[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 250 (Wednesday, December 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81540-81541]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32860]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2003-0026; FRL 9940-33-OEI]


Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; National Water Quality Inventory Reports 
(Reinstatement)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), ``National Water Quality 
Inventory Reports (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1560.11, OMB Control No. 
2040-0071) 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 request for reinstatement of a previously 
discontinued collection. Public comments were previously requested via 
the Federal Register (80 FR 38684) on July 7, 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 29, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OW-2003-0026, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov 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 [email protected]. Address comments to OMB Desk 
Officer for EPA.
    The 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: Charles Kovatch, Assessment and 
Watershed Protection Division, Office of Water, Mail Code: 4503T, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-566-0399; 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 http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Abstract: The Clean Water Act Section 305(b) reports contain 
information on the water quality standards attainment status of 
assessed waters, and, when waters are impaired, the pollutants and 
potential sources affecting water quality. This information helps track 
State progress in addressing water pollution. Section 303(d) of the 
Clean Water Act requires States to identify and rank waters that 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

[[Page 81541]]

quality related data and information, including the Section 305(b) 
State water quality reports. Section 106(e) requires that states 
annually update monitoring data and use it in their Section 305(b) 
report. Section 314(a) requires states to report on the condition of 
their publicly-owned lakes within the Section 305(b) report.
    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).
    During the period covered by this ICR renewal, respondents will: 
Complete their 2016 Section 305(b) reports and 2016 Section 303(d) 
lists; complete their 2018 Section 305(b) reports and 2018 Section 
303(d) lists; transmit annual electronic updates of ambient monitoring 
data via the Water Quality Exchange; and continue to develop TMDLs 
according to their established schedules. EPA will prepare biennial 
updates on assessed and impaired waters for Congress and the public for 
the 2016 reporting cycle and for the 2018 cycle, and EPA will review 
303(d) list and TMDL submissions from respondents.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: States and Territories.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory (Clean Water Act 
Sections 305(b), 303(d), 314(a), and 106(e)).
    Estimated number of respondents: 59 (total).
    Frequency of response: Biennial.
    Total estimated burden: 3,740,017 (per year) hours. Burden is 
defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $203,340,984 (per year), includes $0 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is no change of hours in the total 
estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR previously approved 
by OMB. The EPA is currently designing the Water Quality Framework, 
which is a new way of integrating the EPA's data and information 
systems to more effectively support reporting and tracking water 
quality protection and restoration actions. The Framework will 
streamline water quality assessment and reporting by reducing 
transactions associated with paper copy reviews and increasing 
electronic data exchange. The Framework composts with the EPA's E-
Enterprise Initiative, which seeks to assess and reformulate the EPA's 
business process to reduce burden through the improved use of 
technology. The EPA expects that the Framework will reduce reporting 
burden for integrated water quality inventory reports and will revise 
this ICR before the new information system is implemented for the 2018 
reporting cycle.

Courtney Kerwin,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2015-32860 Filed 12-29-15; 8:45 am]
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