[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 243 (Thursday, December 18, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66366-66367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33081]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5936-9]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Class V Underground Injection Control Study

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 EPA is planning to submit the 
following proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB): Class V Underground Injection Control 
Study, EPA ICR #1834.01. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review 
and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the 
proposed information collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 17, 1998.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the ICR without charge please contact 
the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, EPA Headquarters, 401 M 
Street SW, Washington, DC 20460 or contact the persons listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Safe Drinking Water Hotline, (800) 
426-4791, e-mail: [email protected]; or Anhar 
Karimjee, (202) 260-3862, fax (202) 260-0732, e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
those which own, operate or use Class V underground injection wells, or 
collect, record, or know of information on their existence and/or their 
location including, but not limited to: State Environmental Water 
Quality Agencies, State Oil and Gas Divisions, State Energy Divisions, 
State Departments of Health, State Agricultural Agencies, State Coastal 
Commissions or Oceanic Divisions, State Mining and Minerals Divisions, 
and State Hazardous Waste Divisions.
    Title: Class V Underground Injection Control Study, EPA ICR 
#1834.01.
    Abstract: The purpose of this information collection is to gather 
data on Class V underground injection wells. The collection will be 
conducted by EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW) as 
required by section 2c of the EPA's modified consent decree with the 
Sierra Club (Sierra Club v. Carol M. Browner, Civil Action No. 93-2644 
NHJ, 1997) in order to comply with section 1421 of the Safe Drinking 
Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300h). These wells may pose a risk to underground 
sources of drinking water (USDWs) and therefore EPA is collecting 
information necessary to determine whether a national regulation is 
appropriate.
    The collection will involve two components. First, a small number 
of initial site visits for agricultural drainage wells, storm water 
drainage wells, large capacity septic systems, and certain industrial 
wells will be conducted to count the number of those well types in 
certain geologic settings. This data will then be used to create a 
mathematical model that will eventually be used to estimate the number 
of wells in existence on a national scale. Once the model is created, 
additional site visits will be conducted to calibrate the model.
    The second component of the collection, for fourteen other well 
subclasses (electric power return flow wells, direct heat return flow 
wells, heat pump/AC return flow wells, aquaculture wells, wastewater 
treatment effluent, aquifer recharge wells, aquifer storage and 
recovery wells, saltwater intrusion barrier wells, subsidence control 
wells, mining, sand and other backfill wells, spent brine recovery 
wells, solution mining wells, in-situ fossil fuel recovery wells and 
aquifer remediation wells), involves general data collection from State 
and local agencies on the number of wells in existence and their 
location on a county level. EPA may also, for some well subclasses in 
some States, ask for additional information such as permitting 
requirements, contamination incidents and injectate constituents. The 
site visits and the data collection component will provide EPA with an 
estimation of the number of wells, which will provide, in part, the 
basis for determining whether national regulations for the well 
subclasses are necessary, and if so, the extent of the regulations.
    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 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, 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.
    Burden Statement: It is estimated that this information collection 
will involve a total cost burden to the Respondents of $72,073 and a 
total hour burden to the Respondents of 2,019 hours. There will be no 
capital, start-up or operation and maintenance costs but the collection 
will involve a one time response, from 2,369 respondents, of 
approximately 0.85 hours. 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

[[Page 66367]]

information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.

    Dated: December 12, 1997.
Elizabeth A. Fellows,
Acting Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 97-33081 Filed 12-17-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P