[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 165 (Thursday, August 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52505-52506]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-19524]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OW-2004-0030, FRL-7806-9]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Establishing No-Discharge Zones Under Clean Water Act 
Section 312, EPA ICR Number 1791.04, OMB Control Number 2040-0187

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

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 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 10/31/2004. 
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 25, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OW-2004-
0030, to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail to 
[email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Office of Water Docket, mail code 4101T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven D. Giordano, Office of Water, 
4504T, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566-1272; fax number: 
(202) 566-1546; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this 
ICR under Docket ID number OW-2004-0030, 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 
State, Tribal, and local governments.
    Title: Establishing No-Discharge Zones Under Clean Water Act 
section 312.
    Abstract: (A) Sewage No-discharge Zones: The need for EPA to obtain 
information for the establishment of no-discharge zones (NDZs) for 
vessel sewage in State waters stems from CWA sections 312(f)(3), 
(f)(4)(A), and (f)(4)(B), and subsequent regulations at 40 CFR part 
140.4(a-c). NDZs are established to provide State and local governments 
with additional protection of waters from treated or untreated vessel 
sewage. There are 3 ways in which NDZs for vessel sewage can be 
established. This ICR discusses the information requirements associated 
with the establishment of NDZs for vessel sewage. The responses to this 
collection of information are required to obtain the benefit of a 
sewage NDZ (see 33 U.S.C. 1322). The information collection activities 
discussed in this ICR do not require the submission of any confidential 
information.
    (B) UNDS No-discharge Zones: Under section 312(n) of the Clean 
Water Act (``Uniform National Discharge Standards for Vessels of the 
Armed Forces'' or ``UNDS'') NDZs for discharges from Armed Forces 
vessels may be established by either State prohibition or EPA 
prohibition following the procedures in 40 CFR Part 1700. UNDS also 
provides that the Governor of any State may petition EPA and the 
Secretary of Defense to review any determination or standard 
promulgated under the UNDS program if there is significant new 
information that could reasonably result in a change to the 
determination or standard. This ICR discusses the information that will 
be required from a State if it decides to establish a NDZ by State 
prohibition or apply for a NDZ by EPA prohibition, and the information 
that will be required from a State if it decides to submit a petition 
for review. The responses to this collection of information are 
required to obtain the benefit of an UNDS NDZ or a review of an UNDS 
determination or standard (see 33 U.S.C. 1322(n)). The information 
collection activities discussed in this ICR do not require the 
submission of any confidential information. 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;

[[Page 52506]]

    (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: EPA estimates that 16 States may wish to 
establish NDZs. The annual public reporting and record keeping burden 
for this collection of information is estimated to average 168 hours or 
$6,850 per response, assuming an average labor rate for the likely 
range of personnel involved in responding. 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 20, 2004.
Craig E. Hooks,
Acting Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds.
[FR Doc. 04-19524 Filed 8-25-04; 8:45 am]
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