[Federal Register: August 26, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 165)]
[Notices]
[Page 52505-52506]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26au04-42]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OW-2004-0030, FRL-7806-9]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Establishing No-Discharge Zones Under Clean Water Act
Section 312, EPA ICR Number 1791.04, OMB Control Number 2040-0187
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
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 a
continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request to renew an existing
approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on 10/31/2004.
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 25, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OW-2004-
0030, 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, Office of Water Docket, mail code 4101T, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven D. Giordano, Office of Water,
4504T, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566-1272; fax number:
(202) 566-1546; e-mail address: giordano.steven@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this
ICR under Docket ID number OW-2004-0030, 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
State, Tribal, and local governments.
Title: Establishing No-Discharge Zones Under Clean Water Act
section 312.
Abstract: (A) Sewage No-discharge Zones: The need for EPA to obtain
information for the establishment of no-discharge zones (NDZs) for
vessel sewage in State waters stems from CWA sections 312(f)(3),
(f)(4)(A), and (f)(4)(B), and subsequent regulations at 40 CFR part
140.4(a-c). NDZs are established to provide State and local governments
with additional protection of waters from treated or untreated vessel
sewage. There are 3 ways in which NDZs for vessel sewage can be
established. This ICR discusses the information requirements associated
with the establishment of NDZs for vessel sewage. The responses to this
collection of information are required to obtain the benefit of a
sewage NDZ (see 33 U.S.C. 1322). The information collection activities
discussed in this ICR do not require the submission of any confidential
information.
(B) UNDS No-discharge Zones: Under section 312(n) of the Clean
Water Act (``Uniform National Discharge Standards for Vessels of the
Armed Forces'' or ``UNDS'') NDZs for discharges from Armed Forces
vessels may be established by either State prohibition or EPA
prohibition following the procedures in 40 CFR Part 1700. UNDS also
provides that the Governor of any State may petition EPA and the
Secretary of Defense to review any determination or standard
promulgated under the UNDS program if there is significant new
information that could reasonably result in a change to the
determination or standard. This ICR discusses the information that will
be required from a State if it decides to establish a NDZ by State
prohibition or apply for a NDZ by EPA prohibition, and the information
that will be required from a State if it decides to submit a petition
for review. The responses to this collection of information are
required to obtain the benefit of an UNDS NDZ or a review of an UNDS
determination or standard (see 33 U.S.C. 1322(n)). The information
collection activities discussed in this ICR do not require the
submission of any confidential 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.
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;
[[Page 52506]]
(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: EPA estimates that 16 States may wish to
establish NDZs. The annual public reporting and record keeping burden
for this collection of information is estimated to average 168 hours or
$6,850 per response, assuming an average labor rate for the likely
range of personnel involved in responding. 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 20, 2004.
Craig E. Hooks,
Acting Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds.
[FR Doc. 04-19524 Filed 8-25-04; 8:45 am]
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