[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 27, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80933-80934]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-33126]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2003-0026, FRL 9509-1]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; National Water Quality Inventory 
Reports (Renewal)

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 to renew an existing 
approved 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 January 26, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2003-0026, to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), by email to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA 
Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Docket (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: Alice Mayio, Assessment and Watershed 
Protection Division, Office of Water, Mail Code: 4503T, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (202) 566-1184; fax number: (202) 566-1437; email 
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 July 13, 2011 (76 FR 41243), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. 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-OW-2003-0026, 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 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: National Water Quality Inventory Reports (Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1560.10, OMB Control No. 2040-0071.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2011. 
Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor 
the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 
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: Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act requires States to 
identify and rank waters which cannot meet water quality standards 
(WQS) following the implementation of technology-based controls. Under 
Section 303(d), States are also required to establish total maximum 
daily loads (TMDLs) for listed waters not meeting standards as a result 
of pollutant discharges. In developing the Section 303(d) lists, States 
are required to consider various sources of water-quality related data 
and information, including the Section 305(b) State water quality 
reports. The State Section 305(b) reports contain information on the 
extent of water quality degradation, the pollutants and sources 
affecting water quality, and State progress in controlling water 
pollution.
    EPA's Assessment and Watershed Protection Division (AWPD) works 
with its Regional counterparts to review and approve or disapprove 
State Section 303(d) lists and TMDLs from 56 respondents (the 50 
States, the District of Columbia, and the five Territories). Section 
303(d) specifically requires States to develop lists and TMDLs ``from 
time to time'' and EPA to review and approve or disapprove the lists 
and the TMDLs. EPA also collects State 305(b) reports from 59 
respondents (the 50 States, the District of Columbia, five Territories, 
and 3 River Basin commissions).
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 
66,590 hours per year per respondent for the 56 respondents with both 
305(b) and 303(d) responsibilities and TMDL development activities. The 
average reporting burden for the 3 respondents with only 305(b) 
responsibilities is estimated at 3,659 hours per year. 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.

[[Page 80934]]

    Respondents/Affected Entities: States, Territories, River Basin 
Commissions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 59.
    Frequency of Response: Biennially.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 3,740,017.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $193,658,080. includes no capital or 
O&M costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is no change in hours in the total 
estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved 
ICR Burdens.

    Dated: December 16, 2011.
John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2011-33126 Filed 12-23-11; 8:45 am]
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