[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 2 (Monday, January 5, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 224-225]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-108]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5947-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; National Health Protection Survey of Beaches

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 following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been for-warded to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: National Health 
Protection Survey of Beaches. The ICR describes the nature of the 
information collection and its expected burden and cost; where 
appropriate, it includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 4, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY: Contact Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone 
at (202) 260-2740, by email at [email protected], or 
download off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr/icr.htm and refer 
to EPA ICR No. 1814.01.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: National Health Protection Survey of Beaches (EPA ICR No. 
1814.01). This is a new collection.
    Abstract: Bacterial and other microbiological contaminants continue 
to pose potentially serious human health problems for the Nation's 
recreational waters, including bathing beaches. These adverse effects 
have been one of EPA's long-standing concerns. They are directly 
related to such Clean Water Act responsibilities as water quality 
standards and surface water quality, and to the Agency's efforts to 
ensure that the waters of the United States are ``fishable'' and 
``swimmable.'' In 1986, EPA formally issued a revision to its 
bacteriological ambient water quality criteria recommendations to 
protect persons participating in body contact recreation. Since that 
time, few states have adopted the revised criteria and the use of the 
criteria has varied greatly from one location to the next. In addition, 
recent studies have confirmed the adverse health effects resulting from 
bathing in contaminated waters. Therefore, water quality in bathing 
beach areas is a critical concern to EPA.
    EPA believes there is a need to improve the overall quality and 
availability of public information about health protection activities 
at beaches, which include, but are not limited to, water quality 
standards, monitoring and assessment activities, and beach closures. 
Many organizations share responsibility for these activities. 
Consequently, EPA's Office of Water will conduct an annual ``beach'' 
survey. The survey will be sent to environmental health officials from 
State, tribal, county, and city agencies, as well as representatives 
from various interest groups. It will obtain and verify

[[Page 225]]

information on the location and condition of swimming beaches and the 
agencies and persons responsible for maintaining and issuing advisories 
or closings for those beaches at freshwater sites (the Great Lakes and 
others) and saltwater (estuarine and coastal) sites around the Nation. 
Responses to the questionnaire (either on paper or electronically via 
the Internet) are required to determine compliance with water quality 
standards, to assess public health risks, and to determine what steps 
EPA should take next, if any. Completion of the questionnaire and map 
marking will be voluntary.
    EPA will assemble the information (maps and questionnaire 
responses) into electronic database and graphic formats that can be 
readily analyzed and shared with responsible parties (e.g., EPA program 
and regional offices, other federal, state, tribal, county, and city 
agencies), as well as the public. The nationwide collection of 
information is being phased in, beginning with a pilot survey of Great 
Lakes and other selected beaches in 1998. When the survey is fully 
implemented, it is estimated that 2,000 respondents will be involved 
each year. The estimated annual cost for the survey per respondent is 
anticipated to decrease each year, since respondents will only be 
requested to provide information that has changed during the year.
    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 5/5/97 
(Federal Register vol. 62, no. 86, pp. 24442-24443); no comments were 
received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2.33 
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: County or other entity public health 
and environmental protection agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2000.
    Frequency of Response: One time per year.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 4160 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $160,000.
    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. 1814.01 in any correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE Regulatory 
Information Division (2137), 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: December 30, 1997.
Joseph Retzer,
Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 98-108 Filed 1-2-98; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P