[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 30, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8219-8220]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-2566]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6939-7]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Reporting Requirements Under EPA's National Wastewater 
Operator Training and Technical Assistance 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 EPA is planning to submit the 
following proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB): National Wastewater Operator Training 
and Technical Assistance Program, EPA ICR Number 1977.01, and OMB 
Control Number to be assigned. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for 
review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of 
the proposed information collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 2, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Wastewater 
Management, National Wastewater Operator Training and Technical 
Assistance Program--104(g)(1) ICR Docket, Municipal Assistance Branch 
(Mail Code 4204-M), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20460. 
Interested persons may obtain a copy of the ICR and supporting analysis 
without charge by contacting the individual listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Curt Baranowski, Telephone: 202-564-
0636. Facsimile Number: (202) 501-2396. E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Affected entities: Entities potentially 
affected by this action are state and local governments, state and 
county colleges, and those organizations which provide training 
assistance through the Clean Water Act 104(g)(1) Program to municipal 
wastewater treatment plants. Title: National Wastewater Operator 
Training and Technical Assistance Program. (OMB Control No. to be 
assigned. EPA ICR No.: 1977.01.

Comments

    Comments should be submitted to the National Wastewater Operator 
Training and Technical Assistance Program ICR Comment Clerk, Mail Code 
4204-M, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Wastewater 
Management, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20460. Those 
who comment and want EPA to acknowledge receipt of their comments 
should enclose a self addressed stamped envelope. Comments may also be 
submitted electronically to [email protected]. Electronic 
comments should be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of 
special characters and forms of encryption, and be identified by the 
use of words ``OTP ICR Comments''. No confidential business information 
(CBI) should be submitted through e-mail. Comments and data will also 
be accepted on disk in Corel WordPerfect 8 format or ASCII file format. 
Electronic comments on this notice may be filed online at many Federal 
Depository Libraries.
    The record for this proposed ICR renewal has been established in 
the Office of Wastewater Management, Municipal Assistance Branch and 
includes supporting documentation as well as printed, paper versions of 
electronic comments. It does not include any information claimed as 
CBI. The record is available for inspection from 9 am to 4 pm, Monday 
through Friday, excluding legal holidays, at the

[[Page 8220]]

United States Environmental Protection Agency, Municipal Assistance 
Branch, 7th Floor, ICC Building, 1201 Constitution Avenue, NW, 
Washington, DC 20004. For access to the docket materials, please call 
(202) 564-0753 to schedule an appointment.

Abstract

    The Wastewater Operator Training Program provides on-site technical 
assistance to municipal wastewater treatment plants. Information will 
be collected from the network of forty-eight 104(g)(1) training centers 
set up through out the United States. The information will be collected 
to identify the facilities assisted, the different types of assistance 
the program provides and the environmental outcomes and benefits of the 
assistance provided by the program. The information will be collected 
and submitted on either an annual or semi-annual basis. A Microsoft 
Access and a Lotus 1-2-3 database have been developed for this purpose. 
This ICR will be used by EPA for the technical and financial management 
of the 104(g)(1) Program. It is strongly suggested that the 104(g)(1) 
Program training centers participate in the information collection 
although it is not mandatory. All information in the data system will 
be made public upon request. 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 are listed in the Code of Federal Regulations Title 40 
part 9 and in the Code of Federal Regulations Title 48 Chapter 15.
    The EPA would like to solicit comments to:
    (i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used;
    (iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and
    (iv) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.

Burden Statement

    The projected combined annual burden hours of this ICR to all 
respondents will be approximately 512 hours. The average annual burden 
hours to each 104(g)(1) training center grantee will be 7 hours, for a 
total of 336 hours per year. The average annual burden hours to the 
EPA's Regional Offices and Headquarters will be 16 hours each, for a 
total of 176 burden hours per year.
    Data will be collected on an annual basis, in May of each year, for 
the Microsoft Access database collection, and data for the Lotus 1-2-3 
spreadsheet information collection will be done on a bi-annual basis, 
in May and November of each year. Although this information collection 
is not mandatory, it is expected that 100% of the 104(g) training 
centers will respond to this collection request. All forty-eight (48) 
training centers and EPA have the necessary equipment, desk-top 
computers and Microsoft Access, to collect and manage this information. 
There will be no additional start-up or maintenance costs associate 
with this project to perform this information collection request. 
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.

    Dated: January 24, 2001.
Michael B. Cook,
Director, Office of Wastewater Management.
[FR Doc. 01-2566 Filed 1-29-01; 8:45 am]
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