare reports. We implement a new record retention requirement regarding drainage system repairs or improvements (see revised Plan section VII.B.1.e). In addition, we also put in place a new annual report for affected wetlands that do not successfully revegetate within three years after construction (see revised Procedure section VI.D.6). We expect this revision to result in a minor increase in reporting burden due to the low incidence of wetland revegetation failure. We expect that the revisions will lead to additional filings for blanket certificate projects, subject to our prior notice regulations (see revised ‘‘Applicability’’ discussions in section I of the Plan and Procedures). Such filings include winter construction plans noted in revised Plan section III.I, and the pre-construction filings noted in section II of the Procedures (e.g., hydrostatic testing information, waterbody crossing schedules, spill prevention and response procedures, plans for major waterbody crossings, horizontal directional drill crossings, and justifications for any variances). This would not reflect entirely new reporting burdens however, as this information is typically requested by staff during review of these projects to ensure compliance with blanket certificate standard conditions in 18 CFR 157.206. Overall, in consideration of the revisions to reporting requirements and the increased efficiency that would be realized during the environmental review process, we expect the net effect of the revised Plan and Procedures to constitute a minor increase in information collection burden. Burden Estimate: The estimate below was updated using workload completion data prepared by FERC’s Division of Gas—Environment and Engineering for fiscal year 2012. The estimate previously provided in the July 31, 2012 Notice of Availability was based on fiscal year 2011 workload completion data.5 Respondents include companies that filed project applications under Natural Gas Act (NGA) Section 7, blanket certificate prior notice filings and annual reports, and NGPA 311 advanced notification filings and annual reports. Average number of respondents annually mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Upland Plan .................................................... Wetland and Waterbody Procedures .............. Grand total ............................................... 81 Natural Gas Companies ........................... 81 Natural Gas Companies ........................... ......................................................................... The total estimated annual cost burden to prepare new or modified information collections based on the Plan and Procedure revisions is $53,340 (762 hours times $70/hr 7). We expect the estimated burden would reduce in subsequent years, as companies adjust to the modified information collections and have trained their personnel to collect information per the revised Plan and Procedures. Interested persons may obtain additional information on the OMB process and information collection statement by contacting Ellen Brown, Office of the Executive Director, via email at DataClearance@ferc.gov; by phone (202) 502–8663, or facsimile (202) 273–0973. 5 We found upon further review of the previous estimate that we did not account for all of the filings in the fiscal year 2011 data. We correct the previous error in this notice. The net effect of using the 2012 data (along with accurate accounting) is VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:43 Jun 06, 2013 Jkt 229001 Dated: May 31, 2013. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2013–13516 Filed 6–6–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P an increase of 509 hours from the July 31, 2012 notice. 6 NGA 7, Blanket Certificate, and NGPA 311 filings. Filings were excluded if they qualified as categorical exclusions under the National PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Average number of filings per year 6 Average change in burden hrs. per filing (rounded) Total annual change in burden hrs. for all filings types (a) Modification to FERC–577, OMB Control No. 1902–0128 (b) (a × b) 218 218 ........................ 7.6 ¥4.2 ........................ 1667 ¥905 762 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OAR–2009–0548; FRL–9821–8] Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Exhaust Emissions of Light-Duty Vehicles in Metropolitan Detroit; EPA ICR No. 2363.02 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: Environmental Policy Act or were otherwise categorized as ‘‘environment not involved.’’ 7 Estimated average annual cost (wage plus benefits) per employee. E:\FR\FM\07JNN1.SGM 07JNN1 34376 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 110 / Friday, June 7, 2013 / Notices The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), ‘‘Exhaust Emissions of Light-duty Vehicles in Metropolitan Detroit’’ (EPA ICR No. 2363.02, OMB Control No. 2060–0645) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through October 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. DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before August 6, 2013. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OAR–2009–0548, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460. EPA’s policy is that all comments received will be included in the public docket without change including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Warila, Assessment and Standards Division, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, (AADTC), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 734–214–4951; fax number: 734–214–4821; email address: warila.james@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents which explain in detail the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is 202–566–1744. For additional information about EPA’s public docket, visit https://www.epa.gov/ dockets. Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA is soliciting comments and information to enable it to: (i) mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:38 Jun 06, 2013 Jkt 229001 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. 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. At that time, EPA will issue another Federal Register notice to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. Abstract: The EPA is initiating a systematic data collection designed to improve the methods and tools used by the Agency to estimate exhaust emissions as vehicles age. Data to be collected include vehicle type, vehicle characteristics, and measurement of exhaust emissions. One of the main issues in the study of vehicle emissions is the difficulty in acquiring representative results. Major challenges include the diversity of technology, the highly variable nature of emissions, the complexity and expense of measurement, difficulty in acquiring and retaining engines or vehicles, and the array of external variables that influence emissions, ranging from temperature to driver behavior. In combination, these factors tend to limit the numbers of vehicles that can be included in a given study. Limited sample sizes in combination with high variability make emissions data challenging to interpret. The collection is a research program, to be conducted by the Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) in the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR). This study will be designed to develop and test novel screening, sampling and measurement procedures. These approaches promise to substantially reduce the cost of exhaust emissions measurement as well as to improve the accuracy of resulting estimates. An innovative feature of this project is the use of roadside remote-sensing measurements to construct a pool of PO 00000 Frm 00064 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 vehicles from which vehicles can be sampled for purposes of recruitment and measurement using portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS). The acquisition of remotesensing measurements for hydrocarbons, carbon-monoxide, and oxides of nitrogen will provide an index of emissions for all vehicles prior to sampling and recruitment for more intensive measurement. The index is expected to facilitate recruitment of vehicles with an emphasis on rare subpopulations such as high-emitting vehicles, and provide a means to appropriately relate measured vehicles to the overall fleet. Research questions for the project include: (1) Can remote-sensing be used as a reliable index of exhaust emissions across the range of emissions? (2) can portable instruments measure accurate emissions time series for very clean vehicles, such as Tier 2 (Bins 2, 3 or 5) or LEV–II (ULEV, SULEV)? (3) how can portable instruments be used to measure start emissions?, and (4) can the emissions index used for recruitment also serve as a means to estimate potential non-response bias? We have collected remote-sensing measurements on approximately 35,000 vehicles, and from this pool, plan to recruit vehicles for measurement using PEMS. Participation in the program will be voluntary. The target population for the project will include light-duty cars and trucks certified to Tier 2 (Bins 5, 3 or 2) or an equivalent LEV–II standards (LEV, ULEV or SULEV), respectively. Form Numbers: 2363.02. Respondents/affected entities: private owners of light-duty cars and trucks. Respondent’s obligation to respond: voluntary. Estimated number of respondents: 850 (total). Frequency of response: one-time event. Total estimated burden: 1,213 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.3(b). Total estimated cost: $33,247 (per year), includes $0.00 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs. Changes in Estimates: The total estimated respondent burden is expected to stay substantially the same compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. William Charmley, Acting Director, Assessment and Standards Division. [FR Doc. 2013–13600 Filed 6–6–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P E:\FR\FM\07JNN1.SGM 07JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 110 (Friday, June 7, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34375-34376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13600]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2009-0548; FRL-9821-8]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Exhaust 
Emissions of Light-Duty Vehicles in Metropolitan Detroit; EPA ICR No. 
2363.02

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 34376]]

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Exhaust Emissions of Light-duty 
Vehicles in Metropolitan Detroit'' (EPA ICR No. 2363.02, OMB Control 
No. 2060-0645) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.). Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on 
specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described 
below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently 
approved through October 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.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before August 6, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2009-0548, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), or 
by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail 
Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Warila, Assessment and Standards 
Division, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, (AADTC), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 734-214-4951; fax number: 734-
214-4821; email address: warila.james@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents which explain in detail 
the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the 
public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at 
www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, EPA West, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone 
number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket, visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA is soliciting 
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. 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. At that time, EPA will issue another Federal Register notice 
to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to 
submit additional comments to OMB.
    Abstract: The EPA is initiating a systematic data collection 
designed to improve the methods and tools used by the Agency to 
estimate exhaust emissions as vehicles age. Data to be collected 
include vehicle type, vehicle characteristics, and measurement of 
exhaust emissions.
    One of the main issues in the study of vehicle emissions is the 
difficulty in acquiring representative results. Major challenges 
include the diversity of technology, the highly variable nature of 
emissions, the complexity and expense of measurement, difficulty in 
acquiring and retaining engines or vehicles, and the array of external 
variables that influence emissions, ranging from temperature to driver 
behavior. In combination, these factors tend to limit the numbers of 
vehicles that can be included in a given study. Limited sample sizes in 
combination with high variability make emissions data challenging to 
interpret.
    The collection is a research program, to be conducted by the Office 
of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) in the Office of Air and 
Radiation (OAR). This study will be designed to develop and test novel 
screening, sampling and measurement procedures. These approaches 
promise to substantially reduce the cost of exhaust emissions 
measurement as well as to improve the accuracy of resulting estimates.
    An innovative feature of this project is the use of roadside 
remote-sensing measurements to construct a pool of vehicles from which 
vehicles can be sampled for purposes of recruitment and measurement 
using portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS). The acquisition of 
remote-sensing measurements for hydrocarbons, carbon-monoxide, and 
oxides of nitrogen will provide an index of emissions for all vehicles 
prior to sampling and recruitment for more intensive measurement. The 
index is expected to facilitate recruitment of vehicles with an 
emphasis on rare sub-populations such as high-emitting vehicles, and 
provide a means to appropriately relate measured vehicles to the 
overall fleet.
    Research questions for the project include: (1) Can remote-sensing 
be used as a reliable index of exhaust emissions across the range of 
emissions? (2) can portable instruments measure accurate emissions time 
series for very clean vehicles, such as Tier 2 (Bins 2, 3 or 5) or LEV-
II (ULEV, SULEV)? (3) how can portable instruments be used to measure 
start emissions?, and (4) can the emissions index used for recruitment 
also serve as a means to estimate potential non-response bias?
    We have collected remote-sensing measurements on approximately 
35,000 vehicles, and from this pool, plan to recruit vehicles for 
measurement using PEMS. Participation in the program will be voluntary. 
The target population for the project will include light-duty cars and 
trucks certified to Tier 2 (Bins 5, 3 or 2) or an equivalent LEV-II 
standards (LEV, ULEV or SULEV), respectively.
    Form Numbers: 2363.02.
    Respondents/affected entities: private owners of light-duty cars 
and trucks.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: voluntary.
    Estimated number of respondents: 850 (total).
    Frequency of response: one-time event.
    Total estimated burden: 1,213 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
    Total estimated cost: $33,247 (per year), includes $0.00 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: The total estimated respondent burden is 
expected to stay substantially the same compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB.

William Charmley,
Acting Director, Assessment and Standards Division.
[FR Doc. 2013-13600 Filed 6-6-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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