[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 159 (Wednesday, August 18, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51283-51284]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-18962]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OW-2004-0013, FRL-7802-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; EPA Strategic Plan Information on Source Water 
Assessment and Protection

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). This is a request to renew an existing 
approved collection. The ICR is scheduled to expire on October 31, 
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 October 18, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OW-2004-
0013, 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, MC 4101T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Barnes, Office of Ground Water 
and Drinking Water, Drinking Water Protection Division, MC 4606M, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-3893; fax number: 
(202) 564-3756; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this 
ICR under Docket ID number OW-2004-0013, 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 http://www.epa.gov/edocket.
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
the 52 States and territories.

[[Page 51284]]

    Title: EPA Strategic Plan Information on Source Water Assessment 
and Protection.
    Abstract: Section 1453(a)(3) of the Safe Drinking Water Act 
requires States to submit to EPA a Source Water Assessment Program 
within 18 months after issuance of the national guidance on State 
Source Water Assessment and Protection Programs, which was issued by 
EPA on August 5, 1997. Upon EPA approval of the programs, States 
conducted source water assessments of their public water systems. The 
Assessment Program will be completed by States relative to the SDWA 
because State assessments were required under section 1453. (The burden 
and cost associated with any remaining assessment work has already been 
calculated under previous ICRs).
    The EPA Strategic Plan (2003-2008) includes source water assessment 
and protection program measures to analyze the aggregated results of 
the assessments and describe the voluntary source water protection 
actions taken at the local or regional level, based on the assessment 
results. This information is collected from States to understand, in 
aggregate, the results of State assessments and the protection actions 
in each State based on those assessments, and to measure progress 
toward the Agency's strategic goal that, by 2008, 50% of source water 
areas for community water systems will achieve minimized risk to public 
health. (``Minimized risk'' is achieved by substantial implementation, 
as determined by the State, of source water protection actions in a 
source water protection strategy.) The information is collected through 
EPA's Strategic Planning process. 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.
    EPA is collecting, on a voluntary basis, data from the States 
related to the status of assessment completion, the most prevalent and 
most threatening sources of contamination, overall risk to source 
waters, and progress toward substantial implementation of prevention 
strategies for all community water system source water areas. This data 
is generated under the authority of section 1453(a)(3) of the Safe 
Drinking Water Act. While implementing source water protection programs 
is not required under the Act, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund 
monies under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act may be used, 
and is being used, for set-aside activities to support these efforts.
    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 annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 81 
hours per State response.
    Estimated Number of Likely Respondents: 52.
    Frequency of Response: Once per year.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 4,212 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $1,122,385.
    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: August 12, 2004.
Cynthia C. Dougherty,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 04-18962 Filed 8-17-04; 8:45 am]
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