[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 184 (Thursday, September 21, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 57182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-24308]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6874-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Community Water 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: Information Collection 
Request for the Community Water System Survey (EPA ICR Number 1946.01). 
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 October 23, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, referencing EPA ICR No. 1946.01, to the 
following addresses: Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Collection Strategies Division (Mail Code 2822), 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; and to Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For a copy of the ICR 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. 1946.01 For technical 
questions about the ICR contact Brian Rourke at (202) 260-7785.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Community Water System Survey (EPA ICR No. 1946.01). This is 
a new collection.
    Abstract: Last conducted in 1995, the Community Water System Survey 
is usually conducted every five years to gather information on the 
operating and financial characteristics of a nationally representative 
sample of community water systems. Specifically, the Agency uses the 
data provided by this survey to meet its Regulatory Impact Analysis 
(RIA) obligations under Executive Order 12866 and its obligation to 
assess and mitigate regulatory impacts on small entities under the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act and the Small Business Regulatory 
Enforcement Fairness Act.
    As effective analyses must begin with an assessment of the baseline 
situation, it is essential that the Agency have access to the current 
financial and operating conditions at water systems. Cost impacts of 
proposed regulations can only be estimated when something is known 
about the baseline costs of those bearing the burden. But financial 
data is only part of the picture. The Agency must also gather 
information on the operating characteristics of the treatment systems, 
storage facilities and distribution systems.
    This data is critical in estimating the need for new facilities as 
a consequence of any new Agency regulations. For example, water systems 
that have already installed treatment processes to treat one sort of 
contaminant might well not have to install any additional treatment to 
comply with regulations effecting a similar type of contaminant or one 
susceptible to the same type of treatment. Because of the magnitude of 
potential cost impacts of the regulations, even small changes in water 
system characteristics can produce significant differences in impacts. 
Hence, it is critical that the Agency use the most up-to-date 
information available.
    Also, under section 1412(b) of the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act, 
the Agency must consider the affordability of the treatment 
technologies that will meet the proposed regulatory requirements. To 
determine affordability, the Agency must consider both the new, 
incremental costs that would result from any proposed regulation 
together with the costs already borne by the water system.
    This is a one-time collection effort, and responses to the 
collection of information are voluntary. 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 02/15/00 (65 FR 7544); no comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1.44 
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: Owners or operators of a community 
water system.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,442.
    Frequency of Response: One time.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 2,078 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Capital, O&M Cost Burden: $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 addresses listed above. Please 
refer to EPA ICR No. 1946.01 in any correspondence.

    Dated: September 13, 2000.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 00-24308 Filed 9-20-00; 8:45 am]
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