[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 75 (Tuesday, April 20, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 19355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-9873]



[[Page 19355]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6329-4]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Information Collection Request for the Water 
Quality Standards Regulation

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: Information Collection 
Request for the Water Quality Standards Regulation, EPA ICR # 988.07; 
OMB Control #2040-0049; Expiration Date: June 30, 1999. 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 May 20, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone at (202) 
260-2740, by email at [email protected], or download a copy 
of the ICR off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA 
ICR No. 988.07.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Information Collection Request for the Water Quality 
Standards Regulation, OMB Control #2040-0049; EPA ICR No. 988.07; 
expiring on June 30, 1999. This is a request for extension of a 
currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Water Quality Standards (WQS) are provisions of State, 
Tribal, and Federal law which consist of designated uses for waters of 
the United States, numeric or narrative water quality criteria to 
protect the designated uses, and an antidegradation policy to protect 
existing uses and high quality waters. States are required by Federal 
law to establish water quality standards. Clean Water Act Section 
303(c) requires States and certain Indian Tribes (those Tribes that 
have received EPA authorization to administer the water quality 
standards program and have had their water quality standards approved 
by EPA) to review and, if appropriate, revise their water quality 
standards regulations once every three years and to submit to EPA the 
results of the review. EPA then reviews each State and Tribal 
submission for approval or disapproval.
    The WQS Regulation (40 CFR part 131) is the EPA regulation 
governing the implementation of the water quality standards program. 
The WQS Regulation describes requirements and procedures for the States 
and Tribes to develop, review, and revise their water quality 
standards, and EPA procedures for reviewing and approving the water 
quality standards. Additionally, the regulation specifies information 
that an Indian Tribe must submit to EPA in order to determine whether a 
Tribe is qualified to administer the WQS Program. Finally, the WQS 
Regulation describes a dispute resolution mechanism that will assist in 
resolving disputes that arise between States and Tribes over water 
quality standards on common waterbodies.
    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 11/30/98 
(63 FR 65776); no comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2293 
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: State and Tribal governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 83.
    Frequency of Response: once every three years for water quality 
standards submittal to EPA; once per Tribal application for the water 
quality standards program; once per dispute resolution request.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 190,336 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden (O&M and capital/startup 
costs only): $0.
    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. 988.07 and OMB Control No. 2040-0049 in any 
correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of 
Policy, 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: April 14, 1999.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 99-9873 Filed 4-19-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P