[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 236 (Tuesday, December 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68618-68619]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-30518]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OW-2003-0073; FRL-7597-2]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 
(NPDES) Compliance Assessment/ Certification Information, EPA ICR 
Number 1427.07, OMB Control Number 2040-0110

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit a 
continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request to renew an existing 
approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on February 29, 
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 February 9, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OW-2003-
0073, to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail to 
[email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Water Docket (Mail Code 4101T), 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jack Faulk, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Mail Code 4203M, Washington, DC 
20460; telephone number: 202-564-0768; fax number: 202-564-6431; e-mail 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this 
ICR under Docket ID number OW-2003-0073, 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 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 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. 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 which are issued NPDES permits for the discharge of domestic 
wastewater, industrial wastewater, and storm water, and for the use and 
disposal of sewage sludge. In addition, states and territories 
authorized to administer the NPDES program are also affected.
    Title: National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) 
Compliance Assessment/Certification Information, EPA ICR Number 
1427.07, OMB Control Number 2040-0110.
    Abstract: Pollutant discharge limits in a NPDES permit are designed 
to be protective of the environment and the public. Permitting 
authorities must assess whether the permittee is complying with these 
discharge limits on a consistent basis. Compliance is assessed by 
reviewing records, compliance schedule reports, and noncompliance 
reports for a bypass, upset, or maximum daily limit violations. 
Permittees must maintain such records, meet compliance schedules, and 
report violations as mandated in 40 CFR parts 122 and 501. The 
information that is collected can lead the permitting authority to 
follow through with informal discussions with the permittee (telephone 
and/or letters), permit modification, or enforcement action.
    Also, consistent with past practice, this ICR incorporates burden 
from one ICR specific to EPA's effluent limitations guidelines 
development program that includes NPDES compliance assessment/
certification activities. Specifically, the burden and costs associated 
with the ICR: Best Management Practices Alternatives, Effluent 
Limitations Guidelines and Standards, Oil and Gas Extraction Point 
Source Category (40 CFR part 435), EPA ICR No. 1953.02, OMB Control No. 
2040-0230, is incorporated into this ICR.
    Note that six additional effluent limitations guidelines 
development ICRs are set to expire in the next three years prior to the 
next renewal of this Compliance Assessment/Certification ICR. The 
burden associated with those six ICRs will be incorporated into the 
Compliance Assessment/Certification ICR as part of the renewal process 
for those six separate ICRs. The six ICRs include:
    1. Milestone Plans for the Bleached Papergrade Kraft and Soda 
Subcategory of the Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard

[[Page 68619]]

Point Source Category (40 CFR part 430), EPA ICR No. 1877.02, OMB 
Control No. 2040-0202;
    2. Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Bleached Papergrade Kraft 
and Soda Subcategory and the Papergrade Kraft Sulfite Subcategory of 
the Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Point Source Category (40 CFR part 
430), EPA ICR No. 1829.02, OMB Control No. 2040-0207;
    3. Pollution Prevention Compliance Alternative; Transportation 
Equipment Cleaning (TEC) Point Source Category (40 CFR part 442), EPA 
ICR No. 2018.01, OMB Control No. 2040-0235;
    4. Baseline Standards and Best Management Practices for the Coal 
Mining Point Source Category (40 CFR part 434)--Coal Remining 
Subcategory and Western Alkaline Coal Mining Subcategory, EPA ICR No. 
1944.02, OMB Control No. 2040-0239;
    5. Certification in Lieu of Chloroform Minimum Monitoring 
Requirements for Direct and Indirect Discharging Mills in the Bleached 
Papergrade Kraft and Soda Subcategory of the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard 
Manufacturing Category (40 CFR part 430), EPA ICR No. 2015.01, OMB 
Control No. 2040-0242; and
    6. Minimum Monitoring Requirements for Direct and Indirect 
Discharging Mills in the Bleached Papergrade Kraft and Soda Subcategory 
and the Papergrade Sulfite Subcategory of the Pulp, Paper and 
Paperboard Manufacturing Category (40 CFR part 430), EPA ICR No. 
1878.01, OMB Control No. 2040-0243.
    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. 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: Based on the information collection requirements 
contained in the existing ICR, the information collection for 
compliance assessment and certification activities will involve an 
estimated 16,500 reporting respondents per year with 2.15 total annual 
average responses per respondent and 4.15 hours per response for a 
total of 147,207 hours. In addition, EPA estimates 304,739 
recordkeeping respondents per year and 3.86 hours per recordkeeper for 
a total of 1,166,012 hours. This results in an annual respondent burden 
of 1,313,219 hours and an annual cost of $31,025,598. States and U.S. 
territories are also expected to incur a burden and cost associated 
with this ICR. Specifically, EPA estimates an average annual burden for 
these respondents of 51,089 hours at a cost of $1,472,488. The total 
annual burden and cost to respondents, recordkeepers, and government 
(excluding Federal government) is estimated to be 1,375,308 hours and 
$32,498,086.
    The burden and cost estimate for the additional ICR, namely Best 
Management Practices Alternatives, Effluent Limitations Guidelines and 
Standards, Oil and Gas Extraction Point Source Category (40 CFR part 
435), EPA ICR No. 1953.02, OMB Control No. 2040-0230 are estimated as 
follows (as documented in the original rule-related ICR for this 
regulation): total burden hours for the 67 respondents are 47,168 
annually at a cost of $1,200,138. This includes both reporting and 
recordkeeping activities.
    Burden and costs for the additional six ICRs will be incorporated 
into this ICR as these six ICRs come up for renewal. The current number 
of annual responses and approved burden hours are provided below.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Annual      Annual
                 OMB Control No.                   responses     hours
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2040-0202.......................................          29       1,418
2040-0207.......................................         130      60,909
2040-0235.......................................          79      19,144
2040-0239.......................................          93       9,261
2040-0242.......................................          86         480
2040-0243.......................................         104      36,858
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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: December 3, 2003.
James A. Hanlon,
Director, Office of Wastewater Management.
[FR Doc. 03-30518 Filed 12-8-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P