[Federal Register: December 12, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 238)]
[Notices]
[Page 74523-74524]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12de06-89]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OW-2006-0139; FRL-8254-3]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment Request; National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) and Sewage Sludge Management State Program
Requirements, EPA ICR Number 0168.09, OMB Control Number 2040-0057
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 an Information Collection
Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing
approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on December 31,
2006. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or
sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending
at OMB. This ICR describes the nature of the information collection and
its estimated burden and cost.
DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before January 11,
2007.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number EPA-HQ-
OW-2006-0139, to (1) EPA online using FDMS (our preferred method), by
e-mail to ow-docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center,
Environmental Protection Agency, Water Docket, Mail Code 4101T, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB at: Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynn Stabenfeldt, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460;
telephone number: 202.564.0602; fax number: 202.501.2399; e-mail
address: stabenfeldt.lynn@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR
1320.12. On March 7, 2006 (71 FR 11407-11411), EPA sought comments on
this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments on the
draft ICR.
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-OW-2006-0139, which is available for public viewing at the
Water Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334,
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 the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) at http://www.regulations.gov/.
Use FDMS to 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 key in the docket ID number
identified above.
Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB
within 30 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 FDMS 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 FDMS. 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
FDMS.
Title: National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and
Sewage Sludge Management State Program Requirements.
ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 0168.09. OMB Control No. 2040-0057.
ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2006.
Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor
the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB.
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 title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when
approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed either by
publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such
as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The
display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is
consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
Abstract: Under the NPDES program, States, Federally Recognized
Indian Tribes, and U.S. Territories, hereafter referred to as States,
may acquire the authority to issue permits. These governments have the
option of acquiring authority to issue general permits (permits that
cover a category or categories of similar discharges). States with
existing NPDES programs must submit requests for program modifications
to add Federal facilities, or general permit authority. In addition, as
Federal statutes and regulations are modified, States must submit
program modifications to ensure that their program continues to meet
Federal requirements. States have the option of obtaining a sludge
management program. This program may be a component of a State NPDES
Program, or it may be administered as a separate program. To obtain a
NPDES or sludge program, a State must submit an application that
includes a program description, an Attorney General's Statement, draft
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the EPA Region, and copies of the
State's statutes and regulations. Once a State obtains authority for an
NPDES or sludge program, it becomes responsible for implementing the
program in that jurisdiction. The State must retain records on the
permittees and perform inspections. In addition, when a State obtains
NPDES or sludge authority, EPA must oversee the program. Thus, States
must submit permit information and compliance reports to the EPA. When
EPA issues a permit in an unauthorized State, that State must certify
that the permit requirements comply with State water laws. According to
the Clean Water Act (CWA) (section 510), States may adopt discharge
requirements that are equal to or more stringent than requirements in
the CWA or Federal regulations. There are three categories of reporting
requirements that are covered by this ICR. The first category, ``State
Program Requests,'' includes the activities States must complete to
request a new NPDES or sludge program, or to modify an existing
program. The second category, ``State Program Implementation,''
includes the activities that approved States must complete to implement
an existing
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program, such as certification of EPA-issued permits by non-NPDES
States. The third category, ``State Program Oversight,'' includes
activities required of NPDES States so that EPA may satisfy its
statutory requirements for state program oversight. The information
collected by EPA is used to evaluate the adequacy of a State's NPDES or
sludge program and to provide EPA with the information necessary to
fulfill its statutory oversight functions over State program
performance and individual permit actions. EPA will use this
information to evaluate State requests for full or partial program
approval and program modifications. In order to evaluate the adequacy
of a State's proposed program, appropriate information must be provided
to ensure that proper procedures, regulations, and statutes are in
place and consistent with the CWA requirements.
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 are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR chapter 15, and are
identified on the form and/or instrument, if applicable.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 52
hours per response. 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 which have subsequently changed; 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.
Respondents/Affected Entities: States, Territories, and American
Indian Tribal Entities.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 618.
Frequency of Response: Semi-annually, quarterly, on occasion, every
5 years, on-going.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1,013,802 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $37,470,111, which includes $0 for
capital or O&M.
Changes in the Estimates: The estimated increase in burden is
46,836 hours compared to the total estimated burden hours currently
identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens. This change is
primarily the result of (1) EPA's continuous effort to improve the
quality of data in its PCS database. This change may reflect more
accurate data rather than a significant change in the number of permits
actually administered. The total number of permits in PCS has
decreased, but the number of major facilities has increased. (2)
Changes and adjustments in the number and types of permits administered
by the states and EPA under the NPDES program. Non-NPDES authorized
states continue to apply for NPDES program and sludge program
authorization, impacting recordkeeping and reporting, resulting in a
shift of burden from Federal to State governments. (3) The shift toward
the use of general permits to cover certain categories of dischargers,
reducing the number of standard permits.
Dated: December 4, 2006.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E6-21115 Filed 12-11-06; 8:45 am]
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