Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Recordkeeping and Reporting for the Renewable Fuel Standard Program, 57973-57974 [2017-26529]
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 235 / Friday, December 8, 2017 / Notices
European asparagus aphid, effective
August 2, 2017 to October 31, 2017. As
required by 40 CFR 166.24, because an
emergency exemption for this use has
been requested for more than 5 years
and an application for registration has
not yet been received by EPA, a Notice
of Receipt with opportunity for public
comment published in the Federal
Register, on July 10, 2017 (82 FR 31777)
(FRL–9963–16) with public comment
period closing on July 25, 2017.
Wisconsin
Department of Agriculture
Specific exemption: EPA authorized
the use of pyridate on a maximum of
3,100 acres of mint for postemergence
control of herbicide-resistant annual
weeds such as redroot pigweed,
Armaranthus retroflexus and other
broadleaf weeds. Tolerances in
connection with an earlier registration
action are established in 40 CFR
180.462(a). July 13, 2017 to August 31,
2017.
Wyoming
Department of Agriculture
Specific exemption: EPA authorized
the use of indaziflam on a maximum of
300,000 acres of rangeland, pastures,
and Conservation Reserve Program to
control medusahead and ventenata.
Time-limited tolerances in connection
with this action will be established in
40 CFR 180.653(b). September 14, 2017
to September 14, 2018.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.
Dated: November 27, 2017.
Michael L. Goodis,
Director, Registration Division, Office of
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 2017–26521 Filed 12–7–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–OAR–2017–0599; FRL–9971–44–
OAR]
Proposed Information Collection
Request; Comment Request;
Recordkeeping and Reporting for the
Renewable Fuel Standard Program
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency is planning to submit an
information collection request (ICR),
‘‘Recordkeeping and Reporting for the
Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)
Program,’’ EPA ICR No. 2546.01, OMB
Control No. 2060–NEW) to the Office of
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:38 Dec 07, 2017
Jkt 244001
Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and approval in accordance with
the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 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 request for approval of
a new collection. 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 February 6, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
referencing Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
OAR–2017–0599, online using
www.regulations.gov (our preferred
method), by email to a-and-r-docket@
epa.gov, 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 for which disclosure is
restricted by statute.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Anne-Marie Pastorkovich, Attorney/
Advisor, Office of Air and Radiation/
Office of Transportation and Air
Quality, Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.,
(6405A), Washington, DC 20460;
telephone number: 202–343–9623; fax
number: 202–343–2800; email address:
pastorkovich.anne-marie@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,
WJC 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
PO 00000
Frm 00027
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
57973
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.
This ICR package is a new
information collection that is intended
to streamline and update estimates
related to RFS. This new collection
includes elements of some existing RFS
ICRs. The goal of this new, consolidated
ICR is to put all RFS estimates into one,
consistent, and easy-to-understand
format. We hope that this single RFS
ICR package will assist interested
parties in better understanding all of the
information collection activities
associated with RFS.
What is the RFS program?
The RFS program was created under
the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct),
which amended the Clean Air Act
(CAA). The Energy Independence and
Security Act of 2007 (EISA) further
amended the CAA by expanding the
RFS program. EPA implements RFS in
consultation with U.S. Department of
Agriculture and the Department of
Energy. The RFS program is a national
policy that requires a certain volume of
renewable fuel to replace or reduce the
quantity of petroleum-based
transportation fuel, heating oil or jet
fuel.
Obligated parties under the RFS
program are refiners or importers of
gasoline or diesel fuel. Obligated
parties, and exporters of renewable fuel,
must meet an annual Renewable
Volume Obligation (RVO). Parties meet
their RVO by blending renewable fuels
into transportation fuel, or by obtaining
credits (called ‘‘Renewable
Identification Numbers’’, or RINs). EPA
calculates and establishes RVOs every
year through rulemaking, based on the
CAA volume requirements and
projections of gasoline and diesel
production for the coming year. The
standards are converted into a
percentage and obligated parties must
E:\FR\FM\08DEN1.SGM
08DEN1
57974
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 235 / Friday, December 8, 2017 / Notices
demonstrate compliance annually. RINs
are the credits that obligated parties use
to demonstrate compliance with the
standard. RINS are generated by
producers and importers of renewable
fuels and traded by various parties.
Obligated parties must obtain sufficient
RINs for each category in order to
demonstrate compliance with the
annual standard.
In order to track compliance with the
RFS program, various parties involved
with the production and blending of
renewable fuels, and who generate,
trade or use RINs, must register with
EPA and submit various types of
compliance reports related to the
activity they engage in under the
program. Our estimates as to burden are
explained in the supporting statement
that has been placed in the public
docket. Domestic and foreign entities
may be subject to these regulations and
to the associated information collection.
The RFS program was developed with
certain flexibilities, including for small
entities such as small refiners and small
refineries, small blenders, and small
volume production facilities and
importers.
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
What are the recordkeeping and
reporting requirements associated with
the RFS program?
The reporting requirements of the RFS
program typically fall under registration
and compliance reporting.
Recordkeeping requirements include
product transfer documents (PTDs) and
retention of records that support items
reported. Recordkeeping and reporting
are based upon the role the party fills
under the regulations. A party may be
registered in more than one role. Basing
the recordkeeping and reporting upon a
party’s roles in the program ensures that
parties must sustain only the burden
necessary under the program. EPA
continuously assesses its registration
and reporting systems in an effort to
provide the best possible service to the
regulated community and in order to
enhance, simplify, and streamline the
experience. Because RFS relies upon a
marketplace of RINs, EPA has created
and maintains the EPA Moderated
Transaction System (EMTS) capable of
handling a high volume of RIN trading
activities.
Who are the respondents for the RFS
program?
The respondents to this ICR are: RIN
Generators (producers and importers of
renewable fuel), Obligated Parties
(refiners and importers of gasoline and
diesel), Exporters (of renewable fuel),
RIN Owners, independent third-party
Quality Assurance Plan (QAP)
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:38 Dec 07, 2017
Jkt 244001
Providers, and certain petitioners under
the international aggregate compliance
approach (such petitions are
infrequent). These parties and their
associated information collections are
described in detail in the supporting
statement and tables, which have been
placed in the docket.
Which ICRs are being consolidated into
this new collection?
This proposed ICR will supersede and
replace existing information collection
currently approved under the following
titles and OMB control numbers (with
expiration dates shown):
• Renewable Fuels Standard Program
(RFS2-Supplemental), OMB Control
Number 2060–0637; expires 10/31/2017;
• Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2)
Program, OMB Control Number 2060–
0640; expires 10/31/2017;
• RFS2 Voluntary RIN Quality
Assurance Program, OMB Control
Number 2060–0688; expires 4/30/2019;
and
• Cellulosic Production Volume
Projections and Efficient Producer
Reporting, OMB Control Number 2060–
0707, expires 12/31/2019.
This proposed new ICR includes
burdens associated with Renewable
Fuel Pathways II and Technical
Amendments to the RFS2 Standards, for
which a final rule was published on July
18, 2014. 79 FR 42128. Although ICR
estimates were prepared for the
proposed rule, it appears they were not
submitted to OMB with the final rule
through an administrative error. This
proposed new ICR also includes
burdens associated with the following
previously approved, but not currently
approved, ICRs: Regulation of Fuel and
Fuel Additives: 2011 Renewable Fuel
Standards—Petition for International
Aggregate Compliance Approach, OMB
Control Number 2060–0655; expired 5/
31/2017; and Production Outlook
Report for Unregistered Renewable
Fuels Producers, OMB Control Number
2060–0660; expired 7/31/2017.
Form Numbers: RFS0104: RFS
Activity Report, RFS0303: RFS Annual
Compliance Report, RFS0601: RFS
Renewable Fuel Producer Supplemental
Report, RFS0701: RFS Renewable Fuel
Producer Co-Products Report, RFS0801:
RFS Renewable Biomass Report,
RFS0901: RFS Production Outlook
Report, RFS1400: Reporting Fuels under
80.1451(b)(1)(ii)(T), RFS1500: Reporting
Fuels under 80.1451(b)(1)(ii)(T)—
Finished Fuel Blending, RFS1600:
Reporting Fuels under
80.1451(b)(1)(ii)(T)—Blender Contact,
RFS2000: Batch Verification, RFS2100:
Aggregate RIN Verification. RFS2200:
On-Site Audit Report, RFS2300: List of
PO 00000
Frm 00028
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Potentially Invalid RINs, RFS2400: Mass
Balance, RFS2500: RFS Efficient
Producer Data Report, RFS2700: RFS
Cellulosic Biofuel Producer
Questionnaire, EMTS: RFS RIN
Generation Report, EMTS: RFS RIN
Transaction Report.
Respondents/affected entities: RIN
Generators, Obligated Parties, RIN
Owners, Exporters, QAP Providers, and
Petitioners under the international
aggregate compliance approach. These
parties include producers and importers
of renewable fuels and refiners and
importers of gasoline and diesel
transportation fuels.
Respondent’s obligation to respond:
The RFS program represents a mixture
of voluntary and mandatory reporting,
depending upon activity. A single party
may register with multiple program
roles—e.g., a party might be both an
obligated party and a RIN owner.
Estimated number of respondents:
20,425
Frequency of response: On occasion/
daily, quarterly, annual.
Total estimated burden: 530,336 (per
year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR
1320.03(b)
Total estimated cost: $52,845,438 (per
year), includes $0 annualized capital or
operation & maintenance costs.
Dated: November 27, 2017.
Byron J. Bunker,
Director, Compliance Division, Office of
Transportation & Air Quality, Office of Air
& Radiation.
[FR Doc. 2017–26529 Filed 12–7–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[ER–FRL–9036–5]
Environmental Impact Statements;
Notice of Availability
Responsible Agency: Office of Federal
Activities, General Information (202)
564–7146 or https://www2.epa.gov/
nepa/.
Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact
Statements (EIS).
Filed 11/27/2017 Through 12/01/2017
Pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.9.
Notice
Section 309(a) of the Clean Air Act
requires that EPA make public its
comments on EISs issued by other
Federal agencies. EPA’s comment letters
on EISs are available at: https://
cdxnodengn.epa.gov/cdx-nepa-public/
action/eis/search.
EIS No. 20170236, Draft, USAF, NV,
Nevada Test and Training Range
E:\FR\FM\08DEN1.SGM
08DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 235 (Friday, December 8, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57973-57974]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26529]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2017-0599; FRL-9971-44-OAR]
Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request;
Recordkeeping and Reporting for the Renewable Fuel Standard Program
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an
information collection request (ICR), ``Recordkeeping and Reporting for
the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program,'' EPA ICR No. 2546.01, OMB
Control No. 2060-NEW) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act
(PRA), 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 request for approval of a new collection. 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 February 6, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2017-0599, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by
email to [email protected], 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 for which disclosure is restricted by statute.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anne-Marie Pastorkovich, Attorney/
Advisor, Office of Air and Radiation/Office of Transportation and Air
Quality, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.,
(6405A), Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-343-9623; fax
number: 202-343-2800; email address: [email protected].
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, WJC 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.
This ICR package is a new information collection that is intended
to streamline and update estimates related to RFS. This new collection
includes elements of some existing RFS ICRs. The goal of this new,
consolidated ICR is to put all RFS estimates into one, consistent, and
easy-to-understand format. We hope that this single RFS ICR package
will assist interested parties in better understanding all of the
information collection activities associated with RFS.
What is the RFS program?
The RFS program was created under the Energy Policy Act of 2005
(EPAct), which amended the Clean Air Act (CAA). The Energy Independence
and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) further amended the CAA by expanding
the RFS program. EPA implements RFS in consultation with U.S.
Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy. The RFS program
is a national policy that requires a certain volume of renewable fuel
to replace or reduce the quantity of petroleum-based transportation
fuel, heating oil or jet fuel.
Obligated parties under the RFS program are refiners or importers
of gasoline or diesel fuel. Obligated parties, and exporters of
renewable fuel, must meet an annual Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO).
Parties meet their RVO by blending renewable fuels into transportation
fuel, or by obtaining credits (called ``Renewable Identification
Numbers'', or RINs). EPA calculates and establishes RVOs every year
through rulemaking, based on the CAA volume requirements and
projections of gasoline and diesel production for the coming year. The
standards are converted into a percentage and obligated parties must
[[Page 57974]]
demonstrate compliance annually. RINs are the credits that obligated
parties use to demonstrate compliance with the standard. RINS are
generated by producers and importers of renewable fuels and traded by
various parties. Obligated parties must obtain sufficient RINs for each
category in order to demonstrate compliance with the annual standard.
In order to track compliance with the RFS program, various parties
involved with the production and blending of renewable fuels, and who
generate, trade or use RINs, must register with EPA and submit various
types of compliance reports related to the activity they engage in
under the program. Our estimates as to burden are explained in the
supporting statement that has been placed in the public docket.
Domestic and foreign entities may be subject to these regulations and
to the associated information collection. The RFS program was developed
with certain flexibilities, including for small entities such as small
refiners and small refineries, small blenders, and small volume
production facilities and importers.
What are the recordkeeping and reporting requirements associated with
the RFS program?
The reporting requirements of the RFS program typically fall under
registration and compliance reporting. Recordkeeping requirements
include product transfer documents (PTDs) and retention of records that
support items reported. Recordkeeping and reporting are based upon the
role the party fills under the regulations. A party may be registered
in more than one role. Basing the recordkeeping and reporting upon a
party's roles in the program ensures that parties must sustain only the
burden necessary under the program. EPA continuously assesses its
registration and reporting systems in an effort to provide the best
possible service to the regulated community and in order to enhance,
simplify, and streamline the experience. Because RFS relies upon a
marketplace of RINs, EPA has created and maintains the EPA Moderated
Transaction System (EMTS) capable of handling a high volume of RIN
trading activities.
Who are the respondents for the RFS program?
The respondents to this ICR are: RIN Generators (producers and
importers of renewable fuel), Obligated Parties (refiners and importers
of gasoline and diesel), Exporters (of renewable fuel), RIN Owners,
independent third-party Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) Providers, and
certain petitioners under the international aggregate compliance
approach (such petitions are infrequent). These parties and their
associated information collections are described in detail in the
supporting statement and tables, which have been placed in the docket.
Which ICRs are being consolidated into this new collection?
This proposed ICR will supersede and replace existing information
collection currently approved under the following titles and OMB
control numbers (with expiration dates shown):
Renewable Fuels Standard Program (RFS2-Supplemental), OMB
Control Number 2060-0637; expires 10/31/2017;
Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) Program, OMB Control Number
2060-0640; expires 10/31/2017;
RFS2 Voluntary RIN Quality Assurance Program, OMB Control
Number 2060-0688; expires 4/30/2019; and
Cellulosic Production Volume Projections and Efficient
Producer Reporting, OMB Control Number 2060-0707, expires 12/31/2019.
This proposed new ICR includes burdens associated with Renewable
Fuel Pathways II and Technical Amendments to the RFS2 Standards, for
which a final rule was published on July 18, 2014. 79 FR 42128.
Although ICR estimates were prepared for the proposed rule, it appears
they were not submitted to OMB with the final rule through an
administrative error. This proposed new ICR also includes burdens
associated with the following previously approved, but not currently
approved, ICRs: Regulation of Fuel and Fuel Additives: 2011 Renewable
Fuel Standards--Petition for International Aggregate Compliance
Approach, OMB Control Number 2060-0655; expired 5/31/2017; and
Production Outlook Report for Unregistered Renewable Fuels Producers,
OMB Control Number 2060-0660; expired 7/31/2017.
Form Numbers: RFS0104: RFS Activity Report, RFS0303: RFS Annual
Compliance Report, RFS0601: RFS Renewable Fuel Producer Supplemental
Report, RFS0701: RFS Renewable Fuel Producer Co-Products Report,
RFS0801: RFS Renewable Biomass Report, RFS0901: RFS Production Outlook
Report, RFS1400: Reporting Fuels under 80.1451(b)(1)(ii)(T), RFS1500:
Reporting Fuels under 80.1451(b)(1)(ii)(T)--Finished Fuel Blending,
RFS1600: Reporting Fuels under 80.1451(b)(1)(ii)(T)--Blender Contact,
RFS2000: Batch Verification, RFS2100: Aggregate RIN Verification.
RFS2200: On-Site Audit Report, RFS2300: List of Potentially Invalid
RINs, RFS2400: Mass Balance, RFS2500: RFS Efficient Producer Data
Report, RFS2700: RFS Cellulosic Biofuel Producer Questionnaire, EMTS:
RFS RIN Generation Report, EMTS: RFS RIN Transaction Report.
Respondents/affected entities: RIN Generators, Obligated Parties,
RIN Owners, Exporters, QAP Providers, and Petitioners under the
international aggregate compliance approach. These parties include
producers and importers of renewable fuels and refiners and importers
of gasoline and diesel transportation fuels.
Respondent's obligation to respond: The RFS program represents a
mixture of voluntary and mandatory reporting, depending upon activity.
A single party may register with multiple program roles--e.g., a party
might be both an obligated party and a RIN owner.
Estimated number of respondents: 20,425
Frequency of response: On occasion/daily, quarterly, annual.
Total estimated burden: 530,336 (per year). Burden is defined at 5
CFR 1320.03(b)
Total estimated cost: $52,845,438 (per year), includes $0
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
Dated: November 27, 2017.
Byron J. Bunker,
Director, Compliance Division, Office of Transportation & Air Quality,
Office of Air & Radiation.
[FR Doc. 2017-26529 Filed 12-7-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
