[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 85 (Thursday, May 3, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24582-24583]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-8442]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2007-0266; FRL-8308-5]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Proficiency Testing Studies for Drinking Water 
Laboratories; EPA ICR No. 2264.01, OMB Control No. 2040-New

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to 
submit a request for a new Information Collection Request (ICR) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 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 July 2, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2007-0266, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Mail: Send three copies of your comments and any 
enclosures to: Water Docket, United States Environmental Protection 
Agency, Mail Code 4101T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20460, Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2007-0266.
     Hand Delivery: Deliver your comments to Water Docket, EPA 
Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Room B334, 1301 
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC, Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OW-2007-0266. Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's 
normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for 
deliveries of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2007-
0266. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in 
the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov or e-mail. 
The www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, 
which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information 
unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-
mail comment directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov 
your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part 
of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available 
on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends 
that you include your name and other contact information in the body of 
your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read 
your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket visit the EPA Docket Center 
homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David J. Munch, Technical Support 
Center, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, United States 
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, 26 West Martin Luther 
King Drive (MS 140), Cincinnati, OH 45268, telephone (513) 569-7843; e-
mail address [email protected]. For general information, contact the 
Safe Drinking Water Hotline. Callers within the United States may reach 
the Hotline at (800) 426-4791. The Hotline is open Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Eastern 
time.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

How Can I Access the Docket and/or Submit Comments?

    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OW-2007-0266, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Water Docket, EPA/DC, 
EPA West, Room B334, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. 
This 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 
Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the Water Docket is (202) 
566-2426.
    Use www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft collection of 
information, submit or view public comments, access the index listing 
of the contents of the 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 in this 
document.

What Information is EPA Particularly Interested in?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA specifically 
solicits comments and information to enable it 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. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from 
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of 
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork 
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.

What Should I Consider When I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific 
examples.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.
    7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page 
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.

[[Page 24583]]

What Information Collection Activity or ICR Does This Apply to?

    Affected entities: The enforcement of drinking water regulations is 
conducted by Primacy Agencies. These Primacy Agencies are generally the 
States, but in the cases where the drinking water utilities are located 
either in a State that has not accepted primacy or in a U.S. territory, 
the EPA Regional office for the area serves as the Primacy Agency. 
Entities potentially affected by this action are laboratories seeking 
drinking water Primacy Agency (usually State) certification/
accreditation for the analysis of drinking water samples.
    Title: Proficiency Testing Studies for Drinking Water Laboratories.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2264.01, OMB Control No. 2040-NEW.
    ICR status: This ICR is for a new information collection activity. 
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 title 40 of the CFR, and after appearing in the >Federal Register 
when approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed either by 
publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such 
as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The 
display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is 
consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: Proficiency Testing (PT) studies provide an objective 
demonstration that participating laboratories are capable of producing 
valid data for monitored pollutants. PT studies that relate to drinking 
water analyses are mandated under 40 CFR 141.23(k)(3), 141.24(f)(17) 
and 141.131(b)(2). EPA initiated these studies and originally 
administered them as part of the Agency's mandate to assure the quality 
of environmental monitoring data. Subsequently, all of these studies 
were privatized. PT vendors manufacture and distribute samples to the 
participating laboratories who then submit their analytical results to 
these vendors for evaluation. The PT vendors then send evaluations of 
the submitted data to the laboratory and any other designated 
certifying/accrediting authority.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 7.32 
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 which have subsequently changed; 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.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 2,363.
    Frequency of response: Annually.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 17,291 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $1,382,127. This includes an 
estimated burden cost of $474,072 and an estimated cost of $908,055 for 
capital investment or maintenance and operational costs (associated 
with the cost of purchasing standards from PT vendors).

What is the Next Step in the Process for this ICR?

    EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as 
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for 
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, EPA will 
issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the 
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any 
questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the 
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: April 26, 2007.
Cynthia C. Dougherty,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. E7-8442 Filed 5-2-07; 8:45 am]
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