Notice of Availability and Request for Comment on “Technical Support Document: Social Cost of Carbon, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide Interim Estimates Under Executive Order 13990”, 24669-24670 [2021-09679]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 87 / Friday, May 7, 2021 / Notices
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contact: Melody Braswell, Department
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Dated: May 4, 2021.
Melody Braswell,
Department Clearance Officer for PRA, U.S.
Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 2021–09699 Filed 5–6–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410–04–P
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND
BUDGET
Notice of Availability and Request for
Comment on ‘‘Technical Support
Document: Social Cost of Carbon,
Methane, and Nitrous Oxide Interim
Estimates Under Executive Order
13990’’
Office of Management and
Budget, Executive Office of the
President.
ACTION: Notice of availability and
request for comments.
AGENCY:
The Office of Management
and Budget (OMB), on behalf of the cochairs of the Interagency Working Group
on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases,
including the Council of Economic
Advisors (CEA) and the Office of
Science and Technology Policy (OSTP),
request comments on ‘‘Technical
Support Document: Social Cost of
Carbon, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:55 May 06, 2021
Jkt 253001
Interim Estimates under Executive
Order 13990,’’ released on February 26,
2021, available at: https://
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/
uploads/2021/02/TechnicalSupport
Document_SocialCostofCarbonMethane
NitrousOxide.pdf. The estimates of the
social cost of carbon (SC–CO2), social
cost of methane (SC–CH4), and social
cost of nitrous oxide (SC–N2O),
collectively called the Social Cost of
Greenhouse Gases (SC–GHG), are used
to estimate the value to society of
marginal reductions in greenhouse gas
emissions, or conversely, the social
costs of increasing such emissions, in
the policy making process.
DATES: To ensure consideration,
comments must be in writing and
received by June 21, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments by one of
the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov (our preferred
method). Follow the online instructions
for submitting comments.
Please note that we cannot provide an
option for written or faxed comments at
this time due to COVID–19 protocols.
Please submit comments electronically.
All comments and recommendations
submitted in response to this notice will
be made available to the public. For this
reason, please do not include in your
comments information of a confidential
nature, such as sensitive personal
information or proprietary information.
The www.regulations.gov website is an
‘‘anonymous access’’ system, which
means OMB will not know your identity
or contact information unless you
provide it in the body of your comment.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information, contact: Italy
Martin, Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget, Email:
SocialCostofGreenhouseGases
Comments@omb.eop.gov, Telephone:
(202) 395–1046.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal
agencies began regularly incorporating
SC–CO2 estimates in benefit-cost
analyses conducted under Executive
Order (E.O.) 12866 in 2008, following a
court ruling in which an agency was
ordered to consider the value of
reducing carbon dioxide emissions in a
rulemaking process. In 2009, an original
interagency working group (IWG) was
established to ensure that agencies were
using the best available science and to
promote consistency in the estimated
values. The IWG published SC–CO2
estimates in 2010. These estimates were
updated in 2013. In August 2016, the
IWG published a technical support
document (TSD) providing SC–CH4 and
PO 00000
Frm 00088
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
24669
SC–N2O estimates using methodologies
that are consistent with the
methodology underlying the SC–CO2
estimates.
The Technical Support Document
(interim TSD) released on February 26,
2021, provides an interim update of SC–
GHG estimates, which are reported in
2020 dollars, but otherwise use identical
methods and inputs to those presented
in the 2016 version of the TSD and its
Addendum, including the same three
peer-reviewed integrated assessment
models. In addition, the interim TSD
discusses scientific and economic
advances that have been made since the
time of the last updates to the IWG SC–
GHG estimates. This notice requests
public comment on the interim TSD as
well as on how best to incorporate the
latest peer-reviewed science and
economics literature in order to develop
an updated set of SC–GHG estimates.
CEA, OMB, and OSTP request that
comments be submitted electronically to
OMB by [45 days after publication in
the Federal Register] through
www.regulations.gov.
Outline of Notice
1. Background
2. Issues for Comment
1. Background
A robust and scientifically founded
assessment of the positive and negative
impacts that an action can be expected
to have on society is a core tenet of the
policy-making process. This is
particularly important in the area of
climate change. In order to meet this
charge, the Executive Branch has
developed a set of estimates that
represent the monetized impact to
society associated with an incremental
change in greenhouse gas emissions.
These estimates have been developed
over the course of many years, using the
best science and economics available,
and with input from the public.
The latest iteration of this
longstanding policy was launched by
the re-constituted Interagency Working
Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse
Gases, which was re-established by
Executive Oder (E.O.) 13990. The reconstituted IWG is committed to
ensuring that the estimates agencies
consider when monetizing the value of
changes in greenhouse gas emissions
resulting from regulations and other
relevant agency actions continue to
reflect the best available science and
methodologies. In order to meet this
charge, the IWG issued an interim
Technical Support Document on
February 26, 2021. It presents interim
estimates of the social cost of carbon,
methane, and nitrous oxide, as directed
E:\FR\FM\07MYN1.SGM
07MYN1
24670
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 87 / Friday, May 7, 2021 / Notices
by E.O. 13990. In addition, the
Executive Order tasked the IWG with
the following:
(1) Publishing a final update to the
SC–GHG estimates no later than January
2022;
(2) providing recommendations by
Sept 1, 2021, regarding areas of
decision-making, budgeting, and
procurement by the Federal Government
where the SC–GHG estimates should be
applied;
(3) providing recommendations by
June 1, 2022, regarding a process for
reviewing and, as appropriate, updating
the SC–GHG estimates to ensure that
these estimates are based on the best
available economics and science;
(4) providing recommendations, to be
published with the January 2022 SC–
GHG estimates if feasible, to revise
methodologies for SC–GHG calculations
to the extent that current methodologies
do not adequately take account of
climate risk, environmental justice, and
intergenerational equity; and
(5) considering the recommendations
of the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) as
reported in Valuing Climate Damages:
Updating Estimation of the Social Cost
of Carbon Dioxide (2017) and other
pertinent scientific literature; engaging
with the public and stakeholders;
seeking the advice of ethics experts, and
ensuring that the SC–GHG estimates
reflect the interests of future generations
in avoiding threats posed by climate
change.
2. Issues for Comment
The IWG is issuing this notice in
order to facilitate early and robust
interaction with the public on this key
aspect of this Administration’s climate
policy.
Request for Comment: The Co-Chairs
of the IWG request comments, and any
studies or other useful materials related
to, the following:
• The general advances in science
and economics included in this interim
TSD, available at https://
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/
uploads/2021/02/TechnicalSupport
Document_SocialCostofCarbonMethane
NitrousOxide.pdf;
• Approaches to implementing the
recommendations of the NASEM as
reported in Valuing Climate Damages:
Updating Estimation of the Social Cost
of Carbon Dioxide (2017), including
recommendations for how the IWG
should prioritize and respond to these
recommendations;
• Other recent advances in science
and economics, beyond those presented
in the interim TSD, that could be
incorporated into the pending update,
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:55 May 06, 2021
Jkt 253001
including approaches to adequately take
account of climate risk, environmental
justice, and intergenerational equity;
• How best to reflect the latest
scientific and economic understanding
of discount rates appropriate for
intergenerational analysis when using
the interim SC–GHG estimates; and
• Areas of decision-making,
budgeting, and procurement by the
Federal Government where the SC–GHG
estimates should be applied.
Dominic J. Mancini,
Deputy Administrator, Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2021–09679 Filed 5–6–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3110–01–P
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS
ADMINISTRATION
[NARA–2021–027]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA).
ACTION: Notice of proposed extension
request.
AGENCY:
We are proposing to request
an extension to use the two information
collections described in this notice,
which the National Historical
Publications and Records Commission
(NHPRC) uses in its grant program.
Organizations requesting a grant from
the NHPRC must submit certain
information the NHPRC staff, reviewers,
and the Commission use to determine if
the applicant and proposed project are
eligible for an NHPRC grant; if the
request is recommended for approval,
the prospective grantee provides
additional information acknowledging
the offer of the grant and regulatory
requirements; and, grantees must
respond to an accounting questionnaire
designed to identify potential recipients
with limited experience managing
Federal funs and provide appropriate
training or additional safeguards for
Federal funds. We invite you to
comment on the proposed information
collection pursuant to the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: We must receive written
comments on or before July 6, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Send comments by email to
tamee.fechhelm@nara.gov. Because our
buildings are temporarily closed during
the COVID–19 restrictions, we are not
able to receive comments by mail during
this time.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Tamee Fechhelm, Paperwork Reduction
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00089
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Act Officer, by email at
tamee.fechhelm@nara.gov or by
telephone at 301.837.1694 with requests
for additional information or copies of
the proposed information collection and
supporting statement.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant
to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(Pub. L. 104–13), we invite the public
and other Federal agencies to comment
on proposed information collections. If
you have comments or suggestions, they
should address one or more of the
following points: (a) Whether the
proposed information collections are
necessary for NARA to properly perform
its functions; (b) our estimate of the
burden of the proposed information
collections and its accuracy; (c) ways we
could enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information we collect; (d)
ways we could minimize the burden on
respondents of collecting the
information, including through
information technology; and (e) whether
these collections affect small businesses.
We will summarize any comments
you submit and include the summary in
our request for OMB approval. All
comments will become a matter of
public record.
In this notice, we solicit comments
concerning the following information
collections:
Title: National Historical Publications
and Records Commission (NHPRC)
Grant Program Budget Form and
Instructions and NHPRC Grant Offer
Acknowledgement.
OMB number: 3095–0013.
Agency form number: NA Form 17001
and 17001a.
Type of review: Regular.
Affected public: Nonprofit
organizations and institutions, state and
local government agencies, and
Federally-acknowledged or staterecognized Native American tribes or
groups, who apply for and receive
NHPRC grants for support of historical
documentary editions, archival
preservation and planning projects, and
other records projects.
Estimated number of respondents:
244 per year submit applications;
approximately 25 grantees need to
submit revised budgets.
Estimated time per response: 10 hours
per application; 5 hours per revised
budget.
Frequency of response: On occasion
for the application; as needed for
revised budget. Currently, the NHPRC
considers grant applications two times
per year. Respondents usually submit
no more than one application per year,
and, for those who need to submit
revised budgets, only one revised
budget per year.
E:\FR\FM\07MYN1.SGM
07MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 87 (Friday, May 7, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24669-24670]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-09679]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
Notice of Availability and Request for Comment on ``Technical
Support Document: Social Cost of Carbon, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide
Interim Estimates Under Executive Order 13990''
AGENCY: Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the
President.
ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), on behalf of the
co-chairs of the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of
Greenhouse Gases, including the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) and
the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), request comments on
``Technical Support Document: Social Cost of Carbon, Methane, and
Nitrous Oxide Interim Estimates under Executive Order 13990,'' released
on February 26, 2021, available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/TechnicalSupportDocument_SocialCostofCarbonMethaneNitrousOxide.pdf. The
estimates of the social cost of carbon (SC-CO2), social cost
of methane (SC-CH4), and social cost of nitrous oxide (SC-
N2O), collectively called the Social Cost of Greenhouse
Gases (SC-GHG), are used to estimate the value to society of marginal
reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, or conversely, the social costs
of increasing such emissions, in the policy making process.
DATES: To ensure consideration, comments must be in writing and
received by June 21, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov (our
preferred method). Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
Please note that we cannot provide an option for written or faxed
comments at this time due to COVID-19 protocols. Please submit comments
electronically.
All comments and recommendations submitted in response to this
notice will be made available to the public. For this reason, please do
not include in your comments information of a confidential nature, such
as sensitive personal information or proprietary information. The
www.regulations.gov website is an ``anonymous access'' system, which
means OMB will not know your identity or contact information unless you
provide it in the body of your comment.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, contact:
Italy Martin, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget, Email:
[email protected], Telephone: (202) 395-
1046.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal agencies began regularly
incorporating SC-CO2 estimates in benefit-cost analyses
conducted under Executive Order (E.O.) 12866 in 2008, following a court
ruling in which an agency was ordered to consider the value of reducing
carbon dioxide emissions in a rulemaking process. In 2009, an original
interagency working group (IWG) was established to ensure that agencies
were using the best available science and to promote consistency in the
estimated values. The IWG published SC-CO2 estimates in
2010. These estimates were updated in 2013. In August 2016, the IWG
published a technical support document (TSD) providing SC-
CH4 and SC-N2O estimates using methodologies that
are consistent with the methodology underlying the SC-CO2
estimates.
The Technical Support Document (interim TSD) released on February
26, 2021, provides an interim update of SC-GHG estimates, which are
reported in 2020 dollars, but otherwise use identical methods and
inputs to those presented in the 2016 version of the TSD and its
Addendum, including the same three peer-reviewed integrated assessment
models. In addition, the interim TSD discusses scientific and economic
advances that have been made since the time of the last updates to the
IWG SC-GHG estimates. This notice requests public comment on the
interim TSD as well as on how best to incorporate the latest peer-
reviewed science and economics literature in order to develop an
updated set of SC-GHG estimates. CEA, OMB, and OSTP request that
comments be submitted electronically to OMB by [45 days after
publication in the Federal Register] through www.regulations.gov.
Outline of Notice
1. Background
2. Issues for Comment
1. Background
A robust and scientifically founded assessment of the positive and
negative impacts that an action can be expected to have on society is a
core tenet of the policy-making process. This is particularly important
in the area of climate change. In order to meet this charge, the
Executive Branch has developed a set of estimates that represent the
monetized impact to society associated with an incremental change in
greenhouse gas emissions. These estimates have been developed over the
course of many years, using the best science and economics available,
and with input from the public.
The latest iteration of this longstanding policy was launched by
the re-constituted Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of
Greenhouse Gases, which was re-established by Executive Oder (E.O.)
13990. The re-constituted IWG is committed to ensuring that the
estimates agencies consider when monetizing the value of changes in
greenhouse gas emissions resulting from regulations and other relevant
agency actions continue to reflect the best available science and
methodologies. In order to meet this charge, the IWG issued an interim
Technical Support Document on February 26, 2021. It presents interim
estimates of the social cost of carbon, methane, and nitrous oxide, as
directed
[[Page 24670]]
by E.O. 13990. In addition, the Executive Order tasked the IWG with the
following:
(1) Publishing a final update to the SC-GHG estimates no later than
January 2022;
(2) providing recommendations by Sept 1, 2021, regarding areas of
decision-making, budgeting, and procurement by the Federal Government
where the SC-GHG estimates should be applied;
(3) providing recommendations by June 1, 2022, regarding a process
for reviewing and, as appropriate, updating the SC-GHG estimates to
ensure that these estimates are based on the best available economics
and science;
(4) providing recommendations, to be published with the January
2022 SC-GHG estimates if feasible, to revise methodologies for SC-GHG
calculations to the extent that current methodologies do not adequately
take account of climate risk, environmental justice, and
intergenerational equity; and
(5) considering the recommendations of the National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) as reported in Valuing
Climate Damages: Updating Estimation of the Social Cost of Carbon
Dioxide (2017) and other pertinent scientific literature; engaging with
the public and stakeholders; seeking the advice of ethics experts, and
ensuring that the SC-GHG estimates reflect the interests of future
generations in avoiding threats posed by climate change.
2. Issues for Comment
The IWG is issuing this notice in order to facilitate early and
robust interaction with the public on this key aspect of this
Administration's climate policy.
Request for Comment: The Co-Chairs of the IWG request comments, and
any studies or other useful materials related to, the following:
The general advances in science and economics included in
this interim TSD, available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/TechnicalSupportDocument_SocialCostofCarbonMethaneNitrousOxide.pdf;
Approaches to implementing the recommendations of the
NASEM as reported in Valuing Climate Damages: Updating Estimation of
the Social Cost of Carbon Dioxide (2017), including recommendations for
how the IWG should prioritize and respond to these recommendations;
Other recent advances in science and economics, beyond
those presented in the interim TSD, that could be incorporated into the
pending update, including approaches to adequately take account of
climate risk, environmental justice, and intergenerational equity;
How best to reflect the latest scientific and economic
understanding of discount rates appropriate for intergenerational
analysis when using the interim SC-GHG estimates; and
Areas of decision-making, budgeting, and procurement by
the Federal Government where the SC-GHG estimates should be applied.
Dominic J. Mancini,
Deputy Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2021-09679 Filed 5-6-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3110-01-P
