[Federal Register: August 18, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 159)]
[Notices]
[Page 51283-51284]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18au04-55]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OW-2004-0013, FRL-7802-6]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; EPA Strategic Plan Information on Source Water
Assessment and Protection
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 continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request to renew an existing
approved collection. The ICR is scheduled to expire on October 31,
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 October 18, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OW-2004-
0013, 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, Water Docket, MC 4101T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW., Washington, DC 20460.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Barnes, Office of Ground Water
and Drinking Water, Drinking Water Protection Division, MC 4606M,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-3893; fax number:
(202) 564-3756; e-mail address: barnes.kevin@epamail.epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this
ICR under Docket ID number OW-2004-0013, 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 the telephone number for
the Water 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. 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. Although identified
as an item in the official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose
disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the
official 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
(May 31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov/edocket.
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
the 52 States and territories.
[[Page 51284]]
Title: EPA Strategic Plan Information on Source Water Assessment
and Protection.
Abstract: Section 1453(a)(3) of the Safe Drinking Water Act
requires States to submit to EPA a Source Water Assessment Program
within 18 months after issuance of the national guidance on State
Source Water Assessment and Protection Programs, which was issued by
EPA on August 5, 1997. Upon EPA approval of the programs, States
conducted source water assessments of their public water systems. The
Assessment Program will be completed by States relative to the SDWA
because State assessments were required under section 1453. (The burden
and cost associated with any remaining assessment work has already been
calculated under previous ICRs).
The EPA Strategic Plan (2003-2008) includes source water assessment
and protection program measures to analyze the aggregated results of
the assessments and describe the voluntary source water protection
actions taken at the local or regional level, based on the assessment
results. This information is collected from States to understand, in
aggregate, the results of State assessments and the protection actions
in each State based on those assessments, and to measure progress
toward the Agency's strategic goal that, by 2008, 50% of source water
areas for community water systems will achieve minimized risk to public
health. (``Minimized risk'' is achieved by substantial implementation,
as determined by the State, of source water protection actions in a
source water protection strategy.) The information is collected through
EPA's Strategic Planning process. 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.
EPA is collecting, on a voluntary basis, data from the States
related to the status of assessment completion, the most prevalent and
most threatening sources of contamination, overall risk to source
waters, and progress toward substantial implementation of prevention
strategies for all community water system source water areas. This data
is generated under the authority of section 1453(a)(3) of the Safe
Drinking Water Act. While implementing source water protection programs
is not required under the Act, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
monies under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act may be used,
and is being used, for set-aside activities to support these efforts.
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 annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 81
hours per State response.
Estimated Number of Likely Respondents: 52.
Frequency of Response: Once per year.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 4,212 hours.
Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $1,122,385.
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: August 12, 2004.
Cynthia C. Dougherty,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 04-18962 Filed 8-17-04; 8:45 am]
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