[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 181 (Tuesday, September 20, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55130-55131]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-18721]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OEI-2005-0008, FRL-7971-2]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Delisting the Fish Tainting Beneficial Use Impairment 
in the Saginaw River/Bay Area of Concern, EPA ICR Number 2199.01

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 
proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request for a new collection. 
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 November 21, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OEI-2005-
0008, to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail to 
[email protected], or by mail to: Environmental Protection Agency, 
Office of Environmental Information Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Schardt, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Great Lakes National Program Office, 77 W. Jackson 
Blvd (G-17J), Chicago, IL 60604; telephone number: (312) 353-5085; fax 
number: (312) 353-2018; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this 
ICR under Docket ID number OEI-2005-0008, which is available for public 
viewing at the OEI 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 OEI 
Docket is (202) 566-1752. 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 
members of the public, specifically local residents of the Saginaw Bay 
region of Michigan.
    Title: Delisting the Fish Tainting Beneficial Use Impairment in the 
Saginaw River/Bay Area of Concern
    Abstract: The 1988 Saginaw River/Bay RAP cited 12 impairments of 
the 14 categories specifically listed by the IJC for the Saginaw River/
Bay AOC, including tainting of fish (i.e., taste and odor concerns). 
Chemical odors and tastes associated with harvested fish were 
frequently reported from the 1940s through the 1970s in the Saginaw and 
Tittabawassee Rivers, and in the Saginaw Bay. In the 1994 Remedial 
Action Plan Update, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources 
reported that no off-flavor was detected in taste tests conducted on 
fish taken from these waters. Since taste and odor complaints related 
to edible fish taken from both Saginaw River and Bay have disappeared 
in recent years, this project will distribute a voluntary survey to 
7,680 local residents and anglers to determine if taste and odor 
problems in fish fillets have abated to the extent that delisting of 
the beneficial use impairment may be recommended for the Area of 
Concern (AOC). Results of the individual survey respondents will be 
confidential. 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 4 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: The voluntary survey instrument is expected to 
take .5 hours to review and complete per individual response. The 
targeted frequency of response is 20 percent, or 1,536 completed 
surveys. 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

[[Page 55131]]

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: September 9, 2005.
Gary V. Gulezian,
Director, Great Lakes National Program Office.
[FR Doc. 05-18721 Filed 9-19-05; 8:45 am]
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