[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 250 (Monday, December 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79604-79606]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-32887]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7432-7]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Safe Drinking Water Act State Revolving Fund 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 document announces that EPA is planning to submit the 
following continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB): Safe Drinking Water Act State Revolving 
Fund Program; EPA ICR No. 1803.04; OMB No. 2040-0185; expiration date 
June 30, 2003. 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 February 28, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted electronically, by mail, or 
through hand delivery/courier. Follow the detailed instructions as 
provided in Unit I.C. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For more specific aspects of this ICR, 
contact Vinh Nguyen at (202) 564-4631; fax (202) 564-3757; E-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Affected Entities

    Entities potentially affected by this action are the fifty States, 
Puerto Rico, and the recipients of assistance in each of these 
jurisdictions.

B. Background

    Title: Safe Drinking Water Act State Revolving Fund Program; OMB 
Control No. 2040-0185; EPA ICR No. 1803.04; expiration date June 30, 
2003.
    Abstract: The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Amendments of 1996 
(Public Law 104-182) authorize the creation of Drinking Water State 
Revolving Fund (DWSRF) programs in each State and Puerto Rico to assist 
public water systems to finance the costs of infrastructure needed to 
achieve or maintain compliance with SDWA requirements and to protect 
public health. Section 1452 authorizes the Administrator of the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to award capitalization grants to 
the States and Puerto Rico which, in turn, provide low-cost loans and 
other types of assistance to eligible drinking water systems. States 
can also reserve a portion of their grants to conduct various set-aside 
activities.
    The information collection activities will occur primarily at the 
program level through the: (1) Capitalization Grant Application and 
Agreement/State Intended Use Plan; (2) Biennial Report; (3) Annual 
Audit; and (4) Assistance Application Review. Information collected is 
needed for input into the DWSRF National Information Management System.
    (1) Capitalization Grant Application and Agreement/State Intended 
Use Plan: The State must prepare a Capitalization Grant Application 
that includes an Intended Use Plan (IUP) outlining in detail how it 
will use all the funds covered by the capitalization grant. States may, 
as an alternative, develop the IUP in a two part process with one part 
identifying the distribution and uses of the funds among the various 
set-asides in the DWSRF program and the other part dealing with project 
assistance from the Fund.
    (2) Biennial Report: The State must agree to complete and submit a 
Biennial Report on the uses of the capitalization grant. The scope of 
the report must cover assistance provided by the DWSRF Fund and all 
other set-aside activities included under the Capitalization Grant 
Agreement. States which jointly administer DWSRF and the Clean Water 
State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) programs, in accordance with section 
1452(g)(1), may submit reports (according to the schedule specified for 
each program) which cover both programs.
    (3) Annual Audit: A State must comply with the provisions of the 
Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996. Best management practices suggest 
and EPA recommends that a State conduct an annual independent audit of 
its DWSRF program. The scope of the report must cover the DWSRF Fund 
and all other set-aside activities included in the Capitalization Grant 
Agreement. States which jointly administer DWSRF and CWSRF programs, in 
accordance with section 1452(g)(1), may submit audits which cover both 
programs but which report financial information for each program 
separately.
    (4) Assistance Application Review: Local applicants seeking 
financial assistance must prepare and submit DWSRF loan applications. 
States then review completed loan applications and verify that proposed 
projects will comply with applicable federal and state requirements.
    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.

Burden Statement

(1) Capitalization Grant Application and Agreement/State Intended Use 
Plan
    2003: 51 States x 400 Hours = 20,400 Burden Hours.
    2004: 51 States x 400 Hours = 20,400 Burden Hours
    2005: 51 States x 400 Hours = 20,400 Burden Hours
(2) Biennial Report
    2003: 25 States x 275 Hours = 6,875 Burden Hours.
    2004: 26 States x 275 Hours = 7,150 Burden Hours.
    2005: 25 States x 275 Hours = 6,875 Burden Hours.
(3) Annual Audit
    2003: 51 States x 80 Hours = 4,080 Burden Hours.
    2004: 51 States x 80 Hours = 4,080 Burden Hours.
    2005: 51 States x 80 Hours = 4,080 Burden Hours.
(4) Loan Application Review
    2003: 51 States x 27 Applications x 40 Hours = 55,080 Burden Hours.
    2004: 51 States x 27 Applications x 40 Hours = 55,080 Burden Hours.
    2005: 51 States x 27 Applications x 40 Hours = 55,080 Burden Hours.
    The annual reporting and recordkeeping hour burden by state and 
local respondents is 196,687 hours.
    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.

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C. How Can I Get Copies of the ICR Supporting Statement and Other 
Related Information?

    1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this 
ICR under Docket ID No. OW-2002-0059. The official public docket is the 
collection of materials that is available for public viewing at the 
Water Docket in the EPA Docket Center, (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 
1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center 
Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Water 
Docket is (202) 566-2426.
    2. Electronic Access. You may access this Federal Register document 
electronically through the EPA Internet under the ``Federal Register'' 
listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
    You may use EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to submit or 
view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the 
official public docket, and to access those documents in the public 
docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select 
``search,'' then key in the docket identification number.
    Certain types of information will not be placed in the EPA Dockets. 
Information claimed as CBI, and other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute, which is not included in the official public 
docket, will not be available for public viewing in EPA's electronic 
public docket. EPA's policy is that copyrighted material will not be 
placed in EPA's electronic public docket but will be available only in 
printed, paper form in the official public docket. Although not all 
docket materials may be available electronically, you may still access 
any of the publicly available docket materials through the docket 
facility identified in Unit I.C.
    For public commenters, it is important to note that EPA's policy is 
that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, 
will be made available for public viewing in EPA's electronic public 
docket as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment 
contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment 
containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that 
material in the version of the comment that is placed in EPA's 
electronic public docket. The entire printed comment, including the 
copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket.
    Public comments submitted on computer disks that are mailed or 
delivered to the docket will be transferred to EPA's electronic public 
docket. Public comments that are mailed or delivered to the Docket will 
be scanned and placed in EPA's electronic public docket. Where 
practical, physical objects will be photographed, and the photograph 
will be placed in EPA's electronic public docket along with a brief 
description written by the docket staff.

C. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?

    You may submit comments electronically, by mail, or through hand 
delivery/courier. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, identify the 
appropriate docket identification number in the subject line on the 
first page of your comment. Please ensure that your comments are 
submitted within the specified comment period. Comments received after 
the close of the comment period will be marked ``late.'' EPA is not 
required to consider these late comments in formulating a final 
decision.
    1. Electronically. If you submit an electronic comment as 
prescribed below, EPA recommends that you include your name, mailing 
address, and an e-mail address or other contact information in the body 
of your comment. Also include this contact information on the outside 
of any disk or CD ROM you submit, and in any cover letter accompanying 
the disk or CD ROM. This ensures that you can be identified as the 
submitter of the comment and allows EPA to contact you in case EPA 
cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties or needs further 
information on the substance of your comment. EPA's policy is that EPA 
will not edit your comment, and any identifying or contact information 
provided in the body of a comment will be included as part of the 
comment that is placed in the official public docket, and made 
available in EPA's electronic public docket. If EPA cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment.
    i. EPA Dockets. Your use of EPA's electronic public docket to 
submit comments to EPA electronically is EPA's preferred method for 
receiving comments. Go directly to EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket, and follow the online instructions for submitting comments. 
Once in the system, select ``search,'' and then key in Docket ID No. 
OW-2002-0059. The system is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means 
EPA will not know your identity, e-mail address, or other contact 
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment.
    ii. E-mail. Comments may be sent by electronic mail (e-mail) to [email protected], Attention Docket ID No. OW-2002-0059. In contrast to 
EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's e-mail system is not an 
``anonymous access'' system. If you send an e-mail comment directly to 
the Docket without going through EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's 
e-mail system automatically captures your e-mail address. E-mail 
addresses that are automatically captured by EPA's e-mail system are 
included as part of the comment that is placed in the official public 
docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public docket.
    iii. Disk or CD ROM. You may submit comments on a disk or CD ROM 
that you mail to the mailing address identified in Unit I.C. These 
electronic submissions will be accepted in WordPerfect or ASCII file 
format. Avoid the use of special characters and any form of encryption.
    2. By Mail. Send an original and three number of copies of your 
comments to: Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code: 
4101T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC, 20460, Attention 
Docket ID No. OW-2002-0059.
    3. By Hand Delivery or Courier. Deliver your comments to: EPA 
Docket Center, EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC, Attention Docket ID No. OW-2002-0059. Such deliveries 
are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation as 
identified in Unit I.C.

D. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide any technical information and/or data you used that 
support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at your estimate.
    5. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.
    6. Offer alternatives.
    7. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period deadline 
identified.
    8. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, identify the appropriate docket 
identification number in the subject line

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on the first page of your response. It would also be helpful if you 
provided the name, date, and Federal Register citation related to your 
comments.

E. What Information Is EPA Particularly Interested in?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA specifically 
solicits comments and information to enable it to:
    1. Evaluate whether the proposed collections of information are 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility.
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimates of the burdens 
of the proposed collections of information.
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected.
    4. Minimize the burden of the collections of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated 
or electronic collection technologies or other forms of information 
technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

    Dated: December 23, 2002.
Cynthia C. Dougherty,
Director, Office of Ground Water & Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 02-32887 Filed 12-27-02; 8:45 am]
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