[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 180 (Friday, September 18, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47942-47943]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-22569]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-ORD-2009-0114; FRL-8959-5]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Questionnaire for Drinking Water 
Utilities Participating in Emerging Contaminant Sampling Program (New); 
EPA ICR No. 2346.01 OMB Control No. 2080--NEW

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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 an Information Collection 
Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval. This is a request for a new collection. 
The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the 
information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before October 19, 
2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2009-0114, to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), by e-mail [email protected], or by mail to: EPA 
Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and 
Development Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail to: 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: Susan T. Glassmeyer, Ph.D., 
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 
National Exposure Research Laboratory, 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr, MS 
564, Cincinnati, OH 45268; telephone number: 513-569-7526; fax number 
513-569-7757; 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 April 8, 2009 (74 FR 15965), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received three comments during the 
comment period, which are addressed in the ICR. Any additional comments 
on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this 
notice.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2009-0114, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Research and 
Development Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC 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 Research and 
Development Docket is 202-566-1752.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those 
documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the 
system, select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number 
identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public 
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made 
available for public viewing at http://www.regulations.gov as EPA 
receives them and without change, unless the comment contains 
copyrighted material, confidential business information (CBI), or other 
information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For 
further information about the electronic docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Questionnaire for Drinking Water Utilities Participating in 
Emerging Contaminant Sampling Program (New).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2346.01, OMB Control No. 2080-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, 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: Improvements in analytical chemistry instrumentation have 
allowed scientists to detect trace amounts of chemicals that are 
commonly used in homes in the environment. These so-called ``emerging 
contaminants'' are chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals, personal care 
products, detergents and even endogenous hormones, which are either 
excreted from or washed off the body, and enter the wastewater 
treatment system. Wastewater treatment is not designed to specifically 
remove these chemicals, so a portion of the chemicals remain in 
wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. WWTP effluents are 
commonly released into surface waters. Natural processes such as 
photolysis, sorption, volatilization, degradation, and simple dilution 
further attenuate the concentrations of emerging contaminants. However, 
if a Drinking Water Treatment Plant (DWTP) intake is located downstream 
of a WWTP effluent outfall, there is a potential for these chemicals to 
be present in finished drinking water.
    The USEPA's Office of Research and Development, in collaboration 
with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), is conducting a sampling 
program at up to 50 DWTPs to determine the presence of these emerging 
contaminants in both the source water and finished drinking water. To 
better interpret the results of the sampling program, detailed 
information concerning the operation of the DWTP at the time of 
sampling is required. This information can only be gathered through a 
questionnaire that is completed concurrent to the collection event. The 
questionnaire will collect information on the following:
     The population served by the DWTP;
     The source water, potential sources of pollution and 
current hydraulic conditions;
     Detailed treatment steps used by the DWTP, including 
parameters such as pumpage at sampling, disinfectants used, and 
distribution system information;
     Detailed water quality parameters at the time of sampling.
    The DWTPs involved in this project will ship samples of their 
source water and finished water to the USEPA and USGS laboratories. All 
sampling supplies and paid shipping vouchers will be provided to the 
DWTPs. The samples will be analyzed by the USEPA and USGS for a suite 
of approximately 200 emerging chemical and microbial contaminants. A 
detailed listing of the analytes, as well as the methods to be used can 
be found in public docket for this ICR under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2009-0114.

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    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 
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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Drinking Water Treatment Plants 
(DWTPs) participating in a EPA/USGS sampling program.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 50.
    Frequency of Response: Once.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1,000.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $29,735, includes $250 annualized 
capital or O&M costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: Because this is a new ICR, there is no 
burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR 
Burdens.

    Dated: September 15, 2009.
John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E9-22569 Filed 9-17-09; 8:45 am]
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