[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 22 (Thursday, February 3, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5641-5642]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2063]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[RCRA-2004-0013; FRL-7867-8]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Facility Ground-Water Monitoring 
Requirements (Renewal), EPA ICR Number 0959.12, OMB Control Number 
2050-0033

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 January 31, 
2005. 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 March 7, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number RCRA-
2004-0013, 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, RCRA Docket, mail code 5305T, 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: Sara Rasmussen, Office of Solid Waste, 
mail code 5303W, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 703-308-8399; fax 
number: 703-308-8617; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the

[[Page 5642]]

procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12. On November 26, 2004 (69 FR 
68898) EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA 
received one comment in support of this information collection.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. RCRA-2004-0013, which is available for public viewing at the RCRA 
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 RCRA Docket is 
(202) 566-1744. 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: Facility Ground-Water Monitoring Requirements (Renewal).
    Abstract: This ICR examines the ground-water monitoring standards 
for permitted and interim status facilities at 40 CFR parts 264 and 
265, as specified. The ground-water monitoring requirements for 
regulated units follow a tiered approach whereby releases of hazardous 
contaminants are first detected (detection monitoring), then confirmed 
(compliance monitoring), and if necessary, are required to be cleaned 
up (corrective action). Each of these tiers requires collection and 
analysis of ground-water samples. Owners or operators that conduct 
ground-water monitoring are required to report information to the 
oversight agencies on releases of contaminants and to maintain records 
of ground-water monitoring data at their facilities. The goal of the 
ground-water monitoring program is to prevent and quickly detect 
releases of hazardous contaminants to groundwater, and to establish a 
program whereby any contamination is expeditiously cleaned up as 
necessary to protect human health and environment. Subtitle C of the 
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) creates a 
comprehensive program for the safe management of hazardous waste. 
Section 3004 of RCRA requires owners and operators of facilities that 
treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste to comply with standards 
established by EPA that are to protect the environment. Section 3005 
provides for implementation of these standards under permits issued to 
owners and operators by EPA or authorized States. Section 3005 also 
allows owners and operators of facilities in existence when the 
regulations came into effect to comply with applicable notice 
requirements to operate until a permit is issued or denied. This 
statutory authorization to operate prior to permit determination is 
commonly known as ``interim status.'' Owners and operators of interim 
status facilities also must comply with standards set under section 
3004.
    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 118 
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: Entities that operate surface 
impoundments, waste piles, land treatment units, and landfills which 
manage hazardous waste regulated under RCRA.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 824.
    Frequency of Response: Quarterly.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 96,913.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $24,015,000, which includes $3,000 
annual capital/startup costs, $18,070,000 annual O&M costs and 
$5,942,000 annual labor costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is no increase of hours in the 
total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. There is a slight increase in cost due to 
inflation.

    Dated: January 25, 2005.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 05-2063 Filed 2-2-05; 8:45 am]
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