The NOX Budget Trading Program is a market-based cap and trade program created to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX) from power plants and other large combustion sources in the eastern United States. NOX is a prime ingredient in the formation of ground-level ozone (smog), a pervasive air pollution problem in many areas of the eastern United States. The NOX Budget Trading Program was designed to reduce NOX emissions during the warm summer months, referred to as the ozone season, when ground-level ozone concentrations are highest. This information collection is necessary to implement the NOX Budget Trading Program. While States were not required to adopt an emissions trading program, every State adopted the basic Federal model trading program for fossil fuel-fired NOX sources. This trading program burden includes the paper work burden related to; transferring and tracking allowances, the allocation of allowances to affected units, permitting, annual year end compliance certification, and meeting the monitoring and reporting requirements of the program. This information collection is mandatory under 40 CFR Part 96. All data received by EPA will be treated as public information. 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 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Form 7620-14 Emission Reporting Requirements for Ozone SIP Revisions Relating to Statewide Budgets for NOx Emissions to Reuce the Regional Transport of Ozone
1857ss04[1].doc
Emission Reporting Requirements for Ozone SIP Revisions Relating to Statewide Budgets for NOx Emissions to Reuce the Regional Transport of Ozone