Proposed Agency Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Servicing of Motor Vehicle Air Conditioners (Renewal)

Cynthia A. Newberg
Environmental Protection Agency
16 April 2021

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 72 (Friday, April 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20146-20147]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07848]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0040; FRL--10022-60-OAR]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Servicing of Motor Vehicle Air Conditioners (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), ``Servicing of Motor 
Vehicle Air Conditioners (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1617.10, OMB Control 
No. 2060-0247) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. 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 December 31, 
2021. 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 June 15, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2021-0040, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by 
email to a-and-r-docket@epa.gov. Out of an abundance of caution for 
members of the public and our staff, the EPA Docket Center and Reading 
Room are closed to the public, with limited exceptions, to reduce the 
risk of transmitting COVID-19. Our Docket Center staff will continue to 
provide remote customer service via email, phone, and webform. We 
encourage the public to submit comments via https://www.regulations.gov 
or email, as there may be a delay in processing mail and faxes. Hand 
deliveries and couriers may be received by scheduled appointment only. 
For further information on EPA Docket Center services and the current 
status, please visit us online at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    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: Chenise Farquharson, Stratospheric 
Protection Division, Office of Atmospheric Programs (Mail Code 6205T), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, 
DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-7768; email address: 
farquharson.chenise@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 EPA is temporarily suspending its 
Docket Center and Reading Room for public visitors, with limited 
exceptions, to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19. Our Docket 
Center staff will continue to provide remote customer service via 
email, phone, and webform. We encourage the public to submit comments 
via https://www.regulations.gov or email, as there may be a delay in 
processing mail and faxes. Hand deliveries and couriers may be received 
by scheduled appointment only. The telephone number for the Docket 
Center is 202-566-1744. For further information on EPA Docket Center 
services and the current status, please visit us online at https://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: Section 609 of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (Act) 
provides general guidelines for the servicing of motor vehicle air 
conditioners (MVACs). It states that ``no person repairing or servicing 
motor vehicles for consideration may perform any service on a motor 
vehicle air conditioner involving the refrigerant for such air 
conditioner without properly using approved refrigerant recycling 
equipment and no such person may perform such service unless such 
person has been properly trained and certified.'' In 1992, EPA 
developed regulations under section 609 that were published in 57 FR 
31240 and codified at 40 CFR Subpart B (Section 82.30 et seq.). The 
information required to be collected under the section 609 regulations 
is: Approved refrigerant handling equipment; approved independent 
standards testing organizations; technician training and certification; 
and certification, reporting and recordkeeping.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: The following is a list of NAICS 
codes for organizations potentially affected by the information 
requirements covered under this ICR. It is meant to include any 
establishment that may service or maintain motor vehicle air 
conditioners.

4411 Automobile Dealers
4413 Automotive Parts, Accessories, and Tire Stores
44711 Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores
8111 Automotive Repair and Maintenance
811198 All Other Automotive Repair and Maintenance

    Other affected groups include independent standards testing 
organizations and organizations with technician certification programs.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory (40 CFR 82.36, 82.38, 
82.40, 82.42).
    Estimated number of respondents: 46,033 (per year).
    Frequency of response: On occasion, biennially, only once.

[[Page 20147]]

    Total estimated burden: 4,165 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $ 213,153 (per year), includes $0 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: There is an increase of 35 hours in the total 
estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by 
OMB. This increase is due in part to an increase in the number of motor 
vehicle establishments in the United States. This correlates with an 
increase in the number of establishments that send refrigerants off-
site for recycling or reclamation.

Cynthia A. Newberg,
Director, Stratospheric Protection Division.
[FR Doc. 2021-07848 Filed 4-15-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P