[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 64 (Thursday, April 3, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16282-16283]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8156]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OW-2003-0009, FRL-7476-4]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; National Pretreatment 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): National Pretreatment Program (OMB 
Control No. 2040-0009; EPA ICR No. 0002.11), expiring 09/30/2003. 
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 June 2, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Follow the detailed instructions in SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tracy Hudak, Office of Water, Office 
of Wastewater Management, Water Permits Division, Mail code: 4203M, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-0651; fax number: 202-
564-6431; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this 
ICR under Docket ID number OW-2003-0009, which is available for public 
viewing at the Office of 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 Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the 
telephone number for the Office of 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 obtain 
a copy of the draft collection of information, 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 within 
60 days of this notice, and according to the following detailed 
instructions: (1) Submit your comments to EPA online using EDOCKET (our 
preferred method); (2) by email to [email protected]; or, (3) 
by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Office 
of Water Docket, Mail code: 4101T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460.
    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 www.epa.gov/edocket.
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
those subject to the regulations under 40 CFR part 403, including 
private industries and State, local and Federal governments.
    Title: National Pretreatment Program (OMB Control Number 2040-0009; 
EPA ICR Number 0002.11), expiring 09/30/2003.
    Abstract: This Information Collection Request (ICR) calculates the 
burden and costs associated with managing the National Pretreatment 
Program, mandated by sections 402(a) and (b) and 307(b) of the Clean 
Water Act. This ICR is a renewal of the Revision of the Information 
Collection Request for the National Pretreatment Program (OMB Control 
No. 2040-009, EPA ICR No. 0002.09).
    EPA's Office of Wastewater Management (OWM) in the Office of Water 
(OW) is responsible for the management of the pretreatment program. The 
Clean Water Act requires EPA to develop national pretreatment standards 
to control discharges from Industrial Users (IUs) into Publicly Owned 
Treatment Works (POTWs). These standards limit the level of certain 
pollutants allowed in non-domestic wastewater that is discharged to a 
POTW. EPA administers the pretreatment program through the National 
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. Under 
the NPDES permit program, EPA may approve State or individual POTW 
implementation of the pretreatment standards at their

[[Page 16283]]

respective levels. Data collected from IUs during implementation of the 
pretreatment program include the mass, frequency, and content of IU 
discharges and IU schedules for installing pretreatment equipment. Data 
also include actual or anticipated IU discharges of wastes that violate 
pretreatment standards, have the potential to cause problems at the 
POTW, or are considered hazardous under the Resource Conservation and 
Recovery Act (RCRA). OWM uses the data collected under the pretreatment 
program to monitor and enforce compliance with the pretreatment 
regulations, as well as to authorize program administration at the 
State or local (POTW) level. States and POTWs applying for approval of 
their pretreatment programs submit data concerning their legal, 
procedural, and administrative bases for establishing such programs. 
This information may include surveys of IUs, local limits for pollutant 
concentrations, and schedules for completion of major project 
requirements. IUs and POTWs submit written reports to the approved 
state or EPA. These data may then be entered into the NPDES databases 
by the approved state or by EPA.
    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 information collection would involve an 
estimated 32,675 respondents at an annual cost of $95,126,953 to those 
respondents. The total annual cost to both respondents and government 
(excluding Federal government) is estimated at $99,022,998. The annual 
number of responses would be 248,539 or 7.61 responses per respondent. 
The time required for a response ranges from 15 minutes to 400 hours, 
with an average response time of approximately 10.0 hours per year. An 
estimated 32,675 respondents would be required to keep records at an 
average annual burden of 6.80 hours per record keeper. The pretreatment 
program would entail 222,217 hours of record keeping, 2,107,586 hours 
of reporting, 114,706 hours for government (excluding Federal 
government) administration and 11,262 hours for EPA as users of the 
data, for a total of 2,485,770 burden hours at a cost of $99,387,774. 
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: March 28, 2003.
James A. Hanlon,
Director, Office of Wastewater Management.
[FR Doc. 03-8156 Filed 4-2-03; 8:45 am]
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