[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 21, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58767-58768]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-25423]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2015-0641; FRL-9986-92-OW]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Information Collection Request for Reporting Requirements for BEACH Act 
Grants (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to 
submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Information 
Collection Request for Reporting Requirements for BEACH Act Grants'' 
(EPA ICR No. 2048.06, OMB Control No. 2040-0244) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act. 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 July 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: Additional comments must be submitted on or before January 22, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OW-2015-0641 to the EPA (1) online using www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), or (2) by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 
Washington, DC 20460.
    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: Tracy Bone, OW, 4305T, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: 202-564-5257; 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

[[Page 58768]]

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 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: The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health 
(BEACH) Act amends the Clean Water Act (CWA) in part and authorizes the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to award BEACH Act Program 
Development and Implementation Grants to coastal and Great Lakes 
states, tribes, and territories (collectively referred to as 
jurisdictions) for their beach monitoring and notification programs. 
The grants assist those jurisdictions to develop and implement a 
consistent approach to monitor recreational water quality; assess, 
manage, and communicate health risks from waterborne microbial 
contamination; notify the public of pollution occurrences, and post 
beach advisories and closures to prevent public exposure to microbial 
pathogens. To qualify for a BEACH Act Grant, a jurisdiction must submit 
information to the EPA documenting that its beach monitoring and 
notification program is consistent with performance criteria outlined 
in the National Beach Guidance and Required Performance Criteria for 
Grants, 2014 Edition.
    Form numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are environmental and public health agencies in coastal and 
Great Lakes states, territories, and tribes.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Required to obtain the grants 
as directed by the BEACH Act amendment to the CWA.
    Estimated number of respondents: 39.
    Frequency of response: Annual; however, the agency encourages more 
frequent reporting to provide more up-to-date information to the 
public.
    Total estimated burden: 88,569 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $14,865,812 (per year), includes $11,063,780 
(per year) operation & maintenance costs. There are no capital costs.
    Changes in estimates: There is a decrease of 2,707 hours in the 
total respondent burden compared with the ICR approved by OMB in July 
2015 due to the respondents no longer needing to prepare and submit 
schedules for the adoption of new or revised WQS and identification and 
use of a beach notification threshold (BNT). The EPA no longer requests 
respondents submit these schedules because they are using BNTs or 
alternate BNTs and have either adopted new or revised WQS or are in the 
process of doing so. This decrease in hours is partially offset by one 
additional tribe having qualified for a BEACH grant. The total 
respondent cost decreased by $587,496. The decrease in cost is 
partially offset by slight increases in the salary rates. The O&M 
decreased by $289,366 due to a reduction in the total number of beaches 
(affecting O&M). The number of beaches reported by the jurisdictions 
varies from year to year for many reasons. Reasons for removing beaches 
include the destruction of beaches by natural disasters, change in 
beach ownership, and existing beaches being combined within a 
jurisdiction's monitoring and notification program.

    Dated: November 13, 2018.
Deborah G. Nagle,
Acting Director, Office of Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2018-25423 Filed 11-20-18; 8:45 am]
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