Proposed Information Collection Request; Revision; Changes to EPA's Natural Gas STAR Program, 48164-48165 [2024-12260]
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48164
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 5, 2024 / Notices
program and further cooperative
federalism.
At this time, the EPA is working to
consolidate the two burden estimates of
the activities that were previously split
50/50 between this WQS Regulation ICR
and a separate NPDES Program ICR,
OMB Control Number 2040–0004. These
activities are the Great Lakes
Antidegradation Demonstrations and
Great Lakes Regulatory Relief Requests.
The EPA anticipates that by the time
this WQS Regulation ICR renewal is
finalized, the full reporting burden for
both activities would have been
transferred and consolidated within the
NPDES Program ICR. Therefore, the EPA
is not reporting burden estimates for
these two activities in this WQS
Regulation ICR renewal.
Furthermore, this WQS Regulation
ICR does not include estimates for the
burden and costs of activities related to
the changes to protect Tribal Reserved
Rights the EPA made to the Water
Quality Standards Regulation, 40 CFR
part 131, effective on June 3, 2024 (see
89 FR 35717, May 2, 2024). There is a
separate ICR covering those additional
activities to protect Tribal Reserved
Rights, see OMB control number 2040–
0309, EPA ICR 2700.02.Given the
uncertainties in the burden and costs
estimates in that separate ICR, the EPA
expects to revise the estimates based on
experience gained from implementing
the regulation changes to protect Tribal
Reserved Rights. The EPA then expects
to consolidate that revision of the
burden and costs related to the
additional activities to protect Tribal
Reserved Rights into a future renewal of
the WQS Regulation ICR. Therefore, in
the future, the EPA anticipates having
one WQS Regulation ICR that includes
the current separate ICR for the
additional activities to protect Tribal
Reserved Rights.
Form Numbers: None.
Respondents/affected entities:
Potential respondents to this ICR
include: the 50 States, the District of
Columbia, five territories, authorized
Tribes with the EPA-approved water
quality standards (49 Tribes as of May
2024), and a total of 18 additional Tribal
respondents over the three-year
duration of the ICR. The total number of
potential respondents is thus 123.
Respondent’s obligation to respond:
Some collections in this ICR are
mandatory, some are required to obtain
or retain benefits pursuant to the WQS
Regulation, and some are voluntary.
Estimated number of respondents:
123.
Frequency of response: Variable (once
every three years, on occasion or as
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:50 Jun 04, 2024
Jkt 262001
necessary, or only once) depending on
type of information collected.
Total estimated burden: 484,322
hours per year. Burden is defined at 5
CFR 1320.03(b).
Total estimated cost: $24,773,070 in
labor costs and $345,180 in operations
and maintenance costs per year. There
are no annualized capital costs.
Change in estimates: An increase in
13,560 hours in estimated respondent
burden compared with the currently
approved ICR. The increase reflects the
burden hours associated with the
addition of three Tribal respondents for
the information collections on
‘‘Administering State and Tribal WQS’’
and ‘‘Voluntary WQS Program
Information’’. See Supporting Statement
in the docket for more information.
Deborah G. Nagle,
Director, Office of Science and Technology,
Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 2024–12302 Filed 6–4–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–OAR–2016–0731; FRL–11980–01–
OAR]
Proposed Information Collection
Request; Revision; Changes to EPA’s
Natural Gas STAR Program
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is planning to submit a
revision information collection request
(ICR), ‘‘Changes to EPA’s Natural Gas
STAR Program’’ (EPA ICR No. 2547.01,
OMB Control No. 2060–0722) to the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review and approval in
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act. Before doing so, EPA is
soliciting public comments on specific
aspects of the proposed information
collection as described below.
Specifically, EPA is proposing to
remove all program partner reporting
elements from the ICR, leaving the ‘‘Oil
and Gas Equipment and Service
Providers Directory’’ as the only
component covered under this ICR. This
revision is a proposed extension of the
ICR titled ‘‘EPA’s Methane Challenge
and Natural Gas STAR Programs,’’
which is currently approved through
December 31, 2024. This notice allows
for 60 days for public comments.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before August 5, 2024.
SUMMARY:
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Sfmt 4703
Submit your comments,
referencing Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
OAR–2016–0731 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 whose disclosure is
restricted by statute.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Andrew Meluch, Office of Atmospheric
Programs, Climate Change Division,
(6207A), Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone
number: (202) 564–4762; email address:
meluch.andrew@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
revision is a proposed extension of the
ICR titled ‘‘EPA’s Methane Challenge
and Natural Gas STAR Programs,’’
which is currently approved through
December 31, 2024. 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.
This notice allows 60 days for public
comments. 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
ADDRESSES:
E:\FR\FM\05JNN1.SGM
05JNN1
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 5, 2024 / Notices
who are to respond, including through
the use of appropriate forms of
information technology. 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 Natural Gas STAR
Program and Methane Challenge
Partnership (‘‘Gas STAR Programs’’) are
voluntary programs sponsored by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) that have encouraged oil and
natural gas companies to adopt cost
effective technologies and practices that
improve operational efficiency and
reduce methane emissions. Methane is
the primary component of natural gas
and a potent greenhouse gas. The
Programs have worked with oil and
natural gas companies in the
production, gathering & boosting,
processing, transmission & storage, and
distribution segments to remove barriers
that inhibit the implementation of
technologies and practices that reduce
methane emissions. EPA has recently
taken historic steps to tackle wasteful
methane emissions from the oil and gas
sector beyond voluntary action. The
Inflation Reduction Act directed EPA to
implement a suite of actions to swiftly
reduce methane emissions through the
creation of the Methane Emissions
Reductions Program (MERP). On
December 2, 2023, EPA announced final
New Source Performance Standards and
Emissions Guidelines (NSPS/EG) to
regulate the oil and gas industry under
the Clean Air Act, resulting in ambitious
requirements to reduce methane from
both new and existing sources. The
Department of Transportation has also
imposed requirements on the
transmission segment including
implementation of the PIPES Act of
2020. Based on the limited remaining
potential for voluntary actions to reduce
methane emissions, EPA will be
sunsetting the Methane Challenge
Partnership, and transitioning its
outreach efforts to advance ambitious,
sector-wide methane reductions through
technical assistance and outreach under
the Methane Emissions Reduction
Program. This follows EPA’s sunsetting
of the partnership agreements,
implementation plans, and the reporting
component of the Natural Gas STAR
Program in 2022. Updating the ICR for
the Methane Challenge Partnership and
the Natural Gas STAR Program to reflect
these programmatic changes is expected
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:50 Jun 04, 2024
Jkt 262001
to significantly decrease burden by
removing all partner reporting and
partnership related data sharing aspects.
The sole programmatic element
involving voluntary collection of
information the EPA plans to retain is
the Oil and Gas Equipment and Service
Providers Directory. This directory’s
purpose is to share information about
service and technology providers that
can facilitate methane emission
reduction activities in the oil and gas
sector.
Form Numbers: The Natural Gas
STAR Program’s Oil and Gas Equipment
and Service Providers Directory collects
information via a webform, Service
Providers Directory: EPA Form No.
5900–502; located at the following URL:
https://www.epa.gov/natural-gas-starprogram/forms/join-oil-and-gasequipment-and-service-providersdirectory.
Respondents/affected entities: The
Natural Gas STAR Program’s Oil and
Gas Equipment and Service Providers
Directory is open to companies that
offer services, technologies, and/or
equipment that can help oil and gas
operators reduce their methane
emissions. EPA does not specifically
endorse any product, technology,
equipment, or service listed in the
Program’s Directory.
Respondent’s obligation to respond:
Voluntary.
Estimated number of respondents: 50
vendors (total).
Frequency of response: Semi-annual.
Total estimated burden: 13 hours (per
year) for the Natural Gas STAR Program.
Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
Total estimated cost: $3,549 (per year)
for the Natural Gas STAR Program.
There are no capital/start-up costs or
O&M costs associated with this
information collection.
Changes in Estimates: EPA expects
that the burden associated with the final
ICR submission for the Natural Gas
STAR Program will decrease
significantly compared to its previous
estimated burden due to modifying this
ICR to remove all Methane Challenge
partnership agreement forms,
implementation plans, reporting forms,
and fact sheets.
Sharyn Lie,
Director, Climate Change Division.
[FR Doc. 2024–12260 Filed 6–4–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION
Sunshine Act Meetings
TIME AND DATE:
10 a.m., Thursday, June
13, 2024.
PO 00000
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48165
You may observe this meeting in
person at 1501 Farm Credit Drive,
McLean, Virginia 22102–5090, or
virtually. If you would like to observe,
at least 24 hours in advance, visit
FCA.gov, select ‘‘Newsroom,’’ then
select ‘‘Events.’’ From there, access the
linked ‘‘Instructions for board meeting
visitors’’ and complete the described
registration process.
STATUS: This meeting will be open to the
public.
MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: The
following matters will be considered:
• Approval of Minutes for May 9, 2024
• Quarterly Report on Economic
Conditions and Farm Credit System
Condition and Performance
• Semiannual Report on Office of
Examination Operations
CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:
If you need more information or
assistance for accessibility reasons, or
have questions, contact Ashley
Waldron, Secretary to the Board.
Telephone: 703–883–4009. TTY: 703–
883–4056.
PLACE:
Ashley Waldron,
Secretary to the Board.
[FR Doc. 2024–12462 Filed 6–3–24; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 6705–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality
Notice of Meeting
Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ), HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ)
announces a Special Emphasis Panel
(SEP) meeting on ‘‘Evaluation and
Coordinating Center for the AHRQ/
PCORI Learning Health System
Embedded Scientist Training and
Research Centers (U18)’’
DATES: July 9, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality, (Video Assisted
Review), 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville,
Maryland 20857.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jenny Griffith, Committee Management
Officer, Office of Extramural Research,
Education and Priority Populations,
Division of Policy, Coordination, and
Analysis, Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality, (AHRQ), 5600
Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland
20857, Telephone: (301) 427–1557.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\05JNN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48164-48165]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12260]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2016-0731; FRL-11980-01-OAR]
Proposed Information Collection Request; Revision; Changes to
EPA's Natural Gas STAR Program
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to
submit a revision information collection request (ICR), ``Changes to
EPA's Natural Gas STAR Program'' (EPA ICR No. 2547.01, OMB Control No.
2060-0722) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and
approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. Before doing
so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the
proposed information collection as described below. Specifically, EPA
is proposing to remove all program partner reporting elements from the
ICR, leaving the ``Oil and Gas Equipment and Service Providers
Directory'' as the only component covered under this ICR. This revision
is a proposed extension of the ICR titled ``EPA's Methane Challenge and
Natural Gas STAR Programs,'' which is currently approved through
December 31, 2024. This notice allows for 60 days for public comments.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before August 5, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2016-0731 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 whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Meluch, Office of Atmospheric
Programs, Climate Change Division, (6207A), Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone
number: (202) 564-4762; email address: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This revision is a proposed extension of the
ICR titled ``EPA's Methane Challenge and Natural Gas STAR Programs,''
which is currently approved through December 31, 2024. 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.
This notice allows 60 days for public comments. 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
[[Page 48165]]
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate forms of
information technology. 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 Natural Gas STAR Program and Methane Challenge
Partnership (``Gas STAR Programs'') are voluntary programs sponsored by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that have encouraged oil
and natural gas companies to adopt cost effective technologies and
practices that improve operational efficiency and reduce methane
emissions. Methane is the primary component of natural gas and a potent
greenhouse gas. The Programs have worked with oil and natural gas
companies in the production, gathering & boosting, processing,
transmission & storage, and distribution segments to remove barriers
that inhibit the implementation of technologies and practices that
reduce methane emissions. EPA has recently taken historic steps to
tackle wasteful methane emissions from the oil and gas sector beyond
voluntary action. The Inflation Reduction Act directed EPA to implement
a suite of actions to swiftly reduce methane emissions through the
creation of the Methane Emissions Reductions Program (MERP). On
December 2, 2023, EPA announced final New Source Performance Standards
and Emissions Guidelines (NSPS/EG) to regulate the oil and gas industry
under the Clean Air Act, resulting in ambitious requirements to reduce
methane from both new and existing sources. The Department of
Transportation has also imposed requirements on the transmission
segment including implementation of the PIPES Act of 2020. Based on the
limited remaining potential for voluntary actions to reduce methane
emissions, EPA will be sunsetting the Methane Challenge Partnership,
and transitioning its outreach efforts to advance ambitious, sector-
wide methane reductions through technical assistance and outreach under
the Methane Emissions Reduction Program. This follows EPA's sunsetting
of the partnership agreements, implementation plans, and the reporting
component of the Natural Gas STAR Program in 2022. Updating the ICR for
the Methane Challenge Partnership and the Natural Gas STAR Program to
reflect these programmatic changes is expected to significantly
decrease burden by removing all partner reporting and partnership
related data sharing aspects. The sole programmatic element involving
voluntary collection of information the EPA plans to retain is the Oil
and Gas Equipment and Service Providers Directory. This directory's
purpose is to share information about service and technology providers
that can facilitate methane emission reduction activities in the oil
and gas sector.
Form Numbers: The Natural Gas STAR Program's Oil and Gas Equipment
and Service Providers Directory collects information via a webform,
Service Providers Directory: EPA Form No. 5900-502; located at the
following URL: https://www.epa.gov/natural-gas-star-program/forms/join-oil-and-gas-equipment-and-service-providers-directory.
Respondents/affected entities: The Natural Gas STAR Program's Oil
and Gas Equipment and Service Providers Directory is open to companies
that offer services, technologies, and/or equipment that can help oil
and gas operators reduce their methane emissions. EPA does not
specifically endorse any product, technology, equipment, or service
listed in the Program's Directory.
Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.
Estimated number of respondents: 50 vendors (total).
Frequency of response: Semi-annual.
Total estimated burden: 13 hours (per year) for the Natural Gas
STAR Program. Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
Total estimated cost: $3,549 (per year) for the Natural Gas STAR
Program. There are no capital/start-up costs or O&M costs associated
with this information collection.
Changes in Estimates: EPA expects that the burden associated with
the final ICR submission for the Natural Gas STAR Program will decrease
significantly compared to its previous estimated burden due to
modifying this ICR to remove all Methane Challenge partnership
agreement forms, implementation plans, reporting forms, and fact
sheets.
Sharyn Lie,
Director, Climate Change Division.
[FR Doc. 2024-12260 Filed 6-4-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P