Justification for Change Worksheet

ICR Change Worksheet

1. Identification of the Information Collection

Title: Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Critical Use Exemption from the Phaseout of Methyl Bromide (Change Worksheet for Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: The 2014 and 2015 Critical Use Exemption from the Phaseout of Methyl Bromide – Final Rule)

EPA Number: 2031.06

OMB Control Number: 2060-0482

2. Description of the change in requirements

EPA took comment in the proposed rule on removing all of the remaining references to critical stock allowances in 40 CFR Part 82. EPA believes these provisions are no longer necessary if the agency is not allocating separate critical stock allowances. EPA received one comment and it was in support of this action. Specifically as it relates to reporting and recordkeeping, this final rule removes requirements related to critical stock allowances in 40 CFR 82.13 as follows:

82.13(f)(3)- Quarterly reporting from producers of methyl bromide regarding the number of expended and unexpended critical stock allowances;

82.13(g)(4)- Quarterly reporting from importers of methyl bromide regarding the number of expended and unexpended critical stock allowances;

82.13(bb)(2)(iv)- Annual reporting from distributors of methyl bromide regarding the number of expended and unexpended critical stock allowances; and

82.13(cc)(2)(iv)- Annual reporting from third party applicators of methyl bromide regarding the number of expended and unexpended critical stock allowances.

3. Description of the burden

There are two dozen companies that had received critical stock allowances under the critical use exemption program. Many of these companies have merged or have sold their stocks of methyl bromide and thus did not have critical stock allowances to report. At most, EPA estimates that ten companies may have their burden reduced by half an hour annually, for a reduction of 5 hours total. This is negligible in comparison to the 3,258 hours detailed in the supporting statement. There is no change to the capital and operating costs, which remain at zero.

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