Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: RFS Pathways II, and Technical Amendments to the RFS Standards and E15 Misfueling Mitigation Requirements

Byron Bunker
Environmental Protection Agency
June 23, 2015

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 120 (Tuesday, June 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35950-35951]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-15467]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2012-0401; FRL-9929-55-OAR]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: RFS Pathways II, and Technical 
Amendments to the RFS Standards and E15 Misfueling Mitigation 
Requirements

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), ``Regulation of Fuels 
and Fuel Additives: RFS Pathways II, and Technical Amendments to the 
RFS Standards and E15 Misfueling Mitigation Requirement'' (EPA ICR No. 
2520.01., OMB Control No. 2060-NEW 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 request for 
approval of a new collection. 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 August 24, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2012-0401, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), 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: Geanetta Heard, Fuels Compliance 
Center, 6406J, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. 
NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-343-9017; fax number: 
202-565-2085; email address: heard.geanetta@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: In the final rule, EPA finalized the renewable fuels 
standard (RFS) program regulations at 40 CFR part 80, subpart M. We 
believe these provisions will facilitate the introduction of new 
renewable fuels as well as improve implementation of the program. These 
provisions includes various changes related to biogas including changes 
to the revised compressed natural gas (CNG)/liquefied

[[Page 35951]]

natural gas (LNG) pathway and amendments to various associated 
registration, recordkeeping, and reporting provisions. The final 
regulation includes a lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions analysis for 
renewable electricity, renewable diesel and naphtha produced from 
landfill biogas. Adding these new pathways will enhance the ability of 
the biofuels industry to supply advanced biofuels, including cellulosic 
biofuels, which greatly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) 
compared to the petroleum-based fuels they replace. It also addresses 
``nameplate capacity'' issues for certain production facilities that do 
not claim exemption from the 20 percent GHG reduction threshold. In the 
accompanying final rule for this ICR, EPA addressed issues related to 
crop residue and corn kernel fiber and finalized an approach to 
determining the volume of cellulosic Renewable Identification Numbers 
(RIN's) produced from various cellulosic feedstocks. We also included a 
lifecycle analysis of advanced butanol and discussed the potential to 
allow for commingling of compliant products at the retail facility 
level as long as the environmental performance of the fuels would not 
be detrimental. Several other amendments to the RFS2 program were 
included.
    In the final rule, EPA also amended various changes to the E15 
(gasoline containing up to 15 volume percent ethanol) mis-fueling 
mitigation regulations (MMR) at 40 CFR part 80, subpart N. Among the 
E15 changes finalized were technical corrections and amendments to 
sections dealing with labeling, E15 surveys, product transfer 
documents, and prohibited acts. Technical amendments and corrections 
for this regulations had no bearings on the industry estimates.
    Lastly, EPA finalized changes to the survey requirements associated 
with the ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) program. This change is not 
addressed here because there are fewer than nine respondents.
    Form Numbers: 2
RFS1700-RFS2 Renewable Fuel Producers--Cellulosic Converted Fraction--
5900-362
RFS1300-RFS2 Renewable Fuel Producers Using Crop Residue as a Feedstock 
Report--5900-262
    Respondents/affected entities: Producers of renewable fuels, 
Producers of renewable electricity, Importers of renewable fuels, 
Feedstock producers from waste treatment plants, Feedstock producers 
from landfills, Parties who own RINS's.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory.
    Estimated number of respondents: 60 (total).
    Frequency of response: Quarterly, annually, on occasion.
    Total estimated burden: 8,889 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $1,081,415 (per year), includes $0 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates EPA estimates yearly 60 respondents and 8,889 
burden hours which will cost industry $1,081,415. This is a new 
collection with no industry cost for comparison.

    Dated: June 15, 2015.
Byron Bunker,
Director, Compliance Division, Office of Transportation and Air 
Quality, Office of Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 2015-15467 Filed 6-22-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P