[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 16 (Monday, January 26, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3737-3738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-1759]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5953-9]


Agency Information Collection Activities up for Renewal: Facility 
Ground-Water Monitoring Requirements; Proposed Collection; Comment 
Request

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): Facility Ground-Water Monitoring 
Requirements, EPA ICR #959.09; OMB Control Number 2050-0033; expiration 
5/31/98. 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 March 27, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Commenters must send an original and two copies of their 
comments referencing docket number F-98-GWIP-FFFFF to: RCRA Docket 
Information Center, Office of Solid Waste (5305G), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency Headquarters (EPA, HQ), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, 
DC 20460. Hand deliveries of comments should be made to the Arlington, 
VA, address below. Comments may also be submitted electronically 
through the Internet to: [email protected]. Comments in 
electronic format should also be identified by the docket number F-98-
GWIP-FFFFF. All electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII file 
avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption.
    Commenters should not submit electronically any confidential 
business information (CBI). An original and two copies of CBI must be 
submitted under separate cover to: RCRA CBI Document Control Officer, 
Office of Solid Waste (5305W), U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, 
DC 20460.
    Public comments and supporting materials are available for viewing 
in the RCRA Information Center (RIC), located at Crystal Gateway I, 
First Floor, 1235 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA. The RIC is 
open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding federal 
holidays. To review docket materials, it is recommended that the public 
make an appointment by calling 703-603-9230. The public may copy a 
maximum of 100 pages from any regulatory docket at no charge. 
Additional copies cost $0.15/page. The index and some supporting 
materials are available electronically.
    The ICR is available on the Internet. Follow these instructions to 
access the information electronically:

WWW: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/corrective action
FTP: ftp.epa.gov

[[Page 3738]]

Login: anonymous
Password: your Internet address
Files are located in /pub/epaoswer

    The official record for this action will be kept in paper form. 
Accordingly, EPA will transfer all comments received electronically 
into paper form and place them in the official record, which will also 
include all comments submitted directly in writing.
    EPA responses to comments, whether the comments are written or 
electronic, will be in a notice in the Federal Register. EPA will not 
immediately reply to commenters electronically other than to seek 
clarification of electronic comments that may be garbled in 
transmission or during conversion to paper form, as discussed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, contact the 
RCRA Hotline at 800 424-9346 or TDD 800 553-7672 (hearing impaired). In 
the Washington, DC, metropolitan area, call 703 412-9810 or TDD 703 
412-3323.
    For more detailed information on specific aspects of this 
rulemaking, contact Hugh Davis, Office of Solid Waste 5303W, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 
20460, (703) 308-8633, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
those which own or operate surface impoundments, waste piles, land 
treatment units, and landfills which manage hazardous waste regulated 
under the Resource Conversation and Recovery Act.
    Title: Facility Ground-Water Monitoring Requirements, EPA ICR 
#959.09; OMB Control Number 2050-0033; expiration date 5/31/98.
    Abstract: Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 
of 1976 (RCRA) creates a comprehensive program for the safe management 
of hazardous waste. Section 3004 of RCRA requires owners and operators 
of facilities that treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste to 
comply with standards established by EPA that are ``necessary to 
protect human health and the environment.'' Section 3005 provides for 
implementation of these standards under permits issued to owners and 
operators by EPA or authorized States. Section 3005 also allows owners 
and operators of facilities in existence when the regulations came into 
effect to comply with applicable notice requirements to operate until a 
permit is issued or denied. This statutory authorization to operate 
prior to permit determination is commonly known as ``interim status.'' 
Owners and operators of interim status facilities also must comply with 
standards set under Section 3004.
    EPA promulgated ground-water monitoring standards for interim 
status facilities in 1980 (45 FR 33154 May 19, 1980), codified in 40 
CFR Part 265, Subpart F, and for permitted facilities in 1982 (47 FR 
32274 July 26, 1982), codified in 40 CFR Part 264, Subpart F. Both sets 
of standards establish programs for protecting ground water from 
releases of hazardous wastes from land disposal facilities with 
regulated units (these include surface impoundments, waste piles, land 
treatment units, and landfills).
    The ground-water monitoring requirements for regulated units follow 
a tiered approach whereby releases of hazardous contaminants are first 
detected, then confirmed, and, if necessary, are required to be cleaned 
up. Each of these tiers requires collection and analysis of groundwater 
samples. Owners or operators that conduct groundwater monitoring are 
required to report information to the oversight agencies on releases of 
contaminants and to maintain records of ground-water monitoring data at 
their facilities. The goal of the ground-water monitoring program is to 
prevent and quickly detect releases of hazardous contaminants to 
groundwater, and to establish a program whereby any contamination is 
expeditiously cleaned up.
    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: For both permitted and interim status land 
disposal facilities, the estimated total annual hour burden for this 
information collection is 196,363 hours. The estimated total annual 
cost burden for this information collection is $67,303,862, which 
includes labor, capital, operations and maintenance, and purchased 
service costs. For 623 permitted land disposal facilities, the annual 
reporting hour burden is estimated to average 112.4 hours per response, 
and the annual record keeping hour burden is estimated to average 26.0 
hours per response, regardless of whether the facility is performing 
detection monitoring, compliance monitoring or corrective action. For 
1,024 interim status land disposal facilities, the annual reporting 
hour burden is estimated to average 74.7 hours per response, and the 
annual record keeping hour burden is estimated to average 32.8 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.

    Dated: January 20, 1998.
Matthew Hale,
Acting Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. 98-1759 Filed 1-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P