[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 31, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30944-30945]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10771]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OW-2003-0030; FRL-7918-8]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Information Collection Request for Great Lakes Water 
Quality Guidance Reporting Requirements, EPA ICR Number 1639.04, OMB 
Control Number 2040-0180

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 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 May 31, 2005. 
However, EPA is requesting a three-month extension to complete this 
renewal process. 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 August 1, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OW-2003-
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, Water Docket, Mail Code 4101T, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynn Stabenfeldt, Office of Wastewater 
Management, 4201M, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-0602; fax 
number: (202) 501-2399; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this 
ICR under Docket ID number OW-2003-0030, 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

[[Page 30945]]

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 
(1) industries discharging toxic pollutants to waters in the Great 
Lakes System as defined in 40 CFR 132.2 and (2) publicly-owned 
treatment works discharging toxic pollutants to waters of the Great 
Lakes System as defined in 40 CFR 132.2.
    Title: Information Collection Request for Great Lakes Water Quality 
Guidance Reporting Requirements (OMB Control No. 2040-0180; EPA ICR 
No.1639.04, expiring May 31, 2005).
    Abstract: The primary objective of the Clean Water Act (CWA) is 
``to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological 
integrity of the nation's waters'' (Section 101(a)). CWA Section 402 
establishes the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) 
permit program to regulate the discharge of any pollutant or 
combination of pollutants from point sources into the waters of the 
United States. CWA Section 402(a), as amended, authorizes the EPA 
Administrator to issue permits for the discharge of pollutants if those 
discharges meet the following requirements:
     All applicable requirements of CWA Sections 301, 302, 306, 
307, 308, and 403; and
     Any conditions the Administrator determines are necessary 
to carry out the provisions and objectives of the CWA.
    Section 101 of the Great Lakes Critical Programs Act (CPA) amends 
Section 118 of the CWA and directed EPA to publish water quality 
guidance for the Great Lakes System. Provisions of the Guidance are 
codified in 40 CFR part 132. The Guidance establishes minimum water 
quality criteria, implementation procedures, and antidegradation 
provisions for the Great Lakes System.
    Permitting authorities currently require dischargers to provide 
information such as the name, location, and description of facilities 
to identify the facilities that require permits. EPA and authorized 
NPDES States store much of this basic information in the Permit 
Compliance System (PCS) database. PCS provides EPA with a nationwide 
inventory of NPDES permit holders. EPA Headquarters uses the 
information contained in the PCS to develop reports on permit issuance, 
backlogs, and compliance rates. The Agency also uses the information to 
respond to public and Congressional inquiries, develop and guide its 
policies, formulate its budgets, assist States in acquiring authority 
for permitting programs, and manage its programs to ensure national 
consistency in permitting.
    NPDES permit applications and requests for supplemental information 
currently require information about wastewater treatment systems, 
pollutants, discharge rates and volumes, whole effluent toxicity 
testing and other data. Additional information collection requirements 
that may be necessary to implement State, Tribal, or EPA promulgated 
provisions consistent with the Great Lakes Guidance include: (1) 
Monitoring (pollutant-specific and whole effluent toxicity or WET); (2) 
pollutant minimization programs; (3) bioassays to support the 
development of water quality criteria; (4) antidegradation policy/
demonstrations; and, (5) regulatory relief options (e.g., variances 
from water quality criteria).
    This information may be used to ensure compliance with provisions 
consistent with the Guidance and re-evaluate existing permit conditions 
and monitoring requirements. Data on discharges is entered into STORET 
and PCS, EPA's databases for ambient water quality data and NPDES 
permits, respectively. Results of water quality criteria testing will 
be entered into an EPA Information Clearinghouse database. Some of the 
burden hours associated with applications in the existing ICR that EPA 
is renewing have been placed in the Water Quality Standards ICR (OMB 
Control 2040-0049, EPA 0988.08, to expire August 31, 
2005).
    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;
    (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: This ICR provides an estimate of the burden and 
costs associated with implementation of the final Great Lakes Water 
Quality Guidance. The total annual burden to all respondents is 
estimated to be 29,523 with associated costs of $3,121,930. The total 
annual burden includes an estimated average annual reporting burden of 
7 hours per discharger with a corresponding response frequency that 
varies depending on the discharger's effluent characteristics. The 
estimated average annual labor cost per discharger is $392 with average 
annual operations and maintenance costs per discharger estimated at 
$408. The estimated annual average burden hours for states is 274 hours 
with a corresponding labor cost of $10,776. The estimated number of 
respondents for this renewal ICR is 3,795. 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: May 20, 2005.
James A. Hanlon,
Director, Office of Wastewater Management.
[FR Doc. 05-10771 Filed 5-27-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P