

[Federal Register: December 6, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 234)]
[Notices]               
[Page 68879-68880]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06de07-52]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0529; FRL-8502-8]

 
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; ENERGY STAR[supreg] Product 
Labeling (Renewal); EPA ICR No. 2078.02, OMB Control No. 2060-0528

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 January 7, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2007-0529, to (1) EPA online using http://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, Air and Radiation 
Docket, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 
20460, and (2) OMB by mail to: 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: Rachel Schmeltz, Climate Protection 
Partnerships Division, Office of Air and Radiation, Mailcode 6202J, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-343-9124; fax number: 202-
343-2200; e-mail address: schmeltz.rachel@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 July 13, 2007 (72 FR 38573), 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-2007-0529 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

[[Page 68880]]

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: ENERGY STAR[supreg] Product Labeling (Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2078.02, OMB Control No. 2060-0528.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2007. 
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: ENERGY STAR is a voluntary program developed in 
collaboration with industry to create a self-sustaining market for 
energy efficient products. The centerpiece of the program is the ENERGY 
STAR label, a registered certification label that helps consumers 
identify products that save energy, save money, and help protect the 
environment without sacrificing quality or performance. In order to 
protect the integrity of the label and enhance its effectiveness in the 
marketplace, EPA must ensure that products carrying the label meet 
appropriate program requirements. Since ENERGY STAR is a self-
certification program, it is important that program participants submit 
signed Partnership Agreements indicating that they will adhere to logo-
use guidelines and that participating products meet specified energy 
performance criteria based on a standard test method.
    As part of our contribution to the overall success of the program, 
EPA has agreed to facilitate the sale of qualifying products by 
providing consumers with easy-to-use information about the products. To 
be effective, EPA must receive qualifying product information from 
participating manufacturers. Partners are requested to submit updates 
to qualifying product information on an annual basis, at minimum, so as 
to ensure that EPA information is recent and accurate. The information 
will be compiled into a complete qualifying product list per product 
category, posted on the ENERGY STAR Web site, and supplied to those 
purchasers who request it via phone, fax, or e-mail. In addition, 
because of the nature of these products, manufacturers of roof products 
and residential light fixtures are requested to submit testing reports 
in order to verify qualification.
    In order to monitor progress and support the best allocation of 
resources, EPA also asks manufacturers to submit annual shipment data 
for the ENERGY STAR qualifying products. EPA is flexible as to the 
methods by which manufacturers may submit unit shipment data. For 
example, if manufacturers already submit this type of information to a 
third party, such as a trade association, they are given the option of 
arranging for shipment data to be sent to EPA via this third party to 
avoid duplication of efforts and to ensure confidentiality. In using 
any shipment data received directly from a partner, EPA will mask the 
source of the data so as to protect confidentiality.
    Finally, Partners that wish to receive recognition for their 
efforts in ENERGY STAR may submit an application for the Partner of the 
Year award.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 89.33 
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: Respondents for this information 
collection request include Partners in ENERGY STAR. Partners are 
product manufacturers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 692.
    Frequency of Response: Initially/one-time and annually.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 89,150 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $7,056,533, includes $238,831 
annualized capital or O&M costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 18,483 hours in 
the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. Although the estimated burden for each individual 
collection decreased, the overall increase in burden hours reflects the 
increased number of ENERGY STAR qualified roof products and residential 
light fixtures for which Partners are required to submit testing 
reports along with qualifying product information. The currently 
approved ICR estimated 654 submissions, whereas this ICR estimates 
4,464 submissions for this activity. This change is an adjustment to 
the burden estimates.

    Dated: November 29, 2007.
Sara Hisel-McCoy,
Director, Collections Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E7-23652 Filed 12-5-07; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
