[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 61 (Monday, March 31, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15176-15177]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-8090]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5804-8]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Public Water Systems Supervision Program.

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 EPA is planning to submit the 
following continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB): Public Water Systems Supervision 
Program, EPA No. 0270.36; OMB No.2040-0090, which expires on 3/31/97. 
Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is 
soliciting comments on specific aspects of the existing information 
collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before May 30, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water. People interested 
in getting information or making comments about these ICRs should 
direct inquiries or comments to the Office of Ground Water and Drinking 
Water, Mail Code 4601, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Ground Water and Drinking 
Water's Public Water Systems Supervision Program Information Collection 
Request Service Line: 202-260-2050 or through E-mail 
Donaher.C[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
Public Water Systems, primacy agents including regulators in the 
States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Trust Territories; Indian Tribes and 
Alaska Native Villages, and in some instances, U. S. EPA Regional 
Administrators and staff.
    Title: Information Collection Request for Public Water Systems 
Supervision Program, expires March 31, 1997.
    Abstract: This ICR contains record keeping and reporting 
requirements that are mandatory for compliance with 40 CFR Parts 141 
and 142. Sections 1401 and 1412 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), 
as amended, require EPA to establish National Primary Drinking Water 
Regulations (NPDWRs) that ensure the safety of drinking water. These 
regulations guarantee that exposure to contaminants--microbial, organic 
and inorganic chemicals, and radionuclides in finished drinking water 
is below the level established by human health risk assessments. The 
Act further requires EPA to ensure compliance with and enforce these 
regulations. Section 1445 of SDWA stipulates that every supplier of 
water shall conduct monitoring, maintain records, and provide such 
information as is needed for the Agency to carry out its compliance and 
enforcement responsibilities with respect to SDWA. Implementation of 
these requirements is principally a responsibility of the States, 
particularly the 49 States that have assumed primary enforcement 
responsibility (primacy) for public water systems under SDWA Section 
1413. As part of the Public Water Systems Supervision Program, the 
Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water's Federal Reporting Data 
System (FRDS) and the newly-instituted Safe Drinking Water Information 
System (SDWIS) collect data from the States on public water systems 
regulated by EPA. Data include the public water system inventory, 
violations, and Federal and State enforcement actions. Without 
comprehensive, up-to-date information on drinking water contamination, 
the Agency would not be able to ensure ``a supply of drinking water 
which dependably complies with such maximum contaminant levels'' (SDWA, 
Section 1401 (1) (d)).
    An Agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required 
to respond to a collection of information if it does not display 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 EPA solicits 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.

[[Page 15177]]

    Burden Statement: In the ICR for 1994-1996, the total burden 
associated with this ICR was estimated to be approximately 11 million 
hours per year and the total cost was estimated to be $365 million per 
year. We expect that the burden for the continuing ICR for 1997-1999 
will be in the same range as the three previous years. EPA intends to 
examine how SDWIS could assist in reducing the burden on the States for 
reporting requirements and will be working with selected State 
officials as we work on this renewal. Any recommendations from the 
drinking water community and the general public on this issue will be 
given consideration by the Agency.

    Dated: March 25, 1997.
Cynthia C. Dougherty,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 97-8090 Filed 3-28-97; 8:45 am]
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