In accordance with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is approved for three years. As terms of clearance, upon renewal of this collection, EPA is required to include the following in its supporting statement for this and other NESHAP ICRs: (1) a description of the regulatory text applicable to the ICR including submission specifications; (2) a clear description of the data elements being collected under the ICR; (3) screen shots of the electronic portal where the reporting requirements are submitted to EPA (with the control number and burden statement); (4) a detailed discussion of how information is submitted and the extent to which electronic reporting is available; (5) evidence of consultation with respondents (by actively reaching out to stakeholders as permitted by the PRA) to ensure the supporting statement's accuracy on availability of data, frequency of collection, clarity of instructions, accuracy of burden estimate, relevance of data elements, and similar PRA matters; and (6) discussion of how EPA addressed substantive concerns raised by respondents and other stakeholders during consultation and in response to comments received on FR notices. In addition, please convert the supporting statement to the standard 18 question SS-A format upon renewal.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
02/28/2025
36 Months From Approved
02/28/2022
26
0
24
52,300
0
71,900
310,000
0
78,500
The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Primary Aluminum Reduction Plants (40 CFR Part 63, Subpart LL) were proposed on September 26, 1996, promulgated on October 7, 1997, and most-recently amended on October 15, 2015. The 2015 amendment includes: 1) polycyclic organic matter (POM) emission limits for new, existing and reconstructed prebake potlines; 2) revised POM limits for new, existing and reconstructed Soderberg potlines; 3) carbonyl sulfide (COS) emission limits for new, existing and reconstructed potlines; 4) POM emission limits for existing pitch storage tanks; 5) particulate matter (PM) emission limits for new, existing and reconstructed potlines, paste production plants and anode bake furnaces; 6) mercury (Hg) limits for new, existing and reconstructed anode bake furnaces; 7) arsenic, nickel and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) limits for new, existing and reconstructed Soderberg potlines; 8) new work practice standards for anode bake furnaces, paste production plants and potlines; and 9) eliminates the exemptions for periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunctions (SSM). The amendment also reduces the testing frequency for total fluoride (TF) from prebake and Soderberg potlines and POM from Soderberg potlines from monthly to semiannually. These regulations apply to the following affected sources at a primary aluminum reduction plant are covered: each new and existing pitch storage tank, potline, paste production plant and anode bake furnace that is located at a plant site that is a major source as defined at 63.2 (except for anode bake furnaces that are not located on the same site as a primary aluminum reduction plant). New facilities include those that commenced construction or reconstruction after the date of proposal. This information is being collected to assure compliance with 40 CFR Part 63, Subpart LL.
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. Any owner/operator subject to the provisions of this part shall maintain a file containing these documents and retain this file for at least five years following the generation date of such maintenance reports and records. All reports are sent to the delegated state or local authority. In the event that there is no such delegated authority, the reports are sent directly to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional office.
There is a decrease in burden from the most-recently approved ICR as currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved Burdens. This increase is not due to any program changes. The adjustment decrease in burden from the most-recently approved ICR is due to a decrease in the number of sources. The currently approved ICR assumed 11 respondents. Consultations with the Aluminum Association conducted during the renewal of this ICR revealed that there are only eight primary aluminum reduction plants currently subject to this subpart. This decrease in the number of respondents has resulted in a decrease in respondent labor hours. This ICR adjusts the capital cost from the previously-approved ICR to reflect costs from the October 15, 2015 rule, which were annualized over a 15 year period; the previous ICR assumed that all capital costs were completed within the first three years of the 2015 final rule. This ICR also adjusts the operation and maintenance (O&M) costs from the previous ICR from 1997 dollars to 2019 dollars using the CEPCI CE Index, and includes O&M costs for annual monitoring from the 2015 final rule that were inadvertently excluded from the previous ICR. Therefore, this ICR reflects a modest increase in capital and O&M costs from the most-recently approved ICR. This ICR also corrects the total number of responses to reflect the submittal of performance test reports on a semiannual basis, which were inadvertently excluded from the previous ICR. This ICR uses labor rates from the most-recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report (March 2020) to calculate respondent burden costs. This ICR, by in large, reflects the on-going burden and costs for existing facilities. Activities for existing sources include annual and semiannual performance tests, continuous monitoring of pollutants, and the submission of semiannual reports.
$12,100
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Patrick Yellin 202 564-2970
No
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.
1767t09 calcs.xlsx
1767ss09.docx
NESHAP for Primary Aluminum Reduction Plants (40 CFR Part 63, Subpart LL)