
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 156 (Tuesday, August 15, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55453-55454]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17466]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0691; FRL-11139-01-OAR]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Information 
Collection Request; Comment Request; Implementation of the Fine 
Particulate Matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards 
(Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to 
submit an information collection request (ICR), Implementation of the 
Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards (Renewal) (EPA ICR Number 2258.06; OMB Control Number 2060-
0611) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). Before 
doing so, the EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of 
the proposed information collection as described below. This is a 
proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through 
January 31, 2024. This notice allows for 60 days for public comments.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 16, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OAR-2013-069, to the EPA online using https://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. The 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. Leigh Herrington, Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
Mailcode C539-01, Post Office Box 12055, Research Triangle Park, NC 
27711; telephone number: 919-541-0882; fax number: (919) 541-2225; 
email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a proposed extension of the ICR, 
which is currently approved through January 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 https://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 Paperwork Reduction Act 
(PRA), the 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 forms of information 
technology. The 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, the 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 PM2.5 NAAQS State Implementation Plan 
(SIP) Requirements Rule (PM2.5 SIP Requirements Rule) was 
effective on October 24, 2016 (81 FR 58010, August 24, 2016). This rule 
provides the framework of Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements for air 
agencies to develop state implementation plans to attain and maintain 
the PM2.5 NAAQS. States have applied this framework to 
develop attainment plans and redesignation requests and maintenance 
plans for areas designated nonattainment for the 1997 PM2.5 
NAAQS, the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS, and the 2012 PM2.5 
NAAQS. This proposed ICR renewal covers the

[[Page 55454]]

period February 1, 2024-January 31, 2027.
    The initial ICR finalized with the PM2.5 NAAQS SIP 
Requirements Rule estimated, for the 3 years following the ICR approval 
date, the burden associated with plan development and plan revisions 
related to ongoing implementation efforts in 31 areas designated 
nonattainment for the 1997, 2006 and/or 2012 PM2.5 NAAQS. 
The estimates included the burden to develop and submit, and the burden 
to the EPA to review and to approve or disapprove, attainment plans to 
meet the requirements prescribed in CAA sections 110 and part D, 
subparts 1 and 4 of title I. A PM2.5 NAAQS attainment plan 
contains rules and other measures designed to improve air quality and 
achieve the NAAQS by the deadlines established under the CAA. It also 
must address several additional CAA requirements related to 
demonstrating timely attainment and must contain contingency measures 
in the event the nonattainment area does not achieve reasonable further 
progress throughout the attainment period or in the event the area does 
not attain the NAAQS by its attainment date. States that have attained 
by the applicable attainment date may be eligible to submit a 
redesignation request and maintenance plan to receive a redesignation 
from ``nonattainment'' to ``attainment.'' After a state submits an 
attainment or maintenance plan, the CAA requires the EPA to take action 
on the plan. Tribes located within the geographic boundary of a 
nonattainment area may develop or submit attainment plans, but they are 
not required to do so.
    This ICR supersedes the existing ICR--for which the EPA is 
proposing renewal in this action--for purposes of PM2.5 
NAAQS implementation.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: State and local governments.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory.
    Estimated number of respondents: 12.
    Frequency of response: Once per triggering event [i.e., an air 
agency is required to revise and submit a SIP revision when the area is 
initially designated as nonattainment, reclassified to a higher 
classification, when an areas fails to achieve reasonable further 
progress, when a Serious nonattainment area fails to timely attain, 
and/or when a state requests redesignation for a PM2.5 
nonattainment area that attains the NAAQS)].
    Total estimated burden: 24,900 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $1.76M (present value per year), which 
includes $0 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 1800 hours of 
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This decrease is due to the reduction in nonattainment 
areas from 18 to 12. While the hours decreased due to the fewer number 
of respondents, there is a present-day value increase in estimated 
costs due to the increase in labor rates and the need for several areas 
to continue to develop plans to help address complex air quality 
issues.

Scott Mathias,
Director, Air Quality Policy Division.
[FR Doc. 2023-17466 Filed 8-14-23; 8:45 am]
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