[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 234 (Monday, December 7, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67475-67476]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-32414]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6197-9]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Proposed Collection; Small System Survey

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 document announces that the following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Small System Survey, ICR 
#1863.01. 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 January 6, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 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 and refer to EPA ICR No. 1863.01.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Small System Survey, ICR #1863.01. This is a new collection.
    Abstract: The Environmental Protection Agency has developed three 
interrelated Supplemental Surveys as part of an ongoing, scientific 
research and information collection program associated with the 1996 
Information Collection Rule (ICRule) that supports drinking water 
regulation development. The overall objective of this research and 
information collection program is to provide a sound scientific and 
technical basis for generating and evaluating strategies for reducing 
risks associated with microbial pathogens and disinfection byproducts 
in the US drinking water supply.
    EPA must conduct a Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) for the 
upcoming Stage 2 Long Term Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule 
(LT2ESWTR) and Stage 2 Disinfectant and Disinfection Byproducts Rule 
(Stage 2 DBPR) and that evaluates the potential impacts on all system 
sizes. This rule is scheduled for promulgation in May 2002. A major 
regulatory option being considered is to target treatment for protozoa 
as a means for controlling not only protozoa but other waterborne 
pathogens. Therefore, a critical element of the RIA is a 
characterization of the national distribution of protozoa in source 
waters for all size systems. Additional data are needed to better 
characterize these distributions because: (1) the ICRule only targets 
systems serving 100,000 people or more, (2) the ICRule protozoa method 
exhibits low recovery and a high detection limit, and (3) limited data 
are available for systems serving less than 100,000. As these protozoan 
concentration estimates are inputs to the Regulatory Impact Analysis 
for this next phase of rulemaking, the Regulatory Impact Analysis may 
underestimate the level of treatment required for protozoa removal 
along with the resulting cost impacts of this rule.
    To address these remaining data needs, EPA has developed and funded 
the ICRule Supplemental Surveys. Although the existing ICRule method 
remains available for possible use in these surveys, a key component of 
the Supplemental Surveys will be reliance upon a new analytical method, 
Method 1622, to measure Cryptosporidium and potentially Giardia 
concentrations. Because of its anticipated higher recovery rate and 
lower detection limit, Method 1622 is expected to provide a more 
accurate estimate of Cryptosporidium concentrations in source waters. 
The Supplemental Surveys will focus on gathering and analyzing data 
from a subset of large, medium and small systems. Today's notice 
focuses on the information collection burden associated with small 
systems only. The burden associated with the large and medium surveys 
was covered under the Information Collection Request for the 1996 
ICRule.
    Participation in the Small System Supplemental Surveys will be 
voluntary. As is appropriate in survey design, the size of the initial 
sampling list (a simple random sample) will be large enough to allow 
for some expected declinations. Forty small systems will participate in 
the survey and will sample twice a month during a 12 month monitoring 
period. The first monthly sample event will include protozoa 
(Cryptosporidium and potentially Giardia), bacterial samples (total 
coliform and E. coli or fecal coliform), wet chemistry samples (total 
organic carbon (TOC), alkalinity, UV254, bromide and ammonia), and 
water quality parameters (turbidity, pH and temperature). The second 
monthly sample event will include protozoa, bacterial samples, and 
water quality parameters. Twenty percent of the sample events will 
collect an additional raw water sample for use as a matrix spike to 
assess how the water matrices may be affecting method performance. 
Additional parameters that will be measured during the matrix spike 
events include dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total suspended solids 
(TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS) and conductivity.
    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 document required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting 
comments on this collection of information was published on 6/24/98 (63 
FR 34379); 1 set of comments was received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and record keeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 32 
hours per utility. An additional 40 hrs are attributed to the 
recruitment portion of this survey where 200 utilities will be asked to 
complete a reply form (at 0.2 hours per utility to complete the form) 
and from those 200 utilities, 40 will be selected to participate in the 
survey. 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: Public water systems serving less 
than 10,000 people.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 200.
    Frequency of Response: 2 per month.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1320 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $55,000.00.

[[Page 67476]]

    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. 1863.01 in any correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OP 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: November 30, 1998.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 98-32414 Filed 12-4-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P