[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 11 (Thursday, January 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2333-2334]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-966]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OW-2002-0047; FRL-7439-4]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission EPA ICR 
Number 1814.03 (OMB No. 2040-0189) to OMB for Review and Approval; 
Comment Request

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: National Health Protection 
Survey of Beaches (OMB Control Number 2040-0189, EPA ICR Number 
1814.03). The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of 
the information collection and its expected burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before February 18, 
2003.

ADDRESSES: Follow the detailed instructions in SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Rick Hoffmann, Standards and 
Health Protection Division (MC 4305T), Office of Science and 
Technology, Office of Water, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 
566-0388; fax number: (202) 566-0409; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On 08/13/2002 (67 FR 52716), EPA sought comments on this ICR 
pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received one comment.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. OW-2002-0047, which is available for public viewing at the Water 
Docket in the EPA Docket Center, 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 Reading Room is (202) 566-
1744, and the telephone number for the Water Docket is (202) 566-2426. 
An electronic version of the public docket is available through EPA 
Dockets (EDOCKET) at http://www.epa.gov/edocket. Use EDOCKET to submit 
or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of 
the 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 ID number identified above.
    Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB 
within 30 days of this notice, and according to the following detailed 
instructions: (1) Submit your comments to EPA online using EDOCKET (our 
preferred method), by e-mail to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA 
Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 4101T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) Mail your 
comments to OMB at: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 
725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.
    EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted 
electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing 
in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment 
contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose public 
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 EDOCKET. The 
entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be 
available in the public docket. Although identified as an item in the 
official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose disclosure is 
otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the official public 
docket, and will not be available for public viewing in EDOCKET. For 
further information about the electronic docket, see EPA's Federal 
Register notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102 (May 
31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov/edocket.
    Title: National Health Protection Survey of Beaches (OMB Control 
No. 2040-0189, EPA ICR Number 1814.03). This is a request to renew an 
existing approved collection that is scheduled to expire on 1/31/2003. 
Under the OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or 
sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending 
at OMB.
    Abstract: Bacterial and other microbiological contaminants continue 
to pose potentially serious human health problems for the Nation's 
recreational waters, including bathing beaches. These adverse effects 
have been one of EPA's long-standing concerns. They are directly 
related to such Clean Water Act responsibilities as water quality 
standards and surface water quality, and to the Agency's efforts to 
ensure that the waters of the United States are ``fishable'' and 
``swimmable.'' In 1986, EPA formally issued a revision to its 
bacteriological ambient water quality criteria recommendations to 
protect persons participating in body contact recreation. In addition, 
recent studies have confirmed the adverse health effects resulting from 
bathing in contaminated waters. Therefore, water quality in bathing 
beach areas is a critical concern to EPA.
    EPA believes there is a need to improve the overall quality and 
availability of public information about health protection activities 
at beaches, which include, but are not limited to, water quality 
standards, monitoring and assessment activities, and beach closures. 
Many organizations share responsibility for these activities. 
Consequently, EPA's Office of Water will conduct an annual ``beach'' 
survey which will be sent to environmental health officials from State, 
tribal, county, and city agencies, as well as representatives from 
various interest groups. It will obtain and verify information on the 
location and condition of swimming beaches and the agencies and persons 
responsible for maintaining and issuing advisories or closings for 
those beaches at inland sites around the Nation. Responses to the 
questionnaire (either on paper or electronically via the Internet) will 
help to determine compliance with water quality standards, to assess 
public health risks, and to determine what steps EPA should take next, 
if any. Completion of the questionnaire and map marking will be 
voluntary.
    EPA will assemble the information (maps and questionnaire 
responses) into electronic database and graphic formats that can be 
readily analyzed and shared with responsible parties (e.g., EPA program 
and regional offices, other federal, state, tribal, county, and city 
agencies), as well as the public. The nationwide collection of 
information is being conducted in phases over three years, with an 
average estimated number of respondents of 130 per year. When the 
survey is fully implemented, it is estimated that 391 respondents per 
year will be involved. The estimated annual cost for the survey per 
respondent is anticipated to decrease each year, since respondents will 
only

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be requested to provide information that has changed during the year.
    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, and are 
identified on the form and/or instrument, if applicable.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2.4 
hours per response. 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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: State and county, public health, and 
environmental protection agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 130.
    Frequency of Response: annual.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 312.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden (non-labor costs): $195.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 968 hours in the 
total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. This decrease is due to a reduction in the number 
of respondents for this ICR. This ICR will collect information only 
from inland beaches that are not required to report to EPA, or those 
states that do not apply for the BEACH Act Grants.

    Dated: January 8, 2003.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 03-966 Filed 1-15-03; 8:45 am]
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