Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review and Approval; Comment Request; NSPS for Onshore Natural Gas Processing Plants (Renewal), ICR Number 1086.07, OMB Number 2060-0120

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on October 31, 2004. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. This ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

DATES:

Additional comments may be submitted on or before December 3, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OECA-2004-0005, to (1) EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail to docket.oeca@epa.gov, or by mail to: Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center, Mail Code 2201T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB at: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dan Chadwick, Compliance Assessment and Media Programs Division, Office of Compliance, Mail Code 2223A, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-7054; fax number: (202) 564-0050; email address: chadwick.dan@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12. On May 25, 2004, (69 FR 29718), EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments.

EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID No. OECA-2004-0005, which is available for public viewing at the Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center is: (202) 566-1752. An electronic version of the public docket is available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) at http://www.epa.gov/edocket . Use EDOCKET to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are available electronically. When in the system, select “search,” then key in the docket ID number identified above.

Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice. EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, confidential business information (CBI), or other information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that material in the version of the comment that is placed in EDOCKET. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket. Although identified as an item in the official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the official public docket, and will not be available for public viewing in EDOCKET. For further information about the electronic docket, see EPA's Federal Register notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102 (May 31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov/edocket .

Title: NSPS for Onshore Natural Gas Processing Plants (40 CFR Part 60, Subparts KKK and LLL) (Renewal)

Abstract: The New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for Equipment Leaks of VOC From Onshore Natural Gas Processing Plants, published at 40 CFR part 60, subpart KKK, were proposed on January 20, 1984, and promulgated on June 24, 1985. These standards apply to the following affected facilities located at onshore natural gas processing plants: Compressors in VOC service or in wet gas service, and the group of all equipment (except compressors) within a process unit. Affected facilities commenced construction, modification or reconstruction after the date of proposal.

The New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for Onshore Natural Gas Processing: SO₂ Emissions, published at 40 CFR part 60, subpart LLL, were proposed on January 20, 1984 and promulgated on October 1, 1985. These standards apply to the following affected facilities located at onshore natural gas processing plants: Each sweetening unit, and each sweetening unit followed by a sulfur recovery unit. Affected facilities commenced construction, modification or reconstruction after the date of proposal.

Owners or operators of affected facilities must submit notifications of any construction/reconstruction, modification, actual date of startup, demonstration of a continuous monitoring system, and date of a performance test. Note that the use of control devices and continuous monitoring is not required by subpart KKK, but is an option for compliance. Owners or operators of affected facilities must submit semiannual reports and performance test results. Note that subpart LLL requires semiannual reporting of excess emissions. Owners or operators subject to subpart KKK must keep various records, including records of leak detection and repair, records of compliance tests, and records of pumps and valves that are exempted from certain monitoring requirements. Owners or operators subject to subpart LLL must keep records of various calculations and measurements.

This information is being collected to determine compliance with NSPS subparts KKK and LLL. Responses to this information collection are deemed to be mandatory, per section 114 (a) of the Clean Air Act.

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. The OMB Control Numbers for EPA's regulations are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR chapter 15, and are identified on the form and/or instrument, if applicable.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 91 hours per response. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide information to or for a federal agency. This includes the time needed to review instructions; develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements; train personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information; search data sources; complete and review the collection of information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.

Respondents/Affected Entities: Owners or operators of onshore natural gas processing plants with affected facilities constructed, reconstructed or modified after January 20, 1984.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 563.

Frequency of Response: On occasion, semiannual.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 149,174 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Costs: $9,857,058, which includes $219,000 annualized capital/startup costs, $119,700 annual O&M costs, and $9,518,358 annual labor costs.

Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 35,138 hours in the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens. This increase is due to an increase in the number of respondents and an adjustment to the recordkeeping and reporting burden.