Information Collection Request (ICR) Tracker

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Federal Register Notices

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Section 641 of the Department of Energy Organization Act, codified at 42 U.S.C. § 7251, authorizes the DOE to collect, use, and retain information that is mandatory for the financial awards process. Financial awards are provided in the program areas of Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR); Biological and Environmental Research (BER); Basic Energy Sciences (BES), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); High Energy Physics (HEP), Nuclear Physics (NP); and Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS). The Office of Science makes all funding decisions based on peer review of proposals submitted to the government by universities, non-profit organizations, large and small businesses, other Federal agencies, State and local governments, individuals, and DOE national laboratories seeking Federal financial support for research projects, training, and related activities. The Office of Science executes peer review for at least 3,000 financial assistance and several hundred DOE national laboratory funding proposals each year. In some circumstances, letters of intent or pre-proposals are solicited prior to proposal submission to allow advance planning of the peer review and to help ensure the responsiveness of those proposals that are eventually submitted. While Grants.gov is used for collecting financial assistance proposals, a method is needed for collecting letters of intent, pre-proposals, and contract proposals (such as those for interagency or DOE national laboratory awards).

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Federal Register Notices

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When SSA denies applicants’, claimants’, or beneficiaries’ requests for new or continuing disability benefits or payments, the Act entitles those applicants, claimants, or beneficiaries to request a hearing to appeal the decision. To request a hearing, individuals complete Form HA-501; the associated Modernized Claims System (MCS) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Claims System interview; or the Internet application (i501). SSA uses the information to determine if the individual: (1) filed the request within the prescribed time; (2) is the proper party; and (3) took the steps necessary to obtain the right to a hearing. SSA also uses the information to determine: (1) the individual’s reason(s) for disagreeing with SSA’s prior determinations in the case; (2) if the individual has additional evidence to submit; (3) if the individual wants an oral hearing or a decision on the record; and (4) whether the individual has (or wants to appoint) a representative. The respondents are Social Security disability applicants and recipients who want to appeal SSA’s denial of their request for new or continued benefits for disability and non-medical hearing requests; and Medicare Part B recipients who must pay the Medicare Part B Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount.

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Federal Register Notices

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Regulation promulgates the policies and procedures to process and resolve complaints of structural defects to newly constructed dwellings and new manufactured housing units, in accordance with Section 509(c) of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended.

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created ENERGY STAR as a voluntary program to help businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. The program focuses on reducing utility-generated emissions by reducing the demand for energy. In 1991, EPA launched the Green Lights program to encourage corporations, state and local governments, colleges and universities, and other organizations to adopt energy-efficient lighting as a profitable means of preventing pollution and improving lighting quality. Since then, EPA has rolled Green Lights into ENERGY STAR for the commercial and industrial sectors and expanded ENERGY STAR to encompass organization-wide energy performance improvement, such as building technology upgrades, product purchasing initiatives, and employee training. At the same time, EPA has streamlined the reporting requirements of ENERGY STAR and focused on providing recognition incentives for improvements (e.g., ENERGY STAR Awards program). EPA also makes tools and resources available over the web to help the public overcome the barriers to evaluating their energy performance and investing in profitable improvements. For several reasons, the publics participation in the ENERGY STAR program for commercial and industrial sectors has continued to increase over the past several years, and EPA expects their participation to rise even more in the coming years. For example, a growing number of state and local governments are leveraging ENERGY STAR as a way for the public to respond to rising energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, including mandatory energy benchmarking and disclosure laws that require buildings within their jurisdiction to use EPAs ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. As of the end of 2018, 29 local governments and three states rely on Portfolio Manager as the foundation for their energy benchmarking and transparency policies. Participation in ENERGY STAR has also risen dramatically because of the efforts of trade associations, utilities, and third-party providers in promoting the program to the public. As participation has increased, EPA has taken measures to reduce the burden on participants that take advantage of the benefits of ENERGY STAR. For example, EPA has expanded Portfolio Manager Web Services, which is one of several benchmarking data-entry methods available to users. Because Web Services integrates automated data collection and entry, it offers significant time-saving advantages over the other methods. Over many years, EPA has seen a growing trend of users opting for Web Services and thereby realizing these savings. In 2009, 41% of all benchmarks were performed using Web Services. By 2017, this had grown to 73%. In addition to expanding Web Services, the Agency has continued to enhance other features of Portfolio Manager, allowing participants to enter and retrieve information more quickly. Furthermore, EPA is always looking for ways to reduce burden and in recent years has introduced changes to the requirements for certification that reduce both labor and cost for applicants, without impacting the integrity of the ENERGY STAR certification. In 2017, the ENERGY STAR program for commercial buildings helped businesses and organizations save 160 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, avoid $9 billion in energy costs, and protect the climate by achieving 110 million metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. On average, ENERGY STAR certified buildings use 35% less energy than typical buildings nationwide. In 2017, the ENERGY STAR program for industrial plants helped businesses save 34 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, avoid $3 billion in energy costs, and protect the climate by achieving 40 million metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions.

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Survey of HUD's grant applicants to assess customers' satisfaction with their interactions with HUD to determine the public's assessment of dealing with the Department and how grant servicing might be improved.

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In accordance with the regulations at 40 CFR 79, Subparts A, B, C, and D, Registration of Fuels and Fuel Additives, (including importers) of motor-vehicle gasoline, motor-vehicle diesel fuel, and additives for those fuels, are required to have these products registered by the EPA prior to their introduction into commerce. Registration involves providing a chemical description of the fuel or additive, and certain technical, marketing, and health-effects information. The development of health-effects data, as required by 40 CFR 79, Subpart F, is the subject of this ICR. The information collection requirements for Subparts A through D, and the supplemental notification requirements of Subpart F (including how the manufacturer will satisfy the health-effects data requirements) are covered by a separate ICR (EPS ICR Number 309.15, OMB Control Number 2060-0150). The health-effects data will be used to determine if there are any products which have evaporative or combustion emissions that may pose an unreasonable risk to public health, thus meriting further investigation and potential regulation. This information is required for specific groups of fuels and additives as defined in the regulations. For example, gasoline and gasoline additives which consist of only carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and/or sulfur, and which involve a gasoline oxygen content of less than 1.5 weight percent, fall into a" baseline" group. Oxygenated additives, such as ethanol, when used in gasoline at an oxygen level of at least 1.5 weight percent, define separate "non-baseline" groups for each oxygenate. Additives which contain elements other than carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur fall into separate "atypical" groups. There are similar grouping requirements for diesel fuel and diesel fuel additives.

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The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Iron and Steel Foundries (40 CFR Part 63 Subpart EEEEE) apply to both existing and new iron and steel foundry facilities that are major sources of hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions. Owners and operators of affected facilities are required to comply with reporting and record keeping requirements for the General Provisions (40 CFR Part 63, Subpart A), as well as the applicable standards at 40 CFR Part 63, Subpart EEEEE. This includes submitting initial notifications, performance tests and periodic reports and results, and maintaining records of the occurrence and duration of any startup, shutdown, or malfunction in the operation of an affected facility, or any period during which the monitoring system is inoperative. These reports are used by EPA to determine compliance with these standards.

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EPA is required under Section 183(e) of the Clean Air Act to regulate Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions from the use of consumer and commercial products. Under regulations promulgated on February 26, 2007 (72 FR 8428) manufacturers of new portable gasoline containers are required to obtain certificates of conformity with the Clean Air Act, effective January 1, 2009. This ICR covers the burdens associated with this certification process. EPA reviews information submitted in a manufacturers application for certification to determine if the gasoline container design conforms to applicable regulatory requirements and to verify that the required testing has been performed. The certificate holder is required to keep records on the testing and collect and keep warranty and defect information for annual reporting on in-use performance of their products. The respondent must also retain records on the units produced, apply serial numbers to individual containers, and track the serial numbers to their certificates of conformity. Any information submitted for which a claim of confidentiality is made is safeguarded according to EPA regulations at 40 CFR 2.201 et seq.

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Executive Order 12862 directs Federal agencies to provide service to the public that matches or exceeds the best service available in the private sector. In order to work continuously to ensure that our programs are effective and meet our customers' needs, Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services seeks to obtain OMB approval of a generic clearance to collect qualitative feedback on our service delivery. By qualitative feedback we mean information that provides useful insights on perceptions and opinions, but are not statistical surveys that yield quantitative results that can be generalized to the population of study. This collection of information is necessary to enable the Agency to garner customer and stakeholder feedback in an efficient, timely manner, in accordance with our commitment to improving service delivery. The information collected from our customers and stakeholders will help ensure that users have an effective, efficient, and satisfying experience with the Agency's programs. This feedback will provide insights into customer or stakeholder perceptions, experiences and expectations, provide an early warning of issues with service, or focus attention on areas where communication, training or changes in operations might improve delivery of products or services. These collections will allow for ongoing, collaborative and actionable communications between the Agency and its customers and stakeholders. It will also allow feedback to contribute directly to the improvement of program management.

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The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule (GHG Reporting Rule), which became effective on December 29, 2009, establishes reporting requirements for certain large facilities and suppliers. It does not require control of greenhouse gases. Instead, it requires that sources emitting above a certain threshold levels of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) monitor and report emissions. Subsequent rules have promulgated requirements for additional facilities and suppliers, provided clarification and corrections to existing requirements, finalized confidential business information (CBI) determinations, amended recordkeeping requirements, and implemented an alternative verification approach. Collectively, the GHG Reporting Rule and its associated rulemakings are referred to as the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP). The purpose for this ICR is to renew and revise the GHG Reporting Rule ICR to update the burden and cost imposed by yhe current ICR under the GHGRP.

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On March 23, 2018, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2018 (the FY 2018 Appropriations) (Pub.L. 115–141) which established a broadband loan and grant pilot program, the Rural eConnectivity Pilot Program (hereinafter the ReConnect Program). One of the essential goals of the ReConnect Program is to expand broadband service to rural areas without sufficient access to broadband, defined as 10 megabits per second (Mbps) downstream and 1 Mbps upstream. For this purpose, Congress expanded RUS's existing authority to make loans and grants. Loans and grants are limited to the costs of the construction, improvement, and acquisition of facilities and equipment for broadband service in eligible communities. The FY 2018 Appropriations also authorized technical assistance to assist the agency in expanding needed service to the most rural communities. In facilitating the expansion of broadband services and infrastructure, the pilot will fuel long-term rural economic development and opportunities in rural America. One of those opportunities is precision agriculture. The use of this technology requires a robust broadband connection. The awards made under this program will bring high speed broadband to the farms which will allow them to increase productivity.

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SSA uses Forms SSA-7161-OCR-SM and SSA 7162-OCR-SM to: (1) determine continuing entitlement to Social Security benefits; (2) correct benefit amounts for beneficiaries outside the United States; and (3) monitor the performance of representative payees outside the United States. This collection is mandatory as an annual (or every other year, depending on the country of residence) review for fraud prevention. In addition, the results can affect benefits by increasing or decreasing payment amount or by causing SSA to suspend or terminate benefits. SSA employees collect this information via paper form. The respondents are individuals living outside the United States who are receiving benefits on their own (or on behalf of someone else) under Title II of the Act.

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The Responsible Appliance Disposal program (RAD) is a voluntary partnership program sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that encourages partners to reduce emissions of ozone depleting substances (ODS) and their alternatives that can be attributed to improper disposal of appliances. Appliances may contain ozone-depleting refrigerants and foams as well as universal wastes such as mercury, used oil, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Federal law requires refrigerant recovery and proper management of universal waste but does not require the recovery of appliance foam. The RAD program works with utilities, retailers, manufacturers, state affiliates, and others to dispose of appliances using best environmental practices. To encourage reductions in emissions associated with appliance disposal in the United States, the EPA launched the RAD program. The RAD program supports Section 608 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and is an important component of the EPAs mission to protect the ozone layer by reducing emissions of ODS. RAD program partners reduce emissions of ODS and realize other benefits through recovery and destruction/reclamation of refrigerants and foam blowing agentsthe latter of which is not covered under existing Federal regulationsand by ensuring that all other hazardous and recyclable materials are handled using best environmental practices. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are avoided through recovery of both ODS and many non-ODS foam blowing agents not covered under existing regulations. Additionally, through the RAD program, the EPA is partnering with utilities, retailers, manufacturers, state agencies, and others to promote the retirement of old appliances and permanently remove energy inefficient units from the electricity grid, providing energy savings to consumers. Participation in the program begins with completion of a mutually agreed upon Partnership Agreement that outlines mutual responsibilities for participation in RAD program. By voluntarily joining the program, a partner agrees to complete an annual reporting form identifying the number and types of appliances handled and the fates of their individual components. The electronic reporting form automatically generates feedback for the user on the results of their participation in terms of emissions avoided, quantity of used oil/PCBs/mercury destroyed or recycled, energy savings achieved, and consumer savings realized. An annual report provides partners with information on their progress towards achieving emissions reductions and information about developments in the latest recycling technologies and practices. Through recognition of partner efforts, and the programs promotion of recycling best practices through webinars, web updates, fact sheets, and presentations, non-partners become aware of recycling best practices and can evaluate what best practices could work for them. The RAD program largely serves to disseminate information on recycling best practices and creates a platform for information sharing on recycling and waste management practices. The data collected are used as an indicator of whether industry is reducing emissions from end-of-life appliances.

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The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Stationary Combustion Turbines were proposed on January 14, 2003; promulgated on March 5, 2004; and amended last on April 20, 2006. The regulations apply to sources that either commenced construction or reconstruction after January 14, 2003. On August 18, 2004, these standards were amended to stay the effectiveness for the two gas-fired stationary combustion turbine subcategories (i.e., lean pre-mix gas-fired turbines and diffusion flame gas-fired turbines). Under this stay, new sources in either subcategory that are either constructed or reconstructed after January 14, 2003 are required to submit initial notification reports, but are also relieved of the obligation to comply with other reporting or monitoring requirements until EPA makes a final decision. Amendments to the NESHAP were proposed on April 12, 2019, as a result of a residual risk and technology review (RTR) required under the Clean Air Act (CAA; however, these amendments have not been finalized and no burden associated with the proposed amendments is included in this ICR. This information is being collected to assure compliance with 40 CFR Part 63, Subpart YYYY. In general, all NESHAP standards require initial notifications, performance tests, and periodic reports by the owners/operators of the affected facilities. They are also required to maintain records of the occurrence and duration of any startup, shutdown, or malfunction in the operation of an affected facility, or any period during which the monitoring system is inoperative. These notifications, reports, and records are essential in determining compliance, and are required of all affected facilities subject to NESHAP.

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Federal Register Notices

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The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Miscellaneous Coating Manufacturing (40 CFR Part 63, Subpart HHHHH) apply to new and existing facilities that: 1) manufacture a miscellaneous coating (including inks, paints, or adhesives described by either Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes 285 or 289, or North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes 3255 or 3259); 2) are either located at, or are part of, major sources of hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions; 3) process, use, or produce HAP; and 4) are not part of an affected source under another subpart of 40 CFR Part 63. New facilities include those that commenced either construction or reconstruction after April 4, 2002. This information is being collected to assure compliance with 40 CFR Part 63, Subpart HHHHH. In general, all NESHAP standards require initial notifications, performance tests, and periodic reports by the owners/operators of the affected facilities. They are also required to maintain records of the occurrence and duration of any startup, shutdown, or malfunction in the operation of an affected facility, or any period during which the monitoring system is inoperative. These notifications, reports, and records are essential in determining compliance, and are required of all affected facilities subject to NESHAP.

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Information sought under this collection will comprise of the applications for Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) and Fire Prevention and Safety (FPS) grants. The old forms have be obseleted from this collection and new forms have be submitted to capture the details concerning applicants' demongraphics, capabilities, and operational resources as well as information necessary for FEMA to comply with mandates delineated in the law.

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Transportation conformity is required under Clean Air Act section 176(c)(42 U.S.C. 7506) to ensure that federally supported transportation activities are consistent with the purpose of the State Air Quality Implementation Plan. Transportation activities include transportation plans, Transportation Improvement Programs, and federally funded or approved highway or transit projects. Conformity to the purpose of the SIP means that transportation activities will not cause or contribute to new air quality violations, worsen existing violations, or delay timely attainment of the relevant National Ambient Air Quality Standards or interim milestones.

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The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Oil and Natural Gas Production (40 CFR Part 63, Subpart HH) were proposed on February 06, 1998, and promulgated on June 17, 1999, only for major sources. On July 8, 2005, a supplemental proposal was proposed for area sources with the final rule, effective date on January 03, 2007. The rule was subsequently amended on August 16, 2012 to include emission sources for which standards were not previously developed. These regulations apply to emission points located at both new and existing oil and natural gas production facilities that are both major and area sources. A major source of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) is one that has the potential to emit 10 tons or more of any single HAP or 25 tons or more of total HAP per year; an area source is one with the potential to emit less than this. New facilities include those that commenced either construction or reconstruction after the date of proposal. This information is being collected to assure compliance with 40 CFR Part 63, Subpart HH. In general, all NESHAP standards require initial notifications, performance tests, and periodic reports by the owners/operators of the affected facilities. They are also required to maintain records of the occurrence and duration of any malfunction in the operation of an affected facility, or any period during which the monitoring system is inoperative. These notifications, reports, and records are essential in determining compliance, and are required of all affected facilities subject to NESHAP.