[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 217 (Monday, November 10, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63778-63779]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-28215]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OW-2003-0078, FRL-7585-2]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Reporting Requirements Under EPA's National Wastewater 
Operator Training and Technical Assistance Program, EPA ICR 1977.02, 
OMB Control Number 2040-0238

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 proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) renewal to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB): National Wastewater Operator 
Training and Technical Assistance Program, EPA ICR Number 1977.02, and 
OMB Control Number 2040-0238, expiring 09/30/2004. 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 January 9, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OW-2003-
0078, to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by email to: 
[email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Mailstop 4101T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460. Interested persons may obtain a copy of the ICR 
and supporting analysis without charge by contacting the individual 
listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margaret Dodds, Telephone: (202) 564-
0728. Facsimile Number: (202) 501-2396. E-mail: [email protected]. 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., MS 4204-M, Washington, DC 20460.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this 
ICR under Docket ID number OW-2003-0078, which 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 Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and

[[Page 63779]]

the telephone number for the OW 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), by e-mail to: [email protected], or by mail to: EPA 
Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailstop 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, 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, or go to http://www.epa.gov/edocket.
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
state and local governments, state and county colleges, and those 
organizations which provide training assistance through the Clean Water 
Act 104(g)(1) Program to municipal wastewater treatment plants.
    Title: National Wastewater Operator Training and Technical 
Assistance Program. (OMB Control No. 2040-0238. EPA ICR No.: 1977.02, 
expiring 09/30/2004.
    Abstract: The Wastewater Operator Training Program provides on-site 
technical assistance to municipal wastewater treatment plants. 
Information will be collected from the network of forty-six 104(g)(1) 
training centers set up throughout the United States. The information 
will be collected to identify the facilities assisted, the different 
types of assistance the program provides and the environmental outcomes 
and benefits of the assistance provided by the program. The information 
will be collected and submitted on either an annual or semi-annual 
basis. A Microsoft Access database and a Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet have 
been developed for this purpose. This ICR will be used by EPA for the 
technical and financial management of the 104(g)(1) Program. It is 
strongly suggested that the 104(g)(1) Program training centers 
participate in the information collection although it is not mandatory. 
All information in the data system will be made public upon request. 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 are listed in the 
Code of Federal Regulations title 40, part 9 and in the Code of Federal 
Regulations title 48, 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 projected combined annual burden hours of 
this ICR to all respondents will be approximately 512 hours. The 
average annual burden hours to each 104(g)(1) training center grantee 
will be 7 hours, for a total of 322 hours per year, at an annual cost 
of $9717.96 (assuming an average hourly salary of $30.18). The average 
annual burden hours to the EPA's Regional Offices and Headquarters will 
be 16 hours each, for a total of 176 burden hours per year, at an 
annual cost of $6899.20 (assuming an average hourly salary of $39.20).
    Data will be collected on an annual basis, in May of each year, for 
the Microsoft Access database collection, and data for the Lotus 1-2-3 
spreadsheet information collection will be done on a bi-annual basis, 
in May and November of each year. Although this information collection 
is not mandatory, it is expected that 100% of the 104(g) training 
centers will respond to this collection request. All forty-six (46) 
training centers and EPA have the necessary equipment, desk-top 
computers and software to collect and manage this information. There 
will be no additional start-up or maintenance costs associate with this 
project to perform this information collection request. 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: October 24, 2003.
Jane S. Moore,
Acting Director, Office of Wastewater Management.
[FR Doc. 03-28215 Filed 11-7-03; 8:45 am]
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