[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 18 (Friday, January 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5334-5336]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01631]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-1182; FRL-10234-01-OAR]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Emissions Certification and Compliance Requirements for Nonroad 
Compression-Ignition Engines and On-Highway Heavy Duty Engines 
(Revision)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an 
information collection requests (ICRs) ``Emissions Certification and 
Compliance Requirements for Nonroad Compression-ignition Engines and 
On-highway Heavy Duty Engines (Revision),'' (EPA ICR No. 1684.20, OMB 
Control No. 2060-0287) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public 
comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collections as 
described below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is 
currently approved through March 31, 2023. 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 March 28, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing the Docket ID Number EPA-
HQ-OAR-2007-1182, 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: Ms. Nydia Y. Reyes-Morales, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Mail Code 
6405A, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-343-9264; 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, EPA 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 http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 
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.
    Abstract: For this ICR, EPA is seeking a revision to an existing 
package with a three-year extension.
    Title II of the Clean Air Act, (42 U.S.C. 7521 et seq.; CAA), 
charges the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with issuing 
certificates of conformity for those engines and vehicles that comply 
with applicable emission requirements. Such a certificate must be 
issued before those products may be legally introduced into commerce. 
To

[[Page 5335]]

apply for a certificate of conformity, manufacturers are required to 
submit descriptions of their planned production, detailed descriptions 
of emission control systems and test data. This information is 
organized by ``families,'' groups of engines/vehicles expected to have 
similar emission characteristics.
    The emission values achieved during certification testing may also 
be used in the Averaging, Banking, and Trading (ABT) Program. The 
program allows engine manufacturers to bank credits for engine families 
that emit below the standard and use the credits to certify engine 
families that emit above the standard. They may also trade banked 
credits with other manufacturers. Participation in the ABT program is 
voluntary.
    The CAA also mandates EPA to verify that manufacturers have 
successfully translated their certified prototypes into mass produced 
engines; and that these engines comply with emission standards 
throughout their useful lives. EPA verifies this through `Compliance 
Programs' which include Production Line Testing (PLT), In-use Testing 
and Selective Enforcement Audits, (SEAs). Not all programs apply to all 
industries included in this ICR. PLT, which only applies to marine 
engines, is a self-audit program that allows engine manufacturers to 
monitor their products' emissions profile with statistical certainty 
and minimize the cost of correcting errors through early detection. In-
use testing allows manufacturers and EPA to verify compliance with 
emission standards throughout an engine family's useful life. Through 
SEAs, EPA verifies that test data submitted by engine manufacturers is 
reliable and testing is performed according to EPA regulations.
    Under the Transition Program for Equipment Manufacturers (TPEM), 
NRCI equipment manufacturers were able to delay compliance with Tier 4 
standards for up to seven years as long as they comply with certain 
limitations. The program, which has ended, sought to ease the impact of 
new emission standards on equipment manufacturers as they often need to 
redesign their products to accommodate changes in engine design. 
Although TPEM is no longer available, EPA keeping reporting forms for 
the duration of this collection.
    There are varying recordkeeping and labeling requirements under all 
programs.
    The information requested is collected by the Compliance Division 
(CD), Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Office of Air and 
Radiation, EPA. CD uses this information to issue certificates of 
conformity and ensure that manufacturers comply with applicable 
regulations and the CAA. Some HD data is also used by the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to implement their 
programs under 49 U.S.C. 32902. EPA's and NHTSA's Office of Enforcement 
and Compliance Assurance and the Department of Justice may use the 
information for enforcement purposes. Most of the information is 
collected in electronic format and stored in CD's databases.
    Manufacturers may assert a claim of confidentiality over 
information provided to EPA. Confidentiality is granted in accordance 
with the Freedom of Information Act and EPA regulations at 40 CFR part 
2. Non-confidential information may be disclosed on OTAQ's website or 
upon request under the Freedom of Information Act to trade 
associations, environmental groups, and the public.
    Form Numbers: Most of the information in this request is collected 
electronically through EPA's Engines and Vehicles Compliance 
Information System (EV-CIS). EV-CIS uses webforms to collect most 
certification and some compliance data. Data related some programs is 
collected through Excel-based templates that are then uploaded into 
different components of EV-CIS. Table 2 lists the forms currently used 
in this collection in addition to EPA's database for engine and vehicle 
certification (EV-CIS). Some forms, such as the notification and 
application forms related to TPEM and TPEM hardship relief will be 
discontinued as those programs have expired. EPA is working on 
amendments to the PLT Report for Marine CI forms and the Replacement 
Engine Exemption Report to reflect recent regulatory changes.

                  Table 2--Forms Related to ICR 1684.20
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                      Form                                 No.
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HD/NR Engine Manufacturer Annual Production      5900-90
 Report.
AB&T Report for Nonroad Compression Ignition     5900-125
 Engines.
AB&T Report for Heavy-duty On-highway Engines..  5900-134
AB&T Report for Locomotives....................  5900-274
AB&T Report for Marine Compression-ignition      5900-125
 Engines.
PLT Report for Marine CI CumSum................  5900-297
PLT Report for Marine CI Non-CumSum............  5900-298
PLT Report for Locomotives.....................  5900-135
Locomotive Installation Audit Report...........  5900-273
In-use Testing for Locomotives.................  5900-93
In-use Testing for Non-Road Engines............  5900-93
Replacement Engine Exemption Report............  6900-5414
TPEM Equipment Manufacturer Notification.......  5900-242
TPEM Equipment Manufacturer Report.............  5900-240
TPEM Engine Manufacturer Report................  5900-241
TPEM Importers Notification....................  In process
TPEM Importers Annual Report...................  In process
TPEM Bond Worksheet............................  5900-239
TPEM Hardship Relief Application Questionnaire.  5900-465
TPEM Hardship Relief Prescreening Questionnaire  6900-02
DF Carry-across Comparison Sheet...............  TBD
Sec.   1065 Lab Audit Checklist................  TBD
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    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are manufacturers of engines, equipment, and vehicles in 
the nonroad compression ignition (CI), marine CI, locomotives and 
medium- and heavy-

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duty on-highway industries. There are some requirements for marine CI 
vessel owners and operators and owners of HD truck fleets.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Regulated manufacturers must 
respond to this collection if they wish to sell their products in the 
U.S., as prescribed by section 206(a) of the CAA (42 U.S.C. 7521). 
Participation in some programs such as ABT is voluntary, but once a 
manufacturer has elected to participate, it must submit the required 
information.
    Estimated number of respondents: 2,823 (total).
    Frequency of response: Quarterly, Annually, On Occasion, depending 
on the type of response.
    Total estimated burden: 167,333 hours per year. Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $31,192,402 (per year), includes an estimated 
$18,976,585 annualized capital or maintenance and operational costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: EPA expects that the total estimated 
respondent burden will remain fairly consistent with the burden 
currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens. 
Expected changes to the estimates come from the end of TPEM for all 
power categories (decrease) and the DF validation exercise (increase). 
However, EPA is evaluating information that may lead to a change in the 
estimates.

Byron Bunker,
Director, Compliance Division, Office of Transportation and Air 
Quality, Office of Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 2023-01631 Filed 1-26-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


