[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 111 (Friday, June 8, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30902-30904]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14480]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6993-3]


Agency Announcement of Information Collection Activities: 
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Collection of 2000 Aquatic 
Animal Production Industry Data (EPA ICR 1988.01)

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: ``Collection of 2000 Aquatic 
Animal Production Industry Data'' (EPA ICR No. 1988.01). The ICR 
supporting statement describes the nature of the information collection 
and its expected burden and cost; where appropriate, it includes the 
actual data collection instruments.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before July 9, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, referencing EPA ICR No. 1988.01, to the 
following addresses: Sandy Farmer, US Environmental Protection Agency, 
Collection Strategies Division (Mail Code 2822), 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; and to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: 
Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th St., 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 or e-mail at 
[email protected], or download a copy off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No. 1988.01. For technical 
questions about the ICR, contact Marta Jordan by phone at (202) 260-
0817 or by e-mail at [email protected]. For economic questions about 
the ICR, contact Kristen Strellec by phone at (202) 260-6036 or by e-
mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Collection of 2000 Aquatic Animal 
Production Industry Data (EPA ICR No.1988.01). This is a new 
collection.
    Abstract: EPA is planning to survey aquatic animal production 
facilities to collect the technical and economic information EPA will 
need to develop effluent limitations guidelines and standards. 
Currently, no nationally applicable effluent limitations guidelines and 
standards exist to regulate discharges from facilities in this point 
source category. EPA is developing proposed effluent regulations for 
this category due, in part, to the concern that excess nutrients and 
other chemicals may be entering the Nation's waters from animal 
production and feeding operations (both aquatic and land based).
    EPA is required by section 304(m) of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 
1314(m), to identify categories of sources that discharge pollutants 
and to establish a schedule for establishing effluent limitations 
guidelines for these categories. EPA is also required by the terms of a 
Consent Decree with the Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. (NRDC) 
to propose effluent limitations guidelines and standards for the 
aquatic animal production point source category. NRDC v. EPA, (D.D.C. 
Civ. No. 89-2980, January 31, 1992, as modified).

[[Page 30903]]

EPA is conducting the surveys to collect the information EPA needs to 
respond to these legislative and judicial requirements.
    The Collection of 2000 Aquatic Animal Production Industry Data is 
intended to collect, from industry, the type of technical and economic 
information required by EPA to develop effluent limitations guidelines 
and pretreatment standards. The surveys cover aquatic animal production 
activities for both the private and public sector. EPA will issue the 
survey instruments under authority of section 308 of the Clean Water 
Act, 33 U.S.C. 1318. Responses from survey recipients will be 
mandatory. EPA will mail the survey instruments to aquatic animal 
producers after OMB approves the ICR. Respondents will have the right 
to claim information as confidential business information. An Agency 
may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, 
an information collection 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 14, 2000 (65 FR 
55522).
    Burden Statement: The data collection consists of 4 elements: the 
screener survey, a detailed survey, a follow-up collection of existing 
wastewater sampling data from a sample of the detailed questionnaire 
respondents, and a follow-up collection of economic information on 
multi-facility companies as necessary. The screener survey will help to 
identify basic information on all of the facilities EPA has identified, 
and will help EPA develop a more accurate mailing list and 
representative sampling frame for the detailed survey. The detailed 
survey will help EPA obtain from a representative sample of facilities 
more detailed information about facilities within the various industry 
sectors. The follow-up activities will allow EPA to obtain the 
additional information discussed above. The total nationwide public 
reporting and record keeping burden for this information collection is 
estimated to be 24,840 hours (5,000 hours for the screener survey; 
19,565 hours for the detailed survey; and 275 for the follow-up 
activities). 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; to 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; to 
adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable 
instructions and requirements; to train personnel to be able to respond 
to a collection of information; to search data sources; to complete and 
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information.

                        Table 1.--Respondent Average Burden per Survey Response Activity
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                                                                       Total burden per activity (hours)
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                     Respondent activity                               Survey                   Follow-up
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
                                                                Screener     Detailed      Econ.        Samp.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------\1\------------------------------
Read Instructions...........................................          .25    5   4   4            0            0
Gather Information/Data.....................................          .25   11   8   7            2            2
Complete Survey Form........................................          .25    8   7   7            0            0
Review Survey Responses.....................................          .25    7   7   5            0            1
All Activities..............................................            1   31  26  23            2            3
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
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\1\ EPA prepared three burden estimates depending upon the type of respondent and whether the respondent availed
  himself or herself of some options to lessen the burden.


                                            Table 2.--Collection of Aquatic Animal Production Facilities Data
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                                          Average burden                   Average labor                    Average O&M
                                                per        Total burden      costs per      Total labor      costs per    Total O&M cost    Total costs
       Total number of  responses           respondent      (in hours)      respondent      costs  (in      respondent      (in dollars)   (in dollars)
                                            (in hours)                     (in dollars)      dollars)      (in dollars)
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                                                   Screener Survey, Total Respondent Burden and Costs
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5,000...................................               1           5,000              21         105,000            0.84           4,200         109,200
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                                                   Detailed Survey, Total Respondent Burden and Costs
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315.....................................              31           9,765             762         240,030              15           4,725         244,755
315.....................................              26           8,190             579         182,385              15           4,725         187,110
70......................................              23           1,610             517          36,190              15           1,050          37,240
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                                                   Follow-up Activities, Total Respondent Burden Costs
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100.....................................               2             200              50          $5,000          $10.50           1,050           6,050
25......................................               3              75              67           1,675            9.50             238           1,913
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    EPA has identified approximately 5,000 facilities as potential 
aquatic animal producers. EPA will distribute the screener survey to 
all of the facilities identified, the detailed survey to a stratified 
random sample of about 500 to 700 facilities, and the follow-up to 125 
facilities (this includes 25 for sampling data and 100 for economic 
data). The estimated cost to complete the screener survey is 
approximately $21 per site. The estimated cost to complete the

[[Page 30904]]

detailed survey is approximately $517 to $762 per site (depending on 
the type of respondent). The estimated cost for the follow-up 
activities is approximately $50 to $67 per site. The estimated total 
industry cost for the information collection burden is $0.6 million.
    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. 1988.01 in any correspondence.

    Dated: May 21, 2001.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 01-14480 Filed 6-7-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-U