[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 84 (Friday, April 30, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23741-23742]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9868]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OW-2004-0008, FRL-7655-7]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Microbial Rules (Renewal), EPA ICR Number 1895.03, OMB 
Control Number 2040-0205

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 23742]]

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 November 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 June 29, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OW-2004-
0008, to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by email to 
[email protected], or by mail to: Water Docket, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Mail Code 4101T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460, Attention Docket ID No. OW-2004-0008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard P. Naylor, Office of Ground 
Water and Drinking Water, (4606M), Environmental Protection Agency, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 
(202) 564-3847; fax number: (202) 564-3755; email address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this 
ICR under Docket ID number OW-2004-0008, 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 
new and existing public water systems (PWS), primacy agencies, and EPA.
    Title: Microbial Rules (Renewal).
    Abstract: The Microbial Rules ICR examines PWS, primacy agency and 
EPA burden and costs for recordkeeping and reporting requirements in 
support of microbial contaminant-associated rulemakings. These 
activities which have recordkeeping and reporting requirements that are 
mandatory for compliance with 40 CFR parts 141 and 142 include the 
following rules addressing microbial contaminants: Surface Water 
Treatment Rule, Total Coliform Rule, Interim Enhanced Surface Water 
Treatment Rule, Filter Backwash Recycling Rule and Long Term 1 Enhanced 
Surface Water Treatment Rule. As new regulations addressing microbial 
contaminants are published, EPA will amend the Microbial Rules ICR to 
include the burden for these new rules upon expiration of the original 
stand-alone ICRs. Proposed new regulations include Long Term 2 Enhanced 
Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2ESWTR), and the Ground Water Rule 
(GWR). 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 in 40 CFR 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: The estimated annual burden hours for the 
Microbial Rules ICR are 8,560,996 hours. The estimated average burden 
hours per response is .77 hours. The proposed frequency of response 
varies by requirement (e.g., monthly, quarterly, annually). The 
estimated average number of responses per respondent is 69.1. The 
estimated number of likely respondents annually is 161,274. The total 
annualized capital/startup costs are $22.7 million. The estimated 
annual cost for operation and maintenance is $71.2 million. 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: April 23, 2004.
Cynthia C. Dougherty,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 04-9868 Filed 4-29-04; 8:45 am]
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