[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 29 (Friday, February 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7004-7005]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3212]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6533-9]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Drinking Water State Revolving Fund 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 document announces that the following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Drinking Water State 
Revolving Fund Program; EPA ICR No. 1803.03; OMB No. 2040-0185; 
expiration date June 30, 2000. 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 March 13, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For a copy of the ICR 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. 1803.03. For technical 
questions about the ICR, contact Vinh Nguyen at

[[Page 7005]]

(202) 260-0715 or via email at [email protected]. Additional 
information about the DWSRF program can be found at www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program; OMB No. 2040-
0185; EPA ICR No. 1803.03; expiration date June 30, 2000. This is a 
request for an extension of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Amendments of 1996 
(Public Law 104-182) authorize the creation of Drinking Water State 
Revolving Fund (DWSRF) programs in each State and Puerto Rico to assist 
public water systems to finance the costs of infrastructure needed to 
achieve or maintain compliance with SDWA requirements and to protect 
public health. Section 1452 authorizes the Administrator of EPA to 
award capitalization grants to the States and Puerto Rico which, in 
turn, provide low-cost loans and other types of assistance to eligible 
drinking water systems (i.e., local respondents).
    The information collection activities will occur primarily at the 
program level through the Capitalization Grant Application and 
Agreement / State Intended Use Plan, Biennial Report, Annual Audit, and 
Assistance Application Review.
    In order to receive a grant, the State must prepare a 
Capitalization Grant Application that includes an Intended Use Plan 
(IUP) outlining in detail how it will use funds in the program. The 
Capitalization Grant Agreement is the principal instrument by which the 
State commits to manage its revolving fund program in conformity with 
the requirements of the SDWA.
    The State must agree to complete and submit a Biennial Report on 
the uses of the capitalization grant. The Biennial Report indicates how 
the State has met its goals and objectives of the previous two fiscal 
years as stated in the grant agreement, and more specifically in the 
IUP. The report provides information on loan recipients, loan amounts, 
loan terms, project categories of eligible costs, and similar data on 
other forms of assistance.
    A State must, at minimum, comply with the provisions of the Single 
Audit Act Amendments of 1996. Best management practices suggest, and 
EPA recommends, that a State conduct an annual independent audit of its 
DWSRF program (including set-asides), which contains an opinion on the 
financial statements of the DWSRF, a report on its internal controls, 
and a report on compliance with applicable laws and the SDWA.
    Because States provide assistance to local applicants, States 
assist local applicants in preparing DWSRF loan applications and verify 
that proposed projects will comply with applicable federal and state 
requirements.
    EPA will use the Capitalization Grant Application / Intended Use 
Plan, Biennial Report, and Annual Audit to help conduct its oversight 
responsibilities as mandated by the SDWA.
    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 September 
7, 1999 (64 FR 48615); 11 comments were received from two parties.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1,703 
hours per State response and 80 hours per local respondent 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 local governments and 
local respondents.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,377.
    Frequency of Response: Annual.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 192,950 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden (non-labor costs): $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. 1803.03 and OMB Control No. 2040-0185 in any 
correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of 
Environmental Information, Collection Strategies Division (2822), 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW, 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: February 2, 2000.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 00-3212 Filed 2-10-00; 8:45 am]
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