[Federal Register: March 16, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 51)]
[Notices]
[Page 12323-12324]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16mr04-61]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OECA-2004-0003, FRL-7636-8]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Annual Public Water Systems Compliance Report, EPA ICR
Number 1812.02; OMB Control Number 2040-0186
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 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 September 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 May 17, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OECA-
2004-003 to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by email
to delaney.acquanetta@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center,
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Enforcement and Compliance
Assurance Docket (OECA), mail code 2201T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW,
Washington, DC 20460.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Acquanetta Delaney, Compliance
Assistance and Sector Programs Division (2224A), Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460;
telephone number: (202) 564-7061; fax number: (202) 564-0009; email
address; delaney.acquanetta@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this
ICR under Docket ID number OECA-2004-003, which is available for public
viewing at the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA)
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 Office of
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Docket is (202) 566-1752. 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,
[[Page 12324]]
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: States, Tribes, and territories that have
primary enforcement authority and meet the definition of ``state''
under the Safe Drinking Water Act (Act).
Title: Annual Public Water Systems Compliance Report, EPA ICR
number 1812.02, OMB Control Number 2040-0186. The current ICR expires
September 30, 2004.
Abstract: Section 1414 (c)(3)(A) of the Safe Drinking Water Act
requires that each state that has primary enforcement authority under
the Act shall prepare, make readily available to the public, and submit
to the Administrator of EPA, an annual report of violations of national
primary drinking water regulations in the state. The states' reports
are to include violations of maximum contaminant levels, treatment
requirements, variances and exemptions, and monitoring requirements
determined to be significant by the Administrator after consultation
with the states. Section 1414(c)(3)(B) of the Safe Drinking Water Act
requires EPA to prepare and make available to the public an annual
report that summarizes and evaluates the reports submitted by the
states pursuant to section 1414(c)(3)(A). EPA's annual national report
must also provide specified information about implementation of the
public water system supervision system on Indian reservations and make
recommendations concerning the resources necessary to improve
compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. The States have already
prepared and published seven annual reports. EPA has prepared and
published six national reports.
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 and 48 CFR chapter
15. In an effort to minimize a state's burden in preparing its annual
statutorily-required report, EPA issued guidance that explains what
section 1414(c)(3)(A) requires and provides model language and
reporting templates. EPA also annually makes available to the states a
computer query that generates for each state (from information states
are already required to submit to EPA's national database on a
quarterly basis) the required violations information in a table
consistent with the reporting template in EPA's guidance.
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 208
hours for annual response. The number of respondents is 54 states,
commonwealths and territories. The estimated total annual hour burden
is 11,232 hours. The estimated total annualized cost burden is
$669,400.
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.
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: February 23, 2004.
Lisa Lund,
Acting Director, Office of Compliance.
[FR Doc. 04-5876 Filed 3-15-04; 8:45 am]
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