Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources Ammonium Sulfate Manufacturing Plants

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D)), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources—Ammonium Sulfate Manufacturing Plants—NSPS Subpart PP (OMB #2060-0032), expiration date 11/30/00. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden and cost; where appropriate, it includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before November 20, 2000.

ADDRESSES:

Send comments, referencing EPA ICR No. 1066.03 and OMB Control No. 2060-0032, to the following addresses: Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Collection Strategies Division (Mail Code 2822), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; and to 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:

For a copy of the ICR contact Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone at (202) 260-2740, by E-Mail at Farmer.Sandy@epamail.epa.gov or download off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No. 1066.03. For technical questions about the ICR contact Stephen Howie at 202-564-4146.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Standards of Performance for Ammonium Sulfate Manufacturing Plants (OMB Control No.2060-0032; EPA ICR No 1066.03), expiration date 11/30/00. This is a request for extension of a currently approved collection.

Abstract: The Administrator has judged that PM emissions from ammonium sulfate manufacturing plants cause or contribute to air pollution that may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare. Owners/operators of ammonium sulfate manufacturing plants must make the following one-time-only reports: notification of the date of construction or reconstruction; notification of the anticipated and actual dates of startup; notification of any physical or operational change to an existing facility which may increase the regulated pollutant emission rate; and the notification of the date of the initial performance test. The recordkeeping requirements for ammonium sulfate plants consist of the occurrence and duration of all start-ups and malfunctions, the initial performance tests results, amount of ammonium sulfate feed material, and the pressure drop across the emission control system. Records of startups, shutdowns and malfunctions shall be noted as they occur. Records of the performance test should include information necessary to determine the conditions of the performance test, and performance test measurements (including pressure drop across the emission control system) and results. The Continuous Monitoring System (CMS) shall record pressure drop across the scrubbers continuously and automatically.

In order to ensure compliance with the standards promulgated to protect public health, adequate reporting and recordkeeping is necessary. In the absence of such information enforcement personnel would be unable to determine whether the standards are being met on a continuous basis, as required by 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. The Federal Register document required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on April 18, 2000; no comments were received.

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: Ammonium sulfate manufacturing facilities.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 2.

Frequency of Response: 1.

Estimated Number of Responses: 2.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 182 hours.

Estimated Total Annualized Capital, O&M Cost Burden: 0.

Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of automated collection techniques to the following addresses. Please refer to EPA ICR No. 1066.03 and OMB Control No. 2060-0032 in any correspondence.