[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 226 (Wednesday, November 24, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68344-68345]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-26075]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OW-2004-0007; FRL-7841-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Public Water System Supervision 
Program (Renewal), EPA ICR Number 0270.42, OMB Control Number 2040-0090

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 an Information Collection 
Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing 
approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on November 30, 
2004.Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or 
sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending 
at OMB. This ICR describes the nature of the information collection and 
its estimated burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before December 27, 
2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OW-2004-
0007, to (1) 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, and (2) OMB at: Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 
Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard P. Naylor, Office of Ground 
Water and Drinking Water, Mail Code 4606M, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 202.564.3847; fax number: 202.564.3755; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On April 30, 2004 (69 FR 23743), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. OW-2004-0007, 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 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 and OMB 
within 30 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.
    Title: Public Water System Supervision Program (Renewal).
    Abstract: The Public Water System Supervision Program ICR examines 
public water system (PWS), primacy agency and EPA burden and costs for

[[Page 68345]]

``cross-cutting'' recordkeeping and reporting requirements (i.e., the 
burden and costs for complying with drinking water information 
requirements that are not associated with contaminant-specific 
rulemakings). These activities which have recordkeeping and reporting 
requirements that are mandatory for compliance with 40 CFR parts 141 
and 142 include the following: Consumer Confidence Reports, Primacy 
Regulation Activities, Variance and Exemption Rule, General State 
Primacy Activities, Constructed Conveyances, and Public Notification. 
The information collection activities for both the Operator 
Certification/Expense Reimbursement Program and the Capacity 
Development Program are driven by the grant withholding and reporting 
provisions under sections 1419 and 1420, respectively, of the Safe 
Drinking Water Act. Although the Tribal Operator Certification Program 
is voluntary, the information collection is driven by grant eligibility 
requirements outlined in the Drinking Water Infrastructure Grant Tribal 
Set-Aside Program Final Guidelines and the Tribal Drinking Water 
Operator Certification Program Guidelines.
    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 and are identified on 
the form and/or instrument, if applicable.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 6.5 
hours per response. 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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: (1) Owners/operators of PWSs, who 
must report to the primacy agency; (2) primacy agencies that must 
report to EPA Headquarters; and (3) regional EPA administrators, who 
must send reports and notices to PWS owners and states.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 161,682.
    Frequency of Response: 24 hours, quarterly, annually, every 3 
years.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 3,223,430.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $116,457,000, includes $19,716,000 
annualized capital or O&M costs and $96,741,000 annual labor costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 601,582 hours in 
the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. This increase is primarily due to (1) 
restructuring adjustments--incorporation of previously stand-alone ICRs 
(Operator Certification Program/Expense Reimbursement Grants and Tribal 
Operator Certification Program), (2) inclusion of three full years of 
the Public Notification Rule burden along with an increase in Tier 3 
violations and (3) a change in requirements associated with the new PWS 
definition.

    Dated: November 17, 2004.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 04-26075 Filed 11-23-04; 8:45 am]
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