[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 161 (Friday, August 19, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51970-51972]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-21228]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2003-0017; FRL-9454-2]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program

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 to renew an existing approved Information Collection 
Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is 
scheduled to expire on December 31, 2011. Before submitting the ICR to 
OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific 
aspects of the proposed information collection as described in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 18, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2003-0017 identified by the Docket ID numbers provided for each item in 
the text, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 28221T, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center--Public Reading Room, EPA 
West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 
DC.

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    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-2003-
0017. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in 
the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
http://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 http://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: Robert E. Smith, Office of Ground 
Water and Drinking Water/Drinking Water Protection Division/Underground 
Injection Control Program, Mailcode: 4606M, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 202-564-3895; fax number: 202-564-3756; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

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-2003-0017, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Water 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 Water Docket is 202-566-2426.
    Use http://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.

What information collection activity or ICR does this apply to?

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
owners and operators of underground injection wells, State Underground 
Injection Control (UIC) primacy agencies, and U.S. EPA Regional Offices 
with Direct Implementation (DI) UIC programs.
    Title: Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 0370.24, OMB Control No. 2040-0042.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on December 
31, 2011. 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: The Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program under the 
Safe Drinking Water Act established a Federal and State regulatory 
system to protect underground sources of drinking water (USDWs) from 
contamination by injected fluids. Injected fluids include trillions of 
gallons of various types of fluids each year such as hazardous waste, 
oil field brines or produced water, mineral processing fluids, various 
types of industrial fluids, automotive, sanitary and other wastes, and 
carbon dioxide injected for geologic sequestration. Owners/operators of 
underground injection wells must obtain permits, conduct environmental 
monitoring, maintain records, and report results to EPA or the State 
UIC primacy agency. States must report to EPA on permittee compliance, 
owners/operators of rule-authorized well compliance and related 
information.

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The mandatory information is reported using standardized forms and 
annual reports, and the regulations are codified at 40 CFR Parts 144 
through 148. The data are used by UIC authorities to ensure the 
protection of underground sources of drinking water.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2.32 
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: 53,772.
    Frequency of response: annual, semi-annual, and quarterly.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 
10.39.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 1,296,167 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $194,842,061. This includes an 
estimated burden cost of $54,384,103 and an estimated cost of 
$140,457,959 for capital investment or maintenance and operational 
costs.

Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

    There is an increase of 233,836 hours in the total estimated 
respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This increase reflects a variety of adjustments and 
program changes. Most of the burden increase is due to increases in the 
inventory of injection wells and the number of permit applications and 
mechanical integrity tests submitted by operators and reviewed by 
permitting authorities. Other changes and adjustments relate to reduced 
activities associated with the Florida Class I Rule and the 1999 Class 
V Rule, addition of burden associated with the 2010 Class VI Rule, 
granting of primacy to two Tribes, and burden reduction associated with 
electronic reporting via the National UIC database.

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: August 15, 2011.
Ronald W. Bergman,
Acting Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 2011-21228 Filed 8-18-11; 8:45 am]
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