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

Byron J. Bunker
Environmental Protection Agency
September 3, 2014

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 170 (Wednesday, September 3, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52317-52318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-20914]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2014-0548; FRL-9916-16-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

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. 1591.26, 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 12/
31/2014. 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 November 3, 2014.

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 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

[[Page 52318]]

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 the 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). The 
Environmental Protection Agency (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 for 
the production, importation, transport and storage of gasoline, in 
order to demonstrate compliance and facilitate compliance and 
enforcement. 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 133 
billion gallons, of which about 30% is RFG. In 2013 EPA received 
reports from 255 refineries, 60 importer facilities/facility groups, 51 
oxygenate blending facilities, 25 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, and also provides that EPA must develop 
an enforceable scheme. Sections 114 and 208 of the Clean Air Act, 42 
U.S.C. 7414 and 7542, authorize EPA to require recordkeeping and 
reporting regarding enforcement of the provisions of Title II of the 
Clean Air Act.
    Information claimed as confidential is handled in accordance with 
EPA Freedom of Information Act regulations at 40 CFR 2. Most of the 
information submitted is claimed as such, and the forms have a simple 
check-off for this. Data submitted electronically are encrypted. Hard 
copies are housed in a secure area. Electronic files are in the same 
area on a secure data base.
    Form Numbers: Reformulated Gasoline and Conventional Gasoline 
reporting is now required to be completed electronically. The reporting 
is to be made through The EPA Fuels Programs Reporting Forms: 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, SIC codes: Refiners (2911), importers (5172), terminals 
(5171), pipelines (4613), truckers and other distributors (4212), and 
retailers/wholesale purchaser-consumers (5541). 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: 4,068.
    Frequency of response: Quarterly, Annually, on Occasion.
    Total estimated burden: 127,041 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $41,007,628 (per year), includes $12,177,318 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance 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 21, 2014.
Byron J. Bunker,
Director, Compliance Division, Office of Transportation and Air 
Quality.
[FR Doc. 2014-20914 Filed 9-2-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P