[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 20, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43124-43125]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-17836]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2014-0548; FRL-9998-52-OAR]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Reformulated Gasoline and Conventional Gasoline: Requirements for 
Refiners, Oxygenate Blenders, and Importers of Gasoline; Requirements 
for Parties in the Gasoline Distribution Network (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Reformulated Gasoline and 
Conventional Gasoline: Requirements for Refiners, Oxygenate Blenders, 
and Importers of Gasoline; Requirements for Parties in the Gasoline 
Distribution Network'' (EPA ICR No. 1591.27, OMB Control No. 2060-0277) 
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 collection as described below. This is a 
proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through 5/
31/2020. 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 October 21, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2014-0548 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: Jose Solar, Office of Transportation 
and Air Quality, (Mail Code 6405A), Environmental Protection Agency, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-
343-9027; fax number: 202-343-2801; email address: solar.jose@epa.gov.

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, 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 http://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

[[Page 43125]]

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: Gasoline combustion is a major source of air pollution in 
most urban areas. In the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act (Act), 
section 211(k), Congress required that gasoline dispensed in nine areas 
with severe air quality problems, and areas that opt-in, be 
reformulated to reduce toxic and ozone-forming emissions. (Ozone is 
also known as smog.) Congress also required that, in the process of 
producing reformulated gasoline (RFG), dirty components removed in the 
reformulation process not be ``dumped'' into the remainder of the 
country's gasoline, known as conventional gasoline (CG). EPA 
promulgated regulations at 40 CFR part 80, subpart D--Reformulated 
Gasoline, subpart E--Anti-Dumping, and subpart F--Attest Engagements, 
implementing the statutory requirements, which include standards for 
RFG (80.41) and CG (80.101). The regulations also contain reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements pertaining to the production, importation, 
transport and storage of gasoline, in order for the regulated parties 
to demonstrate compliance and to facilitate compliance oversight and 
enforcement by the EPA. The program is run by the Compliance Division, 
Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Office of Air and Radiation. 
Enforcement is done by the Air Enforcement Division, Office of 
Regulatory Enforcement, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. 
This program excludes California, which has separate requirements for 
gasoline.
    The United States has an annual gasoline consumption of about 135 
billion gallons, of which about 30 percent is RFG. In 2017 EPA received 
reports from 255 refineries, 500 importer facilities/facility groups, 
2,068 oxygenate blending facilities, 94 independent laboratory 
facilities, and the RFG Survey Association, Inc. under this program.
    Section 211(k) of the Act requires the Administrator to promulgate 
regulations establishing requirements for RFG to be used in gasoline-
fueled vehicles in the nine specified nonattainment areas, and opt-in 
areas. The Act specifically provides that recordkeeping, reporting, and 
sampling and testing requirements are among the tools EPA may use in 
enforcement of the provisions.
    Information claimed as confidential by regulated parties is handled 
in accordance with EPA Freedom of Information Act regulations at 40 CFR 
part 2.
    Electronic files received by the Agency are stored in a secure data 
base.
    Form numbers: RFG and CG reporting is now required to be completed 
electronically. The reporting is to be made through the EPA Fuels 
Programs Reporting Forms which are available on the following website: 
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fuels/reporting/index.htm.
    Respondents/affected entities: Recordkeeping and, in some cases, 
reporting are required by the following gasoline marketing-related 
industries, Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes: Refiners 
(2911), importers (5172), terminals (5171), pipelines (4613), truckers 
and other distributors (4212), and retailers/wholesale purchaser-
consumers (5541). North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 
codes: Refiners (324110), pipelines (486910) and terminals (424710). 
Not all NAICS codes for the responsible reporting parties were found. 
These are, however, parties which are obligated to report: Importers, 
truckers and other distributors and retailers/wholesale purchaser-
consumers. Some refiners are importers but that is not always the case. 
Many of the required records are generated and maintained currently in 
the normal course of business. Without the required records EPA would 
be unable to enforce the Congressionally-mandated RFG and anti-dumping 
requirements.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory per 40 CFR part 80.
    Estimated number of respondents: 4,283.
    Frequency of response: Quarterly, annually, on occasion.
    Total estimated burden: 127,246 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $39,473,568 (per year), includes $24,713,032 
in none-labor costs.
    Changes in estimates: Compared with the ICR currently approved by 
OMB, there is no change of burden hours. There is an increase in the 
total burden cost due to the update in labor salaries.

    Dated: August 13, 2019.
Byron J. Bunker,
Director, Compliance Division, Office of Transportation and Air 
Quality, Office of Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 2019-17836 Filed 8-19-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


