[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 68 (Tuesday, April 9, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17070-17071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-8535]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7169-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Disinfectants/Disinfection Byproducts, Chemical and 
Radionuclides Rules: Lead and Copper Rule Amendment

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 continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB): Disinfectants/Disinfection Byproducts, 
Chemical and Radionuclides Rules: Lead and Copper Rule Amendment, EPA 
ICR No. 1896.03, OMB Control No. 2040-0204 which expires September 30, 
2002. 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 June 10, 2002.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the draft Disinfectants/Disinfection 
Byproducts, Chemical, and Radionuclides Rules: Lead and Copper Rule 
Amendment ICR without charge, please contact the Safe Drinking Water 
Hotline (800-426-4791). Hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 
(ET), Monday-Friday, excluding Federal holidays. People interested in 
getting information or making comments about the Disinfectants/
Disinfection Byproducts, Chemical, and Radionuclides Rules: Lead and 
Copper Rule Amendment ICR should direct inquiries or comments to the 
Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, Drinking Water Protection 
Branch, Mail Code 4606M, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 
20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Christ at (202)564-8354, fax 
(202) 564-3755, e-mail:[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Affected entities: Entities potentially 
affected by this action are Public Water Systems, primacy agents 
including regulators in the States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Trust 
Territories; Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages, and in some 
instances, U. S. EPA Regional Administrators and staff.
    Title: Disinfectants/Disinfection Byproducts, Chemical and 
Radionuclides Rules: Lead and Copper Rule Amendment, EPA ICR No. 
1896.03, OMB Control No. 2040-0204 which expires September 30, 2002.
    Abstract: The Disinfectants/Disinfection Byproducts, Chemical, and 
Radionuclides Rules ICR is the result of a consolidation of activities 
covered in the 1998 Stage 1 DBPR ICR, some rules and activities covered 
in the 1993 PWSS ICR and activities and rules previously covered in 
other Office of Ground Water Drinking Water (OGWDW) standalone ICRs. As 
part of the consolidation effort, the Disinfectants/Disinfection, 
Chemical, and Radionuclides Rules ICR will be amended to include burden 
and costs associated with the Lead and Copper Rule. The National 
Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs) for Lead and Copper (The 
Lead and Copper Rule or LCR), promulgated by EPA in 1991, is a 
regulatory program mandated by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The 
LCR's goal is to reduce the levels of lead and copper at the tap to as 
close to the maximum contaminant level goals of 0 parts per billion 
(ppb) of lead and 1.3 ppb of copper as possible. To accomplish this, 
the LCR requires community and non-transient non-community water 
systems to conduct periodic moitoring, optimize corrosion control and, 
under specified conditions, install source water treatment, conduct 
public education, and/or replace lead service lines in the distribution 
system.
    In January 2000, EPA published the Lead and Copper Rule Minor 
Revisions (LCRMR) which eliminated unnecessary requirements, 
streamlined and reduced reporting burden, and promoted

[[Page 17071]]

consistent national implementation. The LCRMR do not affect the lead or 
copper rule maximum contaminant level goals, action levels, or the 
basic regulatory requirements.
    Monitoring, reporting and record keeping are required at both the 
system and State levels under the National Primary Drinking Water 
Regulations (NPDWRs). EPA has chosen to require the least frequent 
collection that remains consistent with overall public health 
preservation objectives. 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 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 estimated annual burden hours for the LCR 
amendment to the Disinfectants/Disinfection Byproducts, Chemical, and 
Radionuclides Rules ICR are 2,431,728 hours. The estimated average 
burden hours per response is 0.3 hours. The estimated average number of 
responses per respondent is 2.1. The estimated number of likely 
respondents annually is 76,001. The estimated annual cost is $14 
million which represents O&M costs only.The estimated annual burden 
hours and costs for the LCR amendment will be additive to the current 
OMB inventory for the The Disinfectants/Disinfection Byproducts, 
Chemical, and Radionuclides Rules ICR. 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: April 2, 2002.
Evelyn Washington,
Acting Director, Office of Ground Water Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 02-8535 Filed 4-8-02; 8:45 am]
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