[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 82 (Thursday, April 29, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 23071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10732]



[[Page 23071]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6332-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Modification of Secondary Treatment 
Requirements for Discharges Into Marine Waters

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: Modification of Secondary 
Treatment Requirements for Discharges into Marine Waters, EPA ICR 
Number 0138.06, OMB Control Number 2040-0088, expiring July 31, 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 June 1, 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. 
0138.06.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Modification of Secondary Treatment Requirements for 
Discharges into Marine Waters (EPA ICR Number 0138.06; OMB Control 
Number 2040-0088) expiring July 31, 1999. This is a request for 
extension of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: The Clean Water Act (CWA) 301(h) program involves 
collecting information from two sources: (1) The municipal wastewater 
treatment facility, commonly called a publicly owned treatment works 
(POTW); and (2) the State in which the POTW is located. Municipalities 
had the opportunity to apply for a waiver from secondary treatment 
requirements, but that opportunity closed in December 1982. A POTW 
seeking to obtain a 301(h) waiver, holding a current waiver, or 
reapplying for a waiver, provides application, monitoring, and toxic 
control program information. The State provides information on its 
determination whether the proposed conditions of the waiver ensure the 
protection of water quality, biological habitats, and beneficial uses 
of receiving waters, and whether the discharge will result in 
additional treatment, pollution control, or any other requirement for 
any other point or nonpoint sources. The State also provides 
information to certify that the discharge will meet all applicable 
State laws and that the State accepts all permit conditions. EPA 
requires updated information on the discharge to: (1) determine whether 
the section 301(h) criteria are still being met and whether the section 
301(h) waiver should be reissued; (2) determine whether the water 
quality, biological habitats, and beneficial uses of the receiving 
waters are protected; and (3) ensure that the permittee is effectively 
minimizing industrial and nonindustrial toxic pollutant and pesticide 
discharges into the treatment works. EPA needs information from the 
State to: (1) allow the State's views to be taken into account when EPA 
reviews the section 301(h) application and develops permit conditions; 
and (2) ensure that all State laws are met and that the State accepts 
all permit conditions. This information is the means by which the State 
can non-concur with a section 301(h) approval decision made by the EPA 
Regional office. Responses to the collection of information are 
required to obtain or retain a benefit. Regulations implementing CWA 
section 301(h) are found at 40 CFR part 125, subpart G. 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 December 23, 1998 (63 FR 
71112); no comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 568 
hours per response for POTWs and 111 hours per response for States. The 
average annual reporting burden varies depending on the size of the 
respondent and the category of the information collection. There are 7 
categories of information collection in this ICR renewal. The frequency 
of response varies from 1 time to once every 5 years, to case-by-case, 
as the individual permit specifies, depending on the category. 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: Municipalities with publicly owned 
treatment works (POTW) that currently have section 301(h) waivers from 
secondary treatment, who have applied for a renewal of a section 301(h) 
waiver, or have a pending section 301(h) waiver, and the States within 
which these municipalities are located.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 55.
    Frequency of Response: Varies from 1 time to once every 5 years, to 
case-by-case, depending on the category of information collection.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 71,049 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden (capital/startup and O&M 
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. 0138.06 and OMB Control No. 2040-0088 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 22, 1999.
Joseph Retzer,
Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 99-10732 Filed 4-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P