[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 60 (Friday, March 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15170-15172]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7505]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7474-5]


Draft Handbook for Management of Onsite and Clustered 
(Decentralized) Wastewater Treatment Systems

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making 
available the draft Handbook for Management of Onsite and Clustered 
(Decentralized) Wastewater Treatment Systems (referred to here as the 
Management Handbook) for public review and comment. The purpose of the 
Management Handbook is to develop a step-by-step guide for regulators 
and service providers to implement a voluntary management program for 
decentralized wastewater treatment systems. The Management Handbook 
supports EPA's Voluntary Guidelines for Management of Onsite and 
Clustered (Decentralized) Wastewater Treatment Systems (referred to 
here as the Management Guidelines) published elsewhere in today's 
Federal Register.

DATES: Comments are requested by May 27, 2003.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any questions regarding the content of 
EPA's draft Handbook for Management of Onsite and Clustered 
(Decentralized) Wastewater Treatment Systems can be addressed to Joyce 
Hudson by e-mail at [email protected] or via U.S. mail to Joyce 
Hudson, U.S. EPA, Office of Wastewater Management (4204M), 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20460.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. How Can I Get Copies Of This Document and Other Related Information?

    1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this 
action under Docket ID No. OW-2002-0017. The official public docket 
consists of the documents specifically referenced in this action, any 
public comments received, and other information related to this action. 
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 West Building, 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 Public Reading Room is (202) 
566-1744, and 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/.
    An electronic version of the public docket is available through 
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. 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 appropriate 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 section I.A.1.

[[Page 15171]]

    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.
    3. Hardcopy. Copies of the document may also be obtained by 
downloading the document at http://www.epa.gov/owm/mtb/decent/, by 
calling the USEPA Publications Clearinghouse at 1-800-490-9198 or 
submitting a request by mail at USEPA Publications Clearinghouse, PO 
Box 42419, Cincinnati, OH 45242.

B. 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.
    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-2002-0017. 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-2002-0017. 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. Email 
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 section I.B.2. 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 3 copies of your comments to: 
Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 4101T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, Attention: Docket ID 
No. OW-2002-0017.
    3. By Hand Delivery or Courier. Deliver your comments to: EPA 
Docket Center, EPA West Building, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC, Attention: Docket ID No. OW-2002-0017. Such 
deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of 
operation as identified in section I.A.1.

C. 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 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.

II. Background

    Decentralized wastewater treatment systems (commonly referred to as 
septic systems, private sewage systems, individual sewage systems, 
onsite sewage disposal systems or package plants) include onsite and 
clustered systems used to collect, treat, and disperse or reclaim 
wastewater from individual dwellings or businesses, or small 
communities or service areas. State agencies report that some of these 
systems have failed because of inappropriate siting or design or 
inadequate long-term maintenance. Historically high failure rates in 
some areas indicate a need for better management of these systems to 
protect public health and water quality. However, when onsite and 
clustered wastewater treatment systems are properly managed, they may, 
in many cases, be the most practical and least expensive way to treat 
household wastewater. In response to the need for improved management, 
EPA is providing the Management Guidelines to establish a benchmark for 
effective management. The purpose of the Management Guidelines is to 
raise the level of performance of onsite and clustered wastewater 
treatment systems through improved management programs. The draft 
Management Handbook supports the Voluntary Management Guidelines by 
providing

[[Page 15172]]

details on assessing, developing, implementing, and sustaining a viable 
management program.
    All aspects of a management program are covered, including public 
education and participation, planning, performance criteria, site 
evaluation, design, construction, operation and maintenance, residuals 
management, training and certification/licensing, inspections/
monitoring, corrective actions, record keeping/reporting, and financial 
assistance. To address these elements of comprehensive management 
programs, the Management Handbook will include the following:
    [sbull] Public awareness and education tools
    [sbull] Case studies of management programs
    [sbull] Options for inventories
    [sbull] Funding examples
    [sbull] Model codes and ordinances
    [sbull] Examples of septage management
    The primary audience for the Management Handbook are state, tribal 
and local regulators and community officials that are responsible for 
regulating onsite and clustered systems.
    Onsite and clustered wastewater treatment systems currently serve 
about 25 percent of U.S. homes and approximately 33 percent of new 
development. The vast majority of these systems are conventional onsite 
wastewater treatment systems (septic systems). States report that these 
wastewater treatment systems have failed because of inappropriate 
siting or design or inadequate long-term maintenance and that septic 
tank systems constitute the third most common source of ground water 
contamination. Historically high failure rates in some areas indicate a 
need for better management of these systems to protect public health 
and water quality. When onsite and clustered wastewater treatment 
systems are properly managed, they may, in many cases, be the most 
practical and least expensive way to treat household wastewater.
    In April, 1997, EPA prepared its ``Response to Congress on the Use 
of Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems.'' The report concluded 
that decentralized wastewater treatment technologies offer a cost-
effective, long term wastewater treatment solution for many 
communities. However, the report emphasized that decentralized 
technologies must be implemented in the context of a responsible 
management program to consistently achieve water quality and public 
health goals. The report identified the current lack of management as a 
barrier to successfully applying these otherwise promising 
technologies.
    In response to the need for improved management, EPA prepared a 
concept paper in the spring of 1999, which received considerable input 
from various stakeholders, including other federal agencies, state 
health agencies, environmental groups, trade associations and public 
interest groups. Based on comments received, EPA developed the draft 
Management Guidelines which were published in October 2000, along with 
an annotated outline of this draft handbook. Comments were once again 
solicited, resulting in the final Management Guidelines and this draft 
Management Handbook.

    Dated: March 18, 2003.
G. Tracy Mehan, III,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 03-7505 Filed 3-27-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P