Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; EPA's Light-Duty In-Use Vehicle Testing Program

Courtney Kerwin
Environmental Protection Agency
30 April 2021

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 82 (Friday, April 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22961-22962]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-09013]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0690; FRL--10023-43-OMS]


Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; EPA's Light-Duty In-Use Vehicle Testing 
Program

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), EPA's Light-Duty In-Use Vehicle 
Testing Program (EPA ICR Number 0222.12, OMB Control Number 2060-0086) 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed 
extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through June 30, 
2021. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal 
Register on October 9, 2020 during a 60-day comment period. This notice 
allows for an additional 30 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 June 1, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to EPA, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-
HQ-OAR-2010-0690, 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.
    Submit written comments and recommendations to OMB for the proposed 
information collection within 30 days of publication of this notice to 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information 
collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynn Sohacki, Compliance Division, 
Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 2000 Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105; telephone 
number: 734-214-4851; fax number: 734-214-4869; email address: 
sohacki.lynn@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.
    Abstract: EPA has an ongoing program to evaluate the emissions 
performance of light-duty motor vehicles (i.e., passenger cars and 
light trucks) after they have been introduced into commerce. This 
program, known as EPA's ``in-use'' program, operates in conjunction 
with other motor vehicle emissions testing programs conducted by the 
Agency and the light-duty motor vehicle manufacturers. These other test 
programs include confirmatory certification testing of prototype 
vehicles by manufacturers and EPA and the mandatory manufacturer in-use 
verification program (IUVP.) The Clean Air Act directs EPA to ensure 
that motor vehicles comply with emissions requirements throughout their 
useful

[[Page 22962]]

lives. The primary purpose of EPA's in-use program is information 
gathering. Nevertheless, EPA can require a recall if it receives 
information, from whatever source, including in-use testing, that a 
``substantial number'' of any class or category of vehicles or engines, 
although properly maintained and used, do not conform to the emission 
standards, when in actual use throughout their useful life.
    The EPA in-use program can be broken down into three closely 
related components. The first component involves the selection of 
classes of passenger cars and light trucks, totaling approximately 119 
vehicles, for surveillance testing at EPA's National Vehicle and Fuel 
Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL.) In some cases, surveillance testing may 
be followed by confirmatory testing to develop additional information 
related to test failures observed in a class during surveillance 
testing. Confirmatory testing involves the selection of approximately 
10 passenger cars and light trucks per class, averaging approximately 8 
vehicles per year, for further testing at EPA's NVFEL. Confirmatory 
testing differs from surveillance testing in that the vehicles must 
meet stricter maintenance and use criteria. However, the emissions 
tests that are conducted are the same for surveillance and confirmatory 
testing. The second program component involves the testing of a subset 
of vehicles from the surveillance recruitment for operation of on-board 
diagnostics (OBD) systems. EPA does not currently recruit vehicles for 
OBD testing but includes the testing in this ICR in the event that OBD 
testing is resumed. The third component involves the special 
investigation of vehicles to address specific issues. The number of 
vehicles procured under this category may vary from year to year. 
Participation in the telephone screenings to identify qualifying light-
duty vehicles, as well as the vehicle testing, is strictly voluntary. A 
group of 25 to 50 potential participants is identified from state 
vehicle registration records. These potential participants are asked to 
return a form indicating their willingness to participate and if so, to 
verify some limited vehicle information. Three of those who return the 
form are called and asked several screening questions concerning 
vehicle condition, operation and maintenance. Additional groups of 
potential participants may be contacted until a sufficient number of 
vehicles has been obtained. Owners verify the vehicle screening 
information when they deliver their vehicles to EPA or release the 
vehicle to EPA, voluntarily provide maintenance records for copying, 
receive a cash incentive and, if requested, a loaner car, and finally 
receive their vehicle from EPA at the conclusion of the testing.
    Form Numbers: 5900-304, 5900-305, 5900-306, 5900-307, 5900-308, 
5900-309.
    Respondents/affected entities: Passenger car and light truck 
owners.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.
    Estimated number of respondents: Approximately 993 vehicle owners/
lessees returned EPA's forms indicating interest in participating in 
the program and approximately 127 ultimately participated.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Total estimated burden: 228 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 
5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $5,864 (per year), includes $0 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 74 hours in the 
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This decrease is due to a decrease in the number of 
responses returned to EPA by potential participants and the associated 
burden.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2021-09013 Filed 4-29-21; 8:45 am]
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