[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 9 (Friday, January 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 4335]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00697]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OECA-2013-0547; FRL-9957-66-OEI]


Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; Performance Evaluation Studies on Wastewater 
Laboratories (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Performance Evaluation Studies 
on Wastewater Laboratories (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 0234.12, OMB 
Control No. 2080-0021) 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 March 31, 2017. Public comments were 
previously requested via the Federal Register (81 FR 44017) on July 6, 
2016 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 February 13, 
2017.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OECA-2013-0547, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), 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: Gregory Savitske, Monitoring, 
Assistance, and Media Programs Division, Office of Compliance, Mail 
Code 2227A, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. 
NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-2601; fax 
number: (202) 564-0050; 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: Discharge Monitoring Report-Quality Assurance (DMR-QA) 
study program participation is mandatory for major and selected minor 
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit holders 
in accordance with Clean Water Act Section 308. The DMR-QA study 
program is designed to evaluate the analytic ability of the 
laboratories that perform chemical, microbiological and whole effluent 
toxicity (WET) analyses required in the NPDES permits for reporting 
results in Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMR). Under DMR-QA, the permit 
holder is responsible for having their in-house and/or contract 
laboratories perform proficiency tests and submit results for grading 
by proficiency test (PT) providers. Graded results are transmitted by 
either the permittee or PT provider to the appropriate federal or state 
NPDES regulatory authority. Permit holders are responsible for 
submitting corrective action reports to the appropriate regulatory 
authority when results are unsatisfactory.
    Form Numbers: EPA Form 6400-01.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Major and selected minor permit 
holders under the Clean Water Act's National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System (NPDES).
    Respondent's Obligation To Respond: Mandatory under Clean Water Act 
Section 308(a).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 5,700 (total).
    Frequency of Response: Annually, On occasion.
    Total Estimated Burden: 37,620 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b)
    Total Estimated Cost: $5,113,983 (per year), includes $3,194,052 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 1,259 hours in 
the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This increase in burden hours can be attributed to an 
increase in discretionary selection of minor permit holders for 
participation by state coordinators. Labor costs were revised upward 
due to market changes and inflation. Non-labor costs for obtaining 
proficiency test samples also increased.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2017-00697 Filed 1-12-17; 8:45 am]
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