[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 248 (Monday, December 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67637-67639]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33772]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5940-9]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Information Collection Request National Pollutant 
Discharge Elimination System for the Water Quality Guidance for the 
Great Lakes System

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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): Information Collection Request National 
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Great Lakes Water Quality 
Guidance (EPA ICR Number 1639.03; OMB Control Number 2040-0180; 
expiration date March 31, 1998). 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 27, 1998.

ADDRESSES: An original and four copies of comments should be submitted 
to Mark Morris (4301), U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 
20460. This ICR concerning the Water Quality Guidance for the Great 
Lakes System is available upon request by contacting Mark Morris 
(4301), U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20460, (202) 260-
0312. The ICR is also available for inspection and copying at U.S. EPA 
Region 5, 77 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604 by appointment only. 
Appointments may be made by calling Mary Willis Jackson (telephone 312-
886-3717).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Morris (4301), U.S. EPA, 401 M 
Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20460 (202-260-0312).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by today's action 
are those discharging pollutants to waters of the United States in the 
Great Lakes System. Potentially affected categories and entities 
include:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Examples of potentially affected
               Category                             entities            
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Industry..............................  Industries discharging toxic    
                                         pollutants to waters in the    
                                         Great Lakes System as defined  
                                         in 40 CFR 132.2.               
Municipalities........................  Publicly-owned treatment works  
                                         discharging toxic pollutants to
                                         waters of the Great Lakes      
                                         System as defined in 40 CFR    
                                         132.2.                         
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This table is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a 
guide for readers regarding entities likely to be affected by the final 
Water Quality Guidance for the Great Lakes System (the Guidance). This 
table lists the types of entities that EPA is now aware could 
potentially be affected by this action. Other types of entities not 
listed in the table could also be affected. To determine whether your 
facility may be affected by this rule, you should examine the 
definition of ``Great Lakes System'' in 40 CFR 132.2 and examine 40 CFR 
132 which describes the purpose of water quality standards and 
implementation procedures. If you have any questions regarding the 
applicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the person 
listed in the preceding FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
    Title: Information Collection Request National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System Great Lakes Water Quality Guidance (OMB Control No. 
2040-0180; EPA ICR No.1639.03) expiring March 31, 1998.
    Abstract: The primary objective of the Clean Water Act (CWA) is 
``to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological 
integrity of the nation's waters'' (section 101(a)). CWA section 402 
establishes the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) 
permit program to regulate the discharge of any pollutant or 
combination of pollutants from point sources into the waters of the 
United States. CWA

[[Page 67638]]

section 402(a), as amended, authorizes the EPA Administrator to issue 
permits for the discharge of pollutants if those discharges meet the 
following requirements:
     All applicable requirements of CWA sections 301, 302, 306, 
307, 308, and 403; and
     Any conditions the Administrator determines are necessary 
to carry out the provisions and objectives of the CWA.
    Section 101 of the Great Lakes Critical Programs Act (CPA) amends 
section 118 of the CWA and directs EPA to publish water quality 
guidance for the Great Lakes System. Provisions of the Guidance are 
codified in 40 CFR part 132. The Guidance establishes minimum water 
quality criteria, implementation procedures, and antidegradation 
provisions for the Great Lakes System.
    EPA and delegated NPDES permitting authorities may need point 
source dischargers in the Great Lakes Basin to collect and submit 
information for the following reasons:
     To implement methodologies for setting numerical water 
quality criteria and values promulgated by States and Tribes for 
pollutants in the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes States will use the 
methodologies consistent with the final Guidance when revising existing 
or promulgating new water quality criteria.
     To evaluate requests for permit changes using 
antidegradation policies and procedures consistent with the final 
Guidance.
     To further the pollution prevention policy that focuses on 
the virtual elimination of toxic discharges into the Great Lakes 
System.
     To translate provisions consistent with the elements of 
the final Guidance into controls for point sources of pollutants.
     To identify the facilities that require additional permit 
conditions (i.e., those that are discharging pollutants at levels of 
concern into the Great Lakes System).
     To identify new pollutants in existing discharges.
     To evaluate water quality in the Great Lakes.
     To determine violations of State/Tribal provisions 
consistent with the Guidance.
    Although the applicants collect and submit many types of 
information, this information can be broadly categorized as 
identification details (e.g., name, location, and facility description) 
and as information related to pollutant discharges into the Great 
Lakes.
    Permitting authorities currently require dischargers to provide 
information such as the name, location, and description of facilities 
to identify the facilities that require permits. EPA and authorized 
NPDES States store much of this basic information in the Permit 
Compliance System (PCS) database. PCS provides EPA with a nationwide 
inventory of NPDES permit holders. EPA Headquarters uses the 
information contained in the PCS to develop reports on permit issuance, 
backlogs, and compliance rates. The Agency also uses the information to 
respond to public and Congressional inquiries, develop and guide its 
policies, formulate its budgets, assist States in acquiring authority 
for permitting programs, and manage its programs to ensure national 
consistency in permitting.
    NPDES permit applications and requests for supplemental information 
currently require information about wastewater treatment systems, 
pollutants, discharge rates and volumes, whole effluent toxicity 
testing and other data. Additional information collection requirements 
that may be necessary to implement State, Tribal, or EPA promulgated 
provisions consistent with the final Guidance include:
     Monitoring (pollutant-specific and whole effluent toxicity 
or WET);
     Pollutant minimization programs;
     Bioassays to support the development of water quality 
criteria;
     Antidegradation policy/demonstrations; and
     Regulatory relief options (e.g., variances from water 
quality criteria).
    This information may be used to ensure compliance with provisions 
consistent with the Guidance and re-evaluate existing permit conditions 
and monitoring requirements. Data on discharges is entered into STORET 
and PCS, EPA's databases for ambient water quality data and NPDES 
permits, respectively. Results of water quality criteria testing will 
be entered into an EPA Information Clearinghouse database.
    Permit applications may contain confidential business information. 
If this is the case, the respondent may request that such information 
be treated as confidential. All confidential data will be handled in 
accordance with 40 CFR 122.7, 40 CFR part 2, and EPA's Security Manual 
Part III, Chapter 9, dated August 9, 1976. However, CWA section 308(b) 
specifically states that effluent data may not be treated as 
confidential. No questions of a sensitive nature are associated with 
this information collection.
    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 continued 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 continued 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: This ICR has estimated the burden and costs 
associated with implementation of the final Great Lakes Water Quality 
Guidance. It was assumed for this ICR that, except for WET testing, 
that all analytical activities are performed inhouse. The total annual 
burden to all respondents is estimated to be 87,872 hours with an 
associated cost of $4,905,550. The total annual burden to local 
governments, as publicly owned treatment works (POTW) operators, is 
estimated to be 34,612 hours with an associated cost of $2,036,646. The 
total annual burden to State and Federal governments is estimated to be 
6,478 hours with an associated cost of $205,234, of which 5,886 hours 
of the burden and $186,470 fall upon the State governments.
    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.


[[Page 67639]]


    Dated: December 19, 1997.
Tudor T. Davies,
Director, Office of Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 97-33772 Filed 12-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P