[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 194 (Friday, October 6, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52391-52393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-24878]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5313-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities up for Renewal

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 notice announces that the Information Collection Request 
(ICR) listed below is coming up for renewal. Before submitting the 
renewal package to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), EPA is 
soliciting comments on specific aspects of the collection as described 
below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 5, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds (4503F), 401 M 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barry Burgan, National 305(b) 
Coordinator, telephone: (202) 260-7060; facsimile: (202) 260-1977; 
email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Affected entities: Entities affected by this action are the 50 
States, the District of Columbia, five Territories (Puerto Rico, the 
Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana 
Islands). Four Interstate River Basin Commissions and five Indian 
Tribes or Tribal Groups also sent data to EPA during the period covered 
by the current ICR. The SIC code for respondents is 9511 
(Administration of Environmental Quality.
    Programs: Air and Water Resources and Solid Waste Management).
    Title: National Water Quality Inventory Reports (Clean Water Act 
Sections 305(b), 303(d), and 314(a)). OMB Control Number 2040-0071. 
Expiration date: February 29, 1996.
    Abstract: Section 305(b)(1) of the Clean Water Act (Pub. L. 92-500, 
33 U.S.C 1251 et seq.; most recently amended in 1987 by Pub. L. 100-4) 
requires each State to prepare and submit a biennial water quality 
assessment report to the EPA Administrator. Regulations for water 
quality monitoring, planning, management and reporting are found in 40 
CFR part 130. Each 305(b) report includes such information as a 
description of the quality of waters of the State; an analysis of the 
extent to which these waters provide for the protection and propagation 
of a balanced population of shellfish, fish, and wildlife, and allow 
recreational activities in and on the water; recommendations for 
additional action necessary to achieve such uses; an estimate of the 
environmental impact and economic and social costs as well as the 
economic and social benefits of such achievement; and a description of 
the nature and extent of nonpoint sources of pollutants and 
recommendations as to programs needed to control each category of such 
sources.
    Under CWA Section 314(a)(2), States must incorporate their Clean 
Lakes Report into the 305(b) reports. Clean Lakes Reports include an 
identification and classification according to trophic condition of all 
publicly owned lakes; a description of the methods to control sources 
of pollution and restore these lakes; methods to mitigate the harmful 
effects of high acidity; a list and description of publicly owned lakes 
for which uses are known to be impaired; and an assessment of the 
status and trends of water quality in lakes.
    Section 303(d)(1) of the CWA requires States to identify and rank 
water-quality limited waters which will not meet State water quality 
standards after implementation of technology-based point source 
controls.
    Reporting under Sections 305(b) and 314 is thus required of the 50 
States. Reporting activities under Section 303(d) may be submitted as 
part of the 305(b) report or may be submitted under separate cover. 
Other respondents (Territories, River Basin Commissions, certain Indian 
Tribes or Tribal Groups) also prepare 305(b) reports to document the 
quality of their waters to EPA, Congress, and the public and, in some 
cases, to meet grant conditions.
    The 305(b) reporting process is an essential component of the EPA 
water pollution control program. EPA's Office of Water uses the 305(b) 
reports as the principal information source for assessing nationwide 
water quality, progress made in maintaining and restoring water 
quality, and the extent of remaining water pollution problems. EPA 
prepares the National Water Quality Inventory Report to Congress and 
evaluates impacts of EPA's water pollution control programs with the 
information and data supplied in the State and Tribal 305(b) reports 
and the corresponding national database, the EPA Waterbody System. The 
Office of Water uses the Report to Congress to target persistent and 
emerging water quality problems with new initiatives and to improve or 
eliminate ineffective programs.
    EPA uses the information submitted under Section 314 to evaluate 
the effectiveness of the Clean Lakes grant program. The Agency 
assembles national information on water quality trends in lakes 
eligible for Section 314 grants, initiation and completion of Clean 
Lakes Projects funded with 314 grants, and tangible results of lake 
restoration projects.
    Under Section 303(d) EPA must review and approve or disapprove the 
State lists of water-quality limited waterbodies still requiring total 
maximum daily loads (TMDLs). Section 303(d) of the CWA establishes the 
TMDL process to provide for more stringent water-quality based controls 
when required Federal, State or local controls are inadequate to 
achieve State water quality standards. TMDLs encourage a holistic view 
of water quality problems considering all contributions and instream 
water quality and provide a method to allocate those contributions to 
meet water quality standards.
    The next 305(b) reports and 303(d) lists are due to EPA in April 
1996. Prior to each 305(b) reporting deadline, EPA publishes guidelines 
on the types of information requested of respondents in their 305(b) 
reports. The current edition is Guidelines for the Preparation of the 
1996 State Water Quality Assessments (305(b) Reports), EPA 841-B-95-
001, May 1995 (see contact information above).
    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 displayed in 40 CFR Part 9. This ICR renewal does not 
involve third-party and public disclosures not previously reviewed and 
approved by OMB.
    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;
    (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 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of responses.
    Burden Statement: The existing burden estimate for all reporting 
and 

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recordkeeping (from the currently approved ICR) was 256,654 burden 
hours per year. This estimate was based on 58 respondents and a 
biennial response frequency, and was equivalent to an average of 8,850 
burden hours per biennial response. This estimate includes the time 
needed to review instructions, search existing data sources, gather and 
maintain the data needed, and complete and review the collection of 
information. EPA intends to reduce the burden in the future by reducing 
the frequency for submitting the actual 305(b) reports to 5 years with 
annual electronic reporting on core elements for the geographic areas 
covered in that year.
    Send comments regarding these matters, or any other aspect of the 
information collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden, 
to the address listed above.

    Dated: September 29, 1995.
Robert H. Wayland III,
Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds.
[FR Doc. 95-24878 Filed 10-5-95; 8:45 am]
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