[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 248 (Monday, December 28, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80768-80769]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32613]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0150; FRL 9940-49-OEI]


Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; Establishing No-Discharge Zones (NDZs) Under 
Clean Water Act Section 312 (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted 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 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This is a proposed extension of 
the ICR, which is currently approved through December 31, 2015. Public 
comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (80 FR 
50276) on August 19, 2015 during a 60-day comment period. This notice 
allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller 
description of the ICR is given below, including its estimated burden 
and cost to the public. 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: Additional comments may be submitted on or before January 27, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OW-2008-0150, to (1) EPA 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, and (2) OMB via email to 
[email protected]. Address comments to OMB Desk Officer for 
EPA.
    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; email address: 
[email protected].

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 www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Abstract: EPA requires the collection of information by states 
interested in designating state waters under the Clean Water Act Sec.  
312(f) as areas prohibiting the discharge of treated or untreated 
sewage from vessels. There are two information collection activities 
covered by this ICR:
    (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.
    (B) UNDS No-discharge Zones: Under section 312(n) of the Clean 
Water Act (``Uniform National Discharge Standards

[[Page 80769]]

for Vessels of the Armed Forces'' or ``UNDS'') no-discharge zones 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.
    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: 20 (total).
    Frequency of response: One time.
    Total estimated burden: 1,083 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $54,938 (per year), includes $998 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 1,183 hours in the 
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This decrease is due to adjustments to the estimates 
reflecting a reduction in expected program activity.

Courtney Kerwin,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2015-32613 Filed 12-24-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P