[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 98 (Thursday, May 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27954-27955]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13612]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6101-3]


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

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 forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System Great Lakes Water Quality Guidance (EPA ICR Number 
1639.03; OMB Control Number 2040-0180; expiration date June 30, 1998). 
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 June 22, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone 
at (202) 260-2740, by e-mail at [email protected], or 
download off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA 
ICR No. 1639.03.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Great Lakes 
Water Quality Guidance (OMB Control No. 2040-0180; EPA ICR No.1639.03) 
expiring June 30, 1998. This is a request for extension of a currently 
approved collection.
    Abstract: Section 101 of the Great Lakes Critical Programs Act 
(CPA) amends Section 118 of the Clean Water Act (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.
    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

[[Page 27955]]

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: (1) Monitoring 
(pollutant-specific and whole effluent toxicity or WET); (2) pollutant 
minimization programs; (3) bioassays to support the development of 
water quality criteria; (4) antidegradation policy/demonstrations; and 
(5) 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.
    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 December 
29, 1997, (62 FR 67637-67639); no comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 18.8 
hours per response. The burden will vary among dischargers and states 
and, depending on effluent quality, according to the requirements of 
the Guidance provisions. 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: Industries and local governments, as 
POTWs, discharging toxic pollutants to waters in the Great Lakes System 
as defined in 40 CFR 132.2; the governments of the eight Great Lakes 
States (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, 
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 588 major industrial and POTW 
dischargers, and 3,207 minor dischargers.
    Frequency of Response: varies depending on dischargers effluent 
characteristics.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 43,395 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $2,504,000.
    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. 1639.03 and OMB Control No. 2040-0180 in any 
correspondence to: 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: May 15, 1998.
Richard Westlund,
Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 98-13612 Filed 5-20-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-U