
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 26, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44581-44582]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18841]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0082, FRL-9443-4]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; EPA's Natural Gas STAR Program 
(Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an 
existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, 
describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated 
burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before August 25, 
2011.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2004-0082, to (1) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) online using 
http://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by e-mail to a-and-r-docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Air and Radiation Docket, Mailcode: 28221T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail to:

[[Page 44582]]

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerome Blackman, Office of Atmospheric 
Programs, Climate Change Division, (6207J), Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 202-343-9630; fax number: 202-343-2202; e-mail address: 
blackman.jerome@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On February 4, 2011 (76 FR 6460), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. Any 
additional comments on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB 
within 30 days of this notice.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0082, which is available for online viewing at 
http://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 8:30 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 EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those 
documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the 
system, select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number 
identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public 
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made 
available for public viewing at http://www.regulations.gov as EPA 
receives them and without change, unless the comment contains 
copyrighted material, confidential business information (CBI), or other 
information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For 
further information about the electronic docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Title: EPA's Natural Gas STAR Program.
    ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 1736.06, OMB Control No. 2060-0328.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on 7/31/2011. Under OMB 
regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the 
collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 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: Natural Gas STAR is an EPA-sponsored, voluntary program 
that encourages oil and natural gas companies to adopt cost-effective 
technologies and practices for reducing methane emissions. By joining, 
Natural Gas STAR partners agree to implement cost-effective 
technologies and practices to reduce methane emissions, which will save 
money, improve operational efficiency, increase natural gas supply, and 
improve environmental quality. EPA needs to collect information to 
monitor Program participation and to obtain general information on new 
Natural Gas STAR partners. EPA also uses the information collected to 
evaluate a partner's progress and performance, assess overall Program 
accomplishments, and develop additional technical guidance documents to 
benefit the industry. Information collection is accomplished through 
the use of an annual reporting process that allows partner companies to 
report their accomplishments in either a traditional hard-copy format 
or electronically. Natural Gas STAR partners may designate information 
submitted under this ICR as CBI. EPA will treat all such information as 
CBI and will not make the company or agency-specific information 
collected under this ICR available to the general public. 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 are 
listed in 40 CFR Part 9 and 48 CFR chapter 15.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 35 
hours per response. 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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: The gathering and processing, 
production, transmission, and distribution sectors of the natural gas 
industry.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 149.
    Frequency of Response: 149.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 5,201.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $477,657, includes $0 annualized 
capital or O&M costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 409 hours in the 
total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. This decrease is attributed to the Program's 
maturity and decrease in number of new Program partners.

    Dated: July 20, 2011.
John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2011-18841 Filed 7-25-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


