[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 40 (Wednesday, February 28, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12776-12777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-4868]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6948-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Operator Certification Guidelines and Operator 
Certification Expense Reimbursement Grants 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 notice announces that the following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Operator Certification 
Guidelines and Operator Certification Expense Reimbursement Grants 
Program, EPA ICR #1955.01. The ICR describes the nature of the 
information collection and its expected burden and cost; where 
appropriate, it includes the actual data collections instrument.
    EPA is requesting emergency clearance from OMB for this ICR to 
allow the collection of documentation on operator certification 
programs from states so that we may make a decision on whether or not a 
state's program meets our Operator Certification Guidelines. The ICR 
also covers the collection of material that states must submit to EPA 
before we can award Operator Certification Expense Reimbursement 
Grants. 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. EPA is requesting a valid control 
number from OMB through the emergency clearance process. The OMB 
control number for this ICR will be listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR 
chapter 15.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 30, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, referencing EPA ICR #1955.01, to the 
following:

[[Page 12777]]

Jenny Jacobs, Drinking Water Protection Division (Mailcode 4606), 
Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., 20460; and to Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Desk 
Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503. Copies of 
the ICR may be obtained from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, toll-free 
at (800) 426-4791. Hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (ET), 
Monday-Friday, excluding Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Jenny Jacobs, (202) 260-2939, 
fax (202) 260-0732, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
those which own, operate or regulate public water systems but not 
limited to: Owners/operator of public water systems, State 
Environmental Water Quality Agencies, State Departments of Health.
    Title: Operator Certification Guidelines and Operator Certification 
Expense Reimbursement Grants Program, EPA ICR #1955.01.
    Abstract: The purpose of this information collection is to 
determine if states are meeting the requirements of EPA's operator 
certification guidelines. Section 1419(a) of the Safe Drinking Water 
Act (SDWA) Amendments of 1996 requires to EPA to develop guidelines 
specifying minimum standards for certification and recertification of 
operators of community and nontransient noncommunity public water 
systems and to publish final guidelines by February 6, 1999. The final 
guidelines were published in the Federal Register on February 5, 1999 
(64 FR 5916). Pursuant to section 1419(b) of the SDWA, beginning two 
years after the date on which EPA publishes guidelines for the 
certification (and recertification) of operators of community and 
nontransient noncommunity public water systems (or February 5, 2001), 
EPA shall withhold 20 percent of the funds a state is otherwise 
entitled to receive under SDWA section 1452 unless a state has adopted 
and is implementing a program that meets the requirements of EPA's 
operator certification guidelines. EPA is required under SDWA section 
1419 to make an annual determination on whether to withhold 20 percent 
of a state's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) allotment. In 
order to make these decisions, EPA must collect information from the 
states as required by EPA's operator certification guidelines. States, 
in turn, must collect information from water systems as required by 
their respective programs.
    SDWA section 1419(d) requires EPA to reimburse (through grants to 
states) the costs of training, including an appropriate per diem for 
unsalaried operators, and certification for persons operating community 
and nontransient noncommunity public water systems serving 3,300 
persons or fewer that are required to undergo training pursuant to 
EPA's operator certification guidelines. Prior to awarding expense 
reimbursement grants to states, EPA will need to collect information 
from states to ensure that the state has a plan for distributing the 
funds to small system operators.
    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: EPA estimates that the cost and burden to states 
for this ICR is $412,449 and 11,914 hours over the three year period 
between FY2001 and FY2003. EPA also estimates the cost and burden to 
public water systems for this ICR is $6,514,596 and 290,511 hours over 
the three year period between FY2001 and FY2003. The average annual 
cost and burden per state is $2,695 and 78 hours. On a per system 
level, an average annual cost and burden of $31 and 2 hours is 
estimated.
    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 16, 2001.
Cynthia C. Dougherty,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 01-4868 Filed 2-27-01; 8:45 am]
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