[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 27 (Thursday, February 8, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9574-9575]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-3281]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6943-1]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Information Collection Request for National Pollutant 
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and Sewage Sludge Monitoring 
Reports; OMB Control No. 2040-0004; EPA ICR No. 0229.15)

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): Information Collection Request for 
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and Sewage 
Sludge Monitoring Reports; OMB Control No. 2040-0004; EPA ICR No. 
0229.15); currently expiring September 30, 2001. 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 9, 2001.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the proposed ICR will be available to interested 
persons without charge at the follow address: Betty West, USEPA, Office 
of Wastewater Management, Water Permits Division, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW, ICC Building, Room 7421-H, (Mail Code 4203M), Washington, 
DC 20460; email address: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betty West, Telephone: (202)564-8486, 
Fax (202)564-6392, e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
those which are covered by NPDES permits which include monitoring and 
reporting requirements and for sewage sludge record keeping and 
reporting requirements, treatment works treating domestic sewage and 
domestic septage haulers.
    Title: Information Collection Request for National Pollutant 
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and Sewage Sludge Monitoring 
Reports; (OMB Control No. 2040-0004; EPA ICR No. 0229.15) expiring 09/
30/01.
    Abstract: This ICR estimates the current monitoring, recordkeeping 
and costs associated with submitting and reviewing Discharge Monitoring 
Reports (DMRs), sewage sludge monitoring reports, and other monitoring 
reports under the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) NPDES 
program. The NPDES program regulations, codified at 40 CFR parts 122 
through 125, require permitted municipal and non-municipal point source 
discharges to collect, analyze, and submit data on their wastewater 
discharges. Under these regulations, the permittee is required to 
collect and analyze wastewater samples or have the analysis performed 
at an outside laboratory and report the results to the permitting 
authority (EPA or an authorized NPDES State) using DMRs, a preprinted 
form used for reporting pollutant discharge information. Sample 
monitoring, analysis, and reporting frequencies vary by permit, but 
must be performed at least annually for all permitted discharges except 
for certain storm water discharges. Upon renewal of this ICR, the 
permitting authority will continue to require NPDES and sewage sludge 
facilities to report pollutant discharge monitoring data. The 
permitting authority will use the data from these forms to assess 
permittee compliance, modify/add new permit requirements, and revise 
effluent limits. The monitoring data required of NPDES and sewage 
sludge facilities represents the minimum information necessary to 
achieve the Agency's goals and satisfy regulatory standards.
    Due to the re-estimation of burden for this collection, the burden 
hours associated with this new ICR have increased slightly from the 
hours of the previous ICR. This increase is due to more accurate 
estimates of the implementation of the Agency's monitoring frequency 
reduction guidance. The change in burden is reflected in higher 
operation and maintenance costs, due to the cost associated with using 
the services of outside laboratories. 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.
    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;

[[Page 9575]]

    (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: EPA estimates that 83,415 NPDES permittees and 
24,346 sludge permittees will perform sample collection, pollutant 
analysis, reporting and recordkeeping as part of their NPDES permit 
requirements to collect and report discharge monitoring data to permit 
authorities. These permittees are expected to provide 559,710 responses 
to State and Federal permit authorities. Nationally, permittees will 
spend 3,837,505 hours per year collecting samples of their wastewater 
or sludge; 2,842,365 hours will be spent by permittees with in-house 
laboratories for analyzing the samples collected; and permittees will 
spend 1,197,510 hours for recording and reporting the sampling and 
analysis information on DMRs. This amounts to a total of 7,889,707 
burden hours annually. Permittees that send their samples to outside 
laboratories will incur $315,006,531 in sample analysis costs. Each 
permittee will spend an average of 13.2 hours per year to collect, 
analyze and report discharge monitoring data. EPA also estimates that 
sludge facilities will spend 12,327 hours keeping monitoring records 
(the recordkeeping burden for the remaining NPDES permittees is 
reported in the Compliance Assessment ICR, OMB Control No. 2040-0110).
    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: February 2, 2001.
Michael B. Cook,
Director, Office of Wastewater Management.
[FR Doc. 01-3281 Filed 2-7-01; 8:45 am]
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