[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 6 (Friday, January 9, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 916-917]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-180]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submitted for Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of a proposed new information collection and request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we 
are notifying the public that we have submitted to OMB a new 
information collection request (ICR) for approval of the paperwork 
requirements for the Study on Arsenic and Uranium in Bedrock Wells of 
East Central Massachusetts (MASSWELL).

DATES: You must submit comments on or before February 9, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Please submit comments on this information collection 
directly to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Desk Officer for the 
Department of Interior via e-mail [[email protected]]; or fax 
(202)395-6566; and identify your submission as 1028-NEW. Please also 
submit a copy of your comments to Phadrea Ponds, USGS Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, 2150-C Center Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 
80525 (mail); (970)226-9230 (fax); or [email protected] (e-mail). Please 
reference Information Collection 1028-NEW, MASSWELL in the subject 
line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: John A. Colman, U.S. Geological 
Survey, 10 Bearfoot Road, Northborough, Massachusetts 01532 (mail); at 
508-490-5027 (telephone); or [email protected] (e-mail).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Study on Arsenic and Uranium in 
Bedrock Wells of East Central Massachusetts.
    OMB Control Number: 1028-NEW.
    Abstract: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Massachusetts 
Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) are conducting the study 
with assistance of staff from the Massachusetts Department of Public 
Health, Bureau of Environmental Health (MDPH/BEH) to assess: (1) The 
number of private wells containing raw-water concentrations of arsenic 
or uranium that are greater than the current drinking water standards 
and (2) the degree to which bedrock units can be associated with 
concentrations of uranium and arsenic. This information will help guide 
future water-supply development and well-water testing. It will tell 
local health officials where the areas of concern are in their 
communities, and provide background concentrations by rock type for use 
in identifying contamination from human sources.
    We will protect information from respondents considered proprietary

[[Page 917]]

under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and implementing 
regulations (43 CFR Part 2), and under regulations at 30 CFR 250.197, 
``Data and information to be made available to the public or for 
limited inspection.'' Responses are voluntary. No questions of a 
``sensitive'' nature are asked.
    Affected Public: Individual and household residents.
    Respondent Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: One-time collection.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: 1000 private well 
owners in East Central Massachusetts.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 800.
    Estimated Annual Burden Hours: Approximately 133 hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: In 
the August 27, 2008 FR Notice (73 FR 50641) we estimated that the time 
to take the survey and collect the water sample would be 30 minutes. 
Based on peer-reviewer comments we have revised the estimated burden 
for this collection to be approximately 5 minutes to take the survey 
and 5 minutes to locate and collect the water needed for the sample. 
The total estimate is now 10 minutes per response.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: 
There are no ``non-hour cost'' burdens associated with this collection 
of information.
    Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) 
provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor and you are not 
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number. Until OMB approves a collection 
of information, you are not obligated to respond.
    Comments: We are soliciting comments as to: (a) Whether the 
proposed collection of information is necessary for the agency to 
perform its duties, including whether the information is useful; (b) 
the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information; (c) how to enhance the quality, usefulness, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) how to minimize 
the burden on the respondents, including the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    USGS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Phadrea D. Ponds 
970-226-9445.

    Dated: December 3, 2008.
Peter K. Weiskel,
Associate Director, USGS Massachusetts-Rhode Island Water Science 
Center.
 [FR Doc. E9-180 Filed 1-8-09; 8:45 am]
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