[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 176 (Tuesday, September 11, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47215-47216]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-22751]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7053-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Great Lakes Water Quality Guidance Reporting 
Requirements

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: Great Lakes Water Quality 
Guidance Reporting Requirements (EPA ICR Number 1639.04; OMB Control 
Number 2040-0180; expiration date September 30, 2001). 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 11, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, referencing EPA ICR No. 1639.04 and OMB 
Control Number 2040-0180, to the following addresses: Susan Auby, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Collection Strategies Division (mail 
code 2822), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20460-0001; 
and to Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th 
Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Susan Auby at EPA by phone at 
(202) 260-4901, by e-mail at [email protected], or download 
off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No. 
1639.04. For technical questions about the ICR contact Mark Morris, 
Office of Water, 202-260-0312.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:   
    Title: Great Lakes Water Quality Guidance Reporting Requirements 
(OMB Control No. 2040-0180; EPA ICR No.1639.04) expiring September 30, 
2001. This is a request for extension of a currently approved 
collection.
    Abstract: The Clean Water Act (CWA) section 402 establishes the 
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program 
to regulate the discharge of any pollutant or combination of pollutants 
from point sources into the waters of the United States. CWA section 
402(a), as amended, authorizes the EPA Administrator to issue permits 
for the discharge of pollutants if those discharges meet all applicable 
requirements of CWA sections 301, 302, 306, 307, 308, and 403 and any 
conditions the Administrator determines are necessary to carry out the 
provisions and objectives of the CWA.
    Section 101 of the Great Lakes Critical Programs Act (CPA) amends 
section 118 of the CWA and directs EPA to publish water quality 
guidance for the Great Lakes System. Provisions of the Guidance are 
codified in 40 CFR part 132. The Guidance establishes minimum water 
quality criteria, implementation procedures, and antidegradation 
provisions for the Great Lakes System. This ICR calculates the burden 
and costs associated with the implementation of the Great Lakes Water 
Quality Guidance (hereafter referred to as the Guidance).
    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 April 24, 
2001, (66 FR 20654-20655); one comment was received.

Burden Statement

    The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this 
collection of information is estimated to average about 35 hours per 
response (in actuality, the burden will vary among dischargers and 
states and, depending on effluent quality, according to the 
requirements of the Guidance provisions). 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,

[[Page 47216]]

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: Industries and local governments, as 
POTWs, discharging toxic pollutants to waters in the Great Lakes System 
as defined in 40 CFR 132.2; the governments of the eight Great Lakes 
States (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, 
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin); and the Federal government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 588 major industrial and POTW 
dischargers, and 3,207 minor dischargers.
    Frequency of Response: varies depending on dischargers effluent 
characteristics.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 43,395 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Operating and Maintenance Cost Burden: 
$2,776,407 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.1639.04 and OMB Control No. 2040-0180 in any 
correspondence.

    Dated: August 29, 2001.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 01-22751 Filed 9-10-01; 8:45 am]
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