Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles

Byron J. Bunker
Environmental Protection Agency
September 8, 2014

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 173 (Monday, September 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53190-53191]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21307]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0162; FRL-9916-26-OAR]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for 
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards and Fuel Efficiency Standards for 
Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR) ``Greenhouse Gas Emissions 
Standards and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty 
Engines and Vehicles'' (EPA ICR No. 2394.03, OMB Control No. 2060-
0678), 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.). This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently 
approved through February 28, 2015. Public comments were previously 
requested via the Federal Register on September 15, 2011 during a 60-
day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 60 days for 
public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, 
including its estimated burden and cost to the 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.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before November 7, 
2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0162, to (1) EPA 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, and (2) OMB 
via email to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov. Address comments to 
OMB Desk Officer for EPA.
    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

[[Page 53191]]

information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fakhri Hamady, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 2000 Traverwood Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48105; telephone 
number: 734-214-4330; fax number: 734-214-4869; email address: 
hamady.fakhri@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 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. Under ICR 2394.03, EPA collects 
information regarding Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards and Fuel 
Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles.
    Under Title II of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7521 et seq.), EPA 
is charged with issuing certificates of conformity for motor vehicle 
designs and engines that comply with applicable emission standards set 
under section 202(a)(1) of the Act, such as those for CO2, N2O, and CH4 
in the final regulation. This authority was clarified in the Supreme 
Court's decision State of Massachusetts v. EPA, 549 U.S. 497 (2007) 
(holding that greenhouse gases are pollutants under the Clean Air Act). 
Under the statutory authority of 49 U.S.C. 32902, NHTSA is mandated to 
require manufacturers comply with fuel economy and consumption 
standards.
    The manufacturers regulated under this program must: (1) Submit 
applications to certify vehicles; (2) submit reports with early 
estimates to demonstrate their compliance plans; (3) conduct compliance 
testing; (4) label certified vehicles; (5) provide final year-end-
reports with compliance test results; and (6) retain records of 
information submitted to the agencies. A manufacturer must send an 
application for a certificate of conformity and gain approval by EPA 
before it can legally introduce any vehicle or engine into commerce in 
the U.S. To ensure compliance with the CAA and EISA, EPA and NHTSA will 
annually review a manufacturer's submitted information and compliance 
test results. Manufacturer test results will be used by EPA to perform 
confirmatory testing on a sufficient number of engines and vehicles to 
confirm manufacturer-reported results. Limited equipment testing and 
modeling runs will also be performed by NHTSA to confirm manufacturer 
test results.
    EPA's emission certification programs and NHTSA's fuel efficiency 
programs are statutorily mandated. EPA does not have discretion to 
cease these functions. Specifically, under Section 206(a) of the CAA 
(42 U.S.C. 7521).
    EPA and NHTSA also are establishing an Average, Banking and Trading 
(ABT) program, as outlined in 40 CFR 1036.701 and 1037.701, and in 49 
CFR 535.7. Engine and vehicle manufacturers covered by this HD National 
Program have an option to participate in this ABT program. The 
agencies' ABT programs, and others like it, are designed to enhance 
compliance flexibility and reduce the burden on affected manufacturers, 
without compromising the expected emissions benefits derived from EPA's 
emissions standards and NHTSA's fuel consumption standards.
    The information requested is collected by the Diesel Engine 
Compliance Center (DECC), Compliance Division (CD), Office of 
Transportation and Air Quality, Office of Air and Radiation, EPA. DECC 
uses this information to ensure that manufacturers are in compliance 
with applicable regulations and the CAA. The information may also be 
used by EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance and the 
Department of Justice for enforcement purposes. Most of the information 
is collected in electronic format and stored in CD's databases.
    Manufacturers are allowed to 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 Web site or 
upon request under the Freedom of Information Act to trade 
associations, environmental groups, and the public.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are manufacturers of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and 
Vehicles; owners of heavy-duty truck fleets.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Engine manufacturers must 
respond to this collection if they wish to sell their products in the 
US, as prescribed by Section 206(a) of the CAA (42 U.S.C. 7521). 
Participation in ABT is voluntary, but once a manufacturer has elected 
to participate, it must submit the required notifications and annual 
reports (40 CFR 1036.730 and 1037.730). If applicable to a particular 
engine family, compliance programs reporting is mandatory.
    Estimated number of respondents: 34 (total).
    Frequency of response: Quarterly, Annually, On Occasion, depending 
on the type of response.
    Total estimated burden: 41,305 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $4,565,145 (per year), includes $1,458,333 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: There is no change of hours in the total 
estimated burden for ICR 2394.03 from the burden currently identified 
in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens.

    Dated: August 27, 2014.
Byron J. Bunker,
Director, Compliance Division, Office of Transportation and Air 
Quality, Office of Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 2014-21307 Filed 9-5-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P