[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 25, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24701-24702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9897]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2011-0442; FRL 9516-1]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Microbial Rules (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 May 25, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2011-0442, by using one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: (our preferred method) Follow the on-
line instructions for submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected].
     Mail: (1) EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection 
Agency, Water Docket, MC: 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: Matthew Reed, Drinking Water 
Protection Division, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (4606M), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-4719; 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 5, 2011 (76 FR 39092), EPA sought comments on this ICR 
pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments during the 
comment period. Any 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-2011-0442, which is available for online viewing at 
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 
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 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 www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Microbial Rules (Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1895.07, OMB Control No. 2040-0205.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2012. 
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 Code of Federal Regulations, 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 Microbial Rules ICR examines Public Water System, 
primacy agency, and EPA burden and costs for recordkeeping and 
reporting requirements in support of the microbial drinking water 
regulations. These recordkeeping and reporting requirements are 
mandatory for compliance with 40 CFR parts 141 and 142. The following 
microbial regulations are included: Surface Water Treatment Rule 
(SWTR), Total Coliform Rule (TCR), Interim Enhanced Surface Water 
Treatment Rule (IESWTR), Filter Backwash Recycling Rule (FBRR), Long 
Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT1ESWTR), Long Term 2 
Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2ESWTR), Ground Water Rule 
(GWR), and the Aircraft Drinking Water Rule (ADWR). Although the 
Aircraft Drinking Water Rule has a stand-alone ICR at this time, it is 
being included into the Microbial ICR due to the nature of information 
collected. The information collected for the Aircraft Drinking Water 
Rule is directly correlated to information collected under the Total 
Coliform Rule, and therefore, is appropriate to be included in the 
Microbial ICR. Future microbial-related rulemakings will be added to 
this consolidated ICR after the

[[Page 24702]]

regulations are finalized and the initial, rule-specific, ICRs are due 
to expire.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 0.45 
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:
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Owners/operators of public water 
systems, commercial air carriers, state primacy agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 153,083.
    Frequency of Response: Varies by requirement (i.e., on occasion, 
monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually, biennially, and every 3, 
6, and 9 years)
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 12,920,667.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $589,403,000, includes $135,346,345 
operating and maintenance and capital costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 2,250,751 hours 
in the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory 
of Approved ICR Burdens. The changes in burden consist of program 
adjustments for activities that were carried forward from existing ICRs 
to this Microbial Rules ICR renewal. Changes in calculated burden are a 
result of updating relevant baseline information for each rule with the 
most current and accurate information on activity compliance.

John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-9897 Filed 4-24-12; 8:45 am]
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