[Federal Register: November 10, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 217)]
[Notices]
[Page 63778-63779]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10no03-35]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OW-2003-0078, FRL-7585-2]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Reporting Requirements Under EPA's National Wastewater
Operator Training and Technical Assistance Program, EPA ICR 1977.02,
OMB Control Number 2040-0238
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit the
following proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) renewal to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB): National Wastewater Operator
Training and Technical Assistance Program, EPA ICR Number 1977.02, and
OMB Control Number 2040-0238, expiring 09/30/2004. Before submitting
the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on
specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described
below.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 9, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OW-2003-
0078, to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by email to: OW_docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental
Protection Agency, Mailstop 4101T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.,
Washington, DC 20460. Interested persons may obtain a copy of the ICR
and supporting analysis without charge by contacting the individual
listed below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margaret Dodds, Telephone: (202) 564-0728. Facsimile Number: (202) 501-2396. E-mail: dodds.margaret@epa.gov.
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., MS 4204-M, Washington, DC 20460.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this
ICR under Docket ID number OW-2003-0078, which is available for public
viewing at the Water Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA
West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The EPA
Docket Center 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
[[Page 63779]]
the telephone number for the OW Docket is (202) 566-2426. An electronic
version of the public docket is available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET)
at http://www.epa.gov/edocket. Use EDOCKET to obtain a copy of the
draft collection of information, submit or view public comments, access
the index listing of the contents of the public docket, and to access
those documents in the public docket that are available electronically.
Once in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number
identified above.
Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA within
60 days of this notice, and according to the following detailed
instructions: (1) Submit your comments to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail to: OW_docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA
Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailstop 4101T, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.
EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted
electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing
in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment
contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose public
disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment
containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that
material in the version of the comment that is placed in EDOCKET. The
entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be
available in the public docket, and will not be available for public
viewing in EDOCKET. For further information about the electronic
docket, see EPA's Federal Register notice describing the electronic
docket at 67 FR 38102, or go to http://www.epa.gov/edocket.
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
state and local governments, state and county colleges, and those
organizations which provide training assistance through the Clean Water
Act 104(g)(1) Program to municipal wastewater treatment plants.
Title: National Wastewater Operator Training and Technical
Assistance Program. (OMB Control No. 2040-0238. EPA ICR No.: 1977.02,
expiring 09/30/2004.
Abstract: The Wastewater Operator Training Program provides on-site
technical assistance to municipal wastewater treatment plants.
Information will be collected from the network of forty-six 104(g)(1)
training centers set up throughout the United States. The information
will be collected to identify the facilities assisted, the different
types of assistance the program provides and the environmental outcomes
and benefits of the assistance provided by the program. The information
will be collected and submitted on either an annual or semi-annual
basis. A Microsoft Access database and a Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet have
been developed for this purpose. This ICR will be used by EPA for the
technical and financial management of the 104(g)(1) Program. It is
strongly suggested that the 104(g)(1) Program training centers
participate in the information collection although it is not mandatory.
All information in the data system will be made public upon request. 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 are listed in the
Code of Federal Regulations title 40, part 9 and in the Code of Federal
Regulations title 48, chapter 15.
The EPA would like to solicit comments to:
(i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
(ii) evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(iii) enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information
to be collected; and
(iv) minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses.
Burden Statement: The projected combined annual burden hours of
this ICR to all respondents will be approximately 512 hours. The
average annual burden hours to each 104(g)(1) training center grantee
will be 7 hours, for a total of 322 hours per year, at an annual cost
of $9717.96 (assuming an average hourly salary of $30.18). The average
annual burden hours to the EPA's Regional Offices and Headquarters will
be 16 hours each, for a total of 176 burden hours per year, at an
annual cost of $6899.20 (assuming an average hourly salary of $39.20).
Data will be collected on an annual basis, in May of each year, for
the Microsoft Access database collection, and data for the Lotus 1-2-3
spreadsheet information collection will be done on a bi-annual basis,
in May and November of each year. Although this information collection
is not mandatory, it is expected that 100% of the 104(g) training
centers will respond to this collection request. All forty-six (46)
training centers and EPA have the necessary equipment, desk-top
computers and software to collect and manage this information. There
will be no additional start-up or maintenance costs associate with this
project to perform this information collection request. 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; 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.
Dated: October 24, 2003.
Jane S. Moore,
Acting Director, Office of Wastewater Management.
[FR Doc. 03-28215 Filed 11-7-03; 8:45 am]
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