[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 18 (Friday, January 26, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2505-2506]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-1405]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5403-9]


Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review: 
National Water Quality Inventory Reports

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) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature 
of the information collection and its expected cost and burden; where 
appropriate, it includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 26, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY CALL: Sandy Farmer at EPA, (202) 260-
2740, and refer to EPA ICR No. 1506.04.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: National Water Quality Inventory Reports (Clean Water Act 
Sections 305(b), 303(d), 314(a), and 106(e)). (OMB Control No. 2040-
0071; EPA ICR No. 1560.04). This is a request for extension of a 
currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Section 305(b) 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 
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 

[[Page 2506]]
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 the CWA Section 314(a)(2), States must incorporate 
information regarding Clean Lakes into the 305(b) reports. States are 
to include the following: 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 required controls, such as, 
technology-based point source controls.
    Reporting under Sections 305(b) and 314 is 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 
and to report on trends in the status of lake water quality reports 
issued by the Section 314 Clean Lakes Program. The Agency also uses 
this information for a variety of other purposes including to assist in 
the management of lake projects funded under both the Section 314 and 
319 of the Clean Water Act.
    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. (For further information or a copy call: Barry Burgan at 
EPA, (202) 260-7060).
    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. The 
Federal Register Notice required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting 
comments on this collection of information was published on 10/6/95 (60 
FR 52392). No comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 3,011 
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; 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 River Basin 
Commissions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 58.
    Frequency of Response: Reports every 5 years beginning in 1996; 
annual electronic updates of water quality assessment data beginning in 
1997.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 174,638 hours.
    Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the 
accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods 
for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques to the following addresses. Please 
refer to EPA ICR No. 1560.04 and OMB Control No. 2040-0071 in any 
correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE Regulatory 
Information Division (2136), 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460.
      and
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: January 19, 1996.
Joseph Retzer,
Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 96-1405 Filed 1-25-96; 8:45 am]
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