[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 160 (Wednesday, August 19, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50276-50277]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20508]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0150; FRL-9932-70-OW]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Establishing No-Discharge Zones (NDZs) Under Clean Water Act Sec.  312 
(Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency plans to submit an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Establishing No-Discharge Zones 
(NDZs) Under Clean Water Act Sec.  312 (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 
1791.07, OMB Control No. 2040-0187) to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Before doing so, EPA 
solicits public comments on specific aspects of the proposed 
information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension 
of the ICR, which is currently approved through December 31, 2015. 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.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 19, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2008-0150, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by 
email to [email protected] or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI), or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Virginia Fox-Norse, Oceans and Coastal 
Protection Division, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds, 
(4504T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-566-1266; fax number: 202-
566-1337; email address: [email protected].

[[Page 50277]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents which explain in detail 
the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the 
public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at 
www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone 
number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA 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). 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. At that 
time, EPA will issue another Federal Register notice to announce the 
submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit additional 
comments to OMB.
    Abstract: (A) Sewage No-discharge Zones: The need for EPA to obtain 
information for, or to support, the establishment of no-discharge zones 
(NDZs) for vessel sewage in state waters stems from CWA sections 
312(f)(3), (f)(4)(A), and (f)(4)(B), and implementing regulations at 40 
CFR 140.4. No-discharge zones are established to provide greater 
environmental protection of specified state waters from treated and 
untreated vessel sewage. This ICR addresses the information 
requirements associated with the establishment of NDZs for vessel 
sewage. The information collection activities discussed in this ICR do 
not require the submission of any confidential information.
    (B) UNDS No-discharge Zones: Under section 312(n) of the Clean 
Water Act (``Uniform National Discharge Standards for Vessels of the 
Armed Forces'' or ``UNDS'') no-discharge zones (``NDZs'') for 
discharges from Armed Forces vessels may be established by either state 
prohibition or EPA prohibition following the procedures in 40 CFR part 
1700. UNDS also provides that the Governor of any state may petition 
EPA and the Secretary of Defense to review any determination or 
standard promulgated under the UNDS program if there is significant new 
information that could reasonably result in a change to the 
determination or standard. This ICR discusses the information that is 
required from a state if it decides (1) to establish a NDZ by state 
prohibition or (2) to apply for a NDZ by EPA prohibition for the UNDS 
discharges for which EPA and DOD have determined that it is not 
reasonable or practicable to require a Marine Pollution Control Device 
to mitigate adverse effects on the marine environment. 40 CFR 1700.5. 
The ICR also discusses the information that is required from a state to 
submit a petition for review of EPA and DOD determinations that it is 
not reasonable or practicable to require a Marine Pollution Control 
Device for a particular UNDS discharge identified at 40 CFR 1700.5. 
NDZs for UNDS discharges that do require a Marine Pollution Control 
Device will not become applicable until after EPA and DOD promulgate 
performance standards for such Marine Pollution Control Devices, and 
after DOD promulgates regulations governing the design, construction, 
installation and use of Marine Pollution Control Devices to meet 
achieve the performance standards. The information collection 
activities discussed in this ICR do not require the submission of any 
confidential information.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: States.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: The responses to this 
collection of information are required to obtain the benefit of a 
sewage NDZ (CWA sections 312(f)(3), (f)(4)(A), and (f)(4)(B), and 
subsequent regulations at 40 CFR 140.4. The responses to this 
collection of information are required to obtain the benefit of an UNDS 
NDZ or a review of an UNDS determination or standard (see 33 U.S.C. 
1322(n)).
    Estimated number of respondents: 16 (total).
    Frequency of response: One time.
    Total estimated burden: 2266 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 
5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $108,622 (per year), includes $2,300 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: EPA expects that the burden hours will stay 
the same as the current estimate for this ICR extension. Cost estimates 
will likely remain the same or rise when EPA revises them for this ICR 
extension because of changes in the state and federal labor costs.

    Dated: August 13, 2015.
Benita Best-Wong,
Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds.
[FR Doc. 2015-20508 Filed 8-18-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P