[Federal Register: September 18, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 180)]
[Notices]
[Page 47942-47943]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18se09-63]
[[Page 47942]]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-ORD-2009-0114; FRL-8959-5]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Questionnaire for Drinking Water
Utilities Participating in Emerging Contaminant Sampling Program (New);
EPA ICR No. 2346.01 OMB Control No. 2080--NEW
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)(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 for a new collection.
The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the
information collection and its estimated burden and cost.
DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before October 19,
2009.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2009-0114, to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our
preferred method), by e-mail ord.docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA
Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and
Development Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail to: 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: Susan T. Glassmeyer, Ph.D.,
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development,
National Exposure Research Laboratory, 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr, MS
564, Cincinnati, OH 45268; telephone number: 513-569-7526; fax number
513-569-7757; e-mail address: glassmeyer.susan@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 April 8, 2009 (74 FR 15965), EPA sought comments on this
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received three comments during the
comment period, which are addressed in the ICR. Any additional comments
on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this
notice.
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2009-0114, which is available for online viewing at
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Research and
Development Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC 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 Research and
Development Docket is 202-566-1752.
Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://
www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those
documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the
system, select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number
identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made
available for public viewing at http://www.regulations.gov as EPA
receives them and without change, unless the comment contains
copyrighted material, confidential business information (CBI), or other
information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For
further information about the electronic docket, go to http://
www.regulations.gov.
Title: Questionnaire for Drinking Water Utilities Participating in
Emerging Contaminant Sampling Program (New).
ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2346.01, OMB Control No. 2080-NEW.
ICR Status: This ICR is for a new information collection activity.
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: Improvements in analytical chemistry instrumentation have
allowed scientists to detect trace amounts of chemicals that are
commonly used in homes in the environment. These so-called ``emerging
contaminants'' are chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals, personal care
products, detergents and even endogenous hormones, which are either
excreted from or washed off the body, and enter the wastewater
treatment system. Wastewater treatment is not designed to specifically
remove these chemicals, so a portion of the chemicals remain in
wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. WWTP effluents are
commonly released into surface waters. Natural processes such as
photolysis, sorption, volatilization, degradation, and simple dilution
further attenuate the concentrations of emerging contaminants. However,
if a Drinking Water Treatment Plant (DWTP) intake is located downstream
of a WWTP effluent outfall, there is a potential for these chemicals to
be present in finished drinking water.
The USEPA's Office of Research and Development, in collaboration
with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), is conducting a sampling
program at up to 50 DWTPs to determine the presence of these emerging
contaminants in both the source water and finished drinking water. To
better interpret the results of the sampling program, detailed
information concerning the operation of the DWTP at the time of
sampling is required. This information can only be gathered through a
questionnaire that is completed concurrent to the collection event. The
questionnaire will collect information on the following:
The population served by the DWTP;
The source water, potential sources of pollution and
current hydraulic conditions;
Detailed treatment steps used by the DWTP, including
parameters such as pumpage at sampling, disinfectants used, and
distribution system information;
Detailed water quality parameters at the time of sampling.
The DWTPs involved in this project will ship samples of their
source water and finished water to the USEPA and USGS laboratories. All
sampling supplies and paid shipping vouchers will be provided to the
DWTPs. The samples will be analyzed by the USEPA and USGS for a suite
of approximately 200 emerging chemical and microbial contaminants. A
detailed listing of the analytes, as well as the methods to be used can
be found in public docket for this ICR under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2009-0114.
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Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20
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: Drinking Water Treatment Plants
(DWTPs) participating in a EPA/USGS sampling program.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 50.
Frequency of Response: Once.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1,000.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $29,735, includes $250 annualized
capital or O&M costs.
Changes in the Estimates: Because this is a new ICR, there is no
burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR
Burdens.
Dated: September 15, 2009.
John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E9-22569 Filed 9-17-09; 8:45 am]
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