Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; ENERGY STAR® Product Labeling (Renewal); EPA ICR No. 2078.02, OMB Control No. 2060-0528

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), 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. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

DATES:

Additional comments may be submitted on or before January 7, 2008.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0529, to (1) EPA online using http://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, Air and Radiation Docket, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail 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:

Rachel Schmeltz, Climate Protection Partnerships Division, Office of Air and Radiation, Mailcode 6202J, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-343-9124; fax number: 202-343-2200; e-mail address: schmeltz.rachel@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 July 13, 2007 (72 FR 38573), EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. Any additional comments on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice.

EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0529 which is available for online viewing at http://www.regulations.gov,, or in person viewing at the Air and Radiation Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC 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 Air and Radiation Docket is 202-566-1742.

Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://www.regulations.gov,, to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select “docket search,” then key in the docket ID number identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing at http://www.regulations.gov 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. For further information about the electronic docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov.

Title: ENERGY STAR® Product Labeling (Renewal).

ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2078.02, OMB Control No. 2060-0528.

ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2007. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 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 in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed either by publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.

Abstract: ENERGY STAR is a voluntary program developed in collaboration with industry to create a self-sustaining market for energy efficient products. The centerpiece of the program is the ENERGY STAR label, a registered certification label that helps consumers identify products that save energy, save money, and help protect the environment without sacrificing quality or performance. In order to protect the integrity of the label and enhance its effectiveness in the marketplace, EPA must ensure that products carrying the label meet appropriate program requirements. Since ENERGY STAR is a self-certification program, it is important that program participants submit signed Partnership Agreements indicating that they will adhere to logo-use guidelines and that participating products meet specified energy performance criteria based on a standard test method.

As part of our contribution to the overall success of the program, EPA has agreed to facilitate the sale of qualifying products by providing consumers with easy-to-use information about the products. To be effective, EPA must receive qualifying product information from participating manufacturers. Partners are requested to submit updates to qualifying product information on an annual basis, at minimum, so as to ensure that EPA information is recent and accurate. The information will be compiled into a complete qualifying product list per product category, posted on the ENERGY STAR Web site, and supplied to those purchasers who request it via phone, fax, or e-mail. In addition, because of the nature of these products, manufacturers of roof products and residential light fixtures are requested to submit testing reports in order to verify qualification.

In order to monitor progress and support the best allocation of resources, EPA also asks manufacturers to submit annual shipment data for the ENERGY STAR qualifying products. EPA is flexible as to the methods by which manufacturers may submit unit shipment data. For example, if manufacturers already submit this type of information to a third party, such as a trade association, they are given the option of arranging for shipment data to be sent to EPA via this third party to avoid duplication of efforts and to ensure confidentiality. In using any shipment data received directly from a partner, EPA will mask the source of the data so as to protect confidentiality.

Finally, Partners that wish to receive recognition for their efforts in ENERGY STAR may submit an application for the Partner of the Year award.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 89.33 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 which have subsequently changed; 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: Respondents for this information collection request include Partners in ENERGY STAR. Partners are product manufacturers.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 692.

Frequency of Response: Initially/one-time and annually.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 89,150 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: $7,056,533, includes $238,831 annualized capital or O&M costs.

Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 18,483 hours in the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens. Although the estimated burden for each individual collection decreased, the overall increase in burden hours reflects the increased number of ENERGY STAR qualified roof products and residential light fixtures for which Partners are required to submit testing reports along with qualifying product information. The currently approved ICR estimated 654 submissions, whereas this ICR estimates 4,464 submissions for this activity. This change is an adjustment to the burden estimates.