[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 176 (Tuesday, September 11, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45927-45928]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-19763]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0150; FRL-9983-56-OW]


Proposed Information Collection Request; 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 plans to submit an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Establishing No-Discharge Zones 
(NDZs) Under Clean Water Act section 312 (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 
1791.08, 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). Before doing so, the 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 March 31, 2019. 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 November 13, 2018.

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.
    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, or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Virginia Fox-Norse, Oceans, Wetlands 
and Communities 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].

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 the EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, the 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). 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: (A) Sewage No-Discharge Zones: CWA section 312(f) and the 
implementing regulations in 40 CFR part 140 provide that information 
must be submitted to the EPA to establish a no-discharge zone (NDZ) for 
vessel sewage in state waters. No-discharge zones can be 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) Uniform National Discharge Standards (UNDS) No-Discharge Zones 
and Discharge Determination or Standard Review: CWA section 312(n)(7) 
and the implementing regulations in 40 CFR part 1700 provide that 
information should be submitted to the EPA to establish a no-discharge 
zone in state waters for a particular discharge from a vessel of the 
Armed Forces. In addition, CWA section 312(n)(5) provides that that the 
Governor of any state may petition the EPA and the DoD to review any 
discharge determination or standard promulgated under CWA section 312 
for vessels of the Armed forces if there is significant new information 
that could reasonably result in a change to the discharge determination 
or standard. This ICR addresses the information requirements associated 
with the establishment of an UNDS NDZ for a particular discharge from a 
vessel of the Armed Forces in addition to the information requirements 
associated with a request to the EPA and DoD to review a discharge 
determination or standard. UNDS NDZs for a particular discharge from a 
vessel of the Armed Forces cannot be requested or established until 
after the EPA and DoD promulgate vessel discharge performance standards 
for marine pollution control devices for that particular discharge and 
DoD

[[Page 45928]]

promulgates the corresponding regulations governing the design, 
construction, installation and use of marine pollution control devices 
for that particular discharge. 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 section 312(f)). The responses to this collection of 
information are required to obtain the benefit of an UNDS NDZ or a 
review of an UNDS discharge determination or standard (CWA section 
312(n)).
    Estimated number of respondents: 16 (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 estimates: It is anticipated that the burden hours will 
stay the same as the current estimate or decrease due to changes in 
respondent universe when we revise them for this ICR extension. Cost 
estimates will likely remain the same or rise at the time of revision 
because of changes in the state and federal labor costs.

    Dated: August 31, 2018.
 John Goodin,
Acting Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds.
[FR Doc. 2018-19763 Filed 9-10-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P