[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 3, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31141-31142]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14323]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OLEM-2018-0391, FRL-9980-03-OLEM]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Facility Ground-Water Monitoring Requirements 
(Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to 
submit the information collection request (ICR) Facility Ground-Water 
Monitoring Requirements (Renewal) (EPA ICR No. 0959.16, OMB Control No. 
2050-0033) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). Before 
doing so, the EPA is soliciting 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 
October 31, 2018. 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 September 4, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OLEM-2018-0391, 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

[[Page 31142]]

information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peggy Vyas, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 703-308-5477; fax number: 703-308-8433; 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.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, the EPA is soliciting 
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. The 
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, the 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: Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 
(RCRA) creates a comprehensive program for the safe management of 
hazardous waste. Section 3004 of RCRA requires owners and operators of 
facilities that treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste to comply 
with standards established by EPA that are to protect the environment. 
Section 3005 provides for implementation of these standards under 
permits issued to owners and operators by EPA or authorized States. 
Section 3005 also allows owners and operators of facilities in 
existence when the regulations came into effect to comply with 
applicable notice requirements to operate until a permit is issued or 
denied. This statutory authorization to operate prior to permit 
determination is commonly known as ``interim status.'' Owners and 
operators of interim status facilities also must comply with standards 
set under Section 3004.
    This ICR examines the ground-water monitoring standards for 
permitted and interim status facilities at 40 CFR parts 264 and 265, as 
specified. The ground-water monitoring requirements for regulated units 
follow a tiered approach whereby releases of hazardous contaminants are 
first detected (detection monitoring), then confirmed (compliance 
monitoring), and if necessary, are required to be cleaned up 
(corrective action). Each of these tiers requires collection and 
analysis of ground-water samples. Owners or operators that conduct 
ground-water monitoring are required to report information to the 
oversight agencies on releases of contaminants and to maintain records 
of ground-water monitoring data at their facilities. The goal of the 
ground-water monitoring program is to prevent and quickly detect 
releases of hazardous contaminants to groundwater, and to establish a 
program whereby any contamination is expeditiously cleaned up as 
necessary to protect human health and environment.
    Form numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Business or other for-profit; and 
State, Local, or Tribal Governments.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory (RCRA Sections 3004 
and 3005).
    Estimated number of respondents: 881.
    Frequency of response: Quarterly, semi-annually, and annually.
    Total estimated burden: 117,027 hours per year. Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $22,424,224 (per year), includes $17,870,276 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in estimates: The burden hours are likely to stay 
substantially the same.

    Dated: June 19, 2018.
Barnes Johnson,
Director, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery.
[FR Doc. 2018-14323 Filed 7-2-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P