[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 33 (Thursday, February 19, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8449-8450]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-4184]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5969-1]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Underground Injection Control (UIC) 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): Underground Injection Control Program, 
EPA ICR No. 0370.13, OMB No 2040-0042 which expires 6/30/98. Before 
submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting 
comments on specific aspects of the information collection as described 
below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 20, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Information requests or comments regarding this ICR should 
be directed to Denny Cruz, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, 
Mail Code 4606, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Denny Cruz, Office of Ground Water and 
Drinking Water at 202-260-7776, or through E-mail: 
Cruz.D[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
owners and operators of underground injection wells and their State 
Agencies including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Trust Territories, Indian 
Tribes, and Alaska Natives and in some instances, U.S. EPA Regional 
Administrators and staff.
    Title: Information Collection Request for the Underground Injection 
Control Program (OMB Control No. 2040-0042; EPA ICR No. 0370.13.), 
expiring June 30, 1998.
    Abstract: The Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program under the 
Safe Drinking Water Act established a Federal and State regulatory 
system to protect underground sources of drinking water from 
contamination by injected fluids. Owners and operators of underground 
injection wells must obtain permits, conduct environmental monitoring, 
maintain records, and report results to EPA or the State primacy 
agency. States must report to EPA on permittee compliance and related 
information. The information is reported using standardized forms and 
the regulations are codified at 40 CFR parts 144 through 148. The data 
are used to ensure the safety of underground sources of drinking water. 
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: 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. In the ICR for 1995-1997, the total burden associated with 
this ICR was estimated to be 361,741 hours per year and the total cost 
was estimated to be $ 14 million per year. We expect that the burden 
for the continuing ICR for 1998-2000 will exceed the burden reported in 
the three previous years because of significant changes to the 
methodology used to calculate operator burden. Some changes reflect new 
requirements for burden estimation resulting from the

[[Page 8450]]

Paper Work Reduction Act of 1995. Others represent an update to the 
methodologies used to estimate burden in the ICR. EPA intends to 
examine how the UIC program 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 underground injection control community and the general public on 
this issue will be given consideration by the Agency.
Elizabeth Fellows,
Acting Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency.
[FR Doc. 98-4184 Filed 2-18-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P