[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 101 (Thursday, May 26, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30438-30439]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10482]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OW-2004-0031; FRL-7918-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; NPDES and Sewage Sludge 
Monitoring Reports (Renewal), EPA ICR Number 0229.16, OMB Control 
Number 2040-0004

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 May 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 June 27, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OW-2004-
0031, 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: Kawana Cohen, Office of Wastewater 
Management, 4203M, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-2435; fax 
number: 202-564-6384; 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 November 23, 2004 (69 FR 68142) EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d) and received one comment. The comment 
was not related to the burden hours reported in this ICR.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. OW-2004-0031, 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: NPDES and Sewage Sludge Monitoring Reports (Renewal).
    Abstract: This ICR estimates the current monitoring, recordkeeping 
and costs associated with submitting and reviewing Discharge Monitoring 
Reports (DMRs), sewage sludge monitoring reports, and other monitoring 
reports under the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) NPDES 
program. The NPDES program regulations, codified at 40 CFR parts 122 
through 125, require permitted municipal and non-municipal point source 
dischargers to collect, analyze, and submit data on their wastewater 
discharges. Under these regulations, the permittee is required to 
collect and analyze wastewater samples and perform other types of 
discharge monitoring and report the results to the permitting authority 
(EPA or an authorized NPDES State). Sample monitoring, analysis, and 
reporting frequencies vary by permit, but for the most part, must be 
performed at least annually for all permitted discharges. Upon renewal 
of this ICR, the permitting authority will continue to require NPDES 
and sewage sludge facilities to report pollutant discharge monitoring 
data. The permitting authority will use the data from these forms to 
assess permittee compliance, modify/add new permit requirements, and 
revise effluent guidelines. The monitoring data required of NPDES and 
sewage sludge facilities represents the minimum information necessary 
to achieve the Agency's goal and satisfy regulatory standards.
    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

[[Page 30439]]

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 24 
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: Permitted municipal and non-
municipal point source dischargers and sewage sludge facilities, and 
States and Territories authorized to administer and implement the NPDES 
permit program.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 81,988.
    Frequency of Response: annually and other.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 14,164,582.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $5,131,000 includes $0 annualized 
capital or O&M costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 57,375 hours in 
the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. This decrease is due to adjustments to the 
estimates.

    Dated: May 17, 2005.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 05-10482 Filed 5-25-05; 8:45 am]
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