[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 56 (Friday, March 22, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10824-10825]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05512]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2003-0026; FRL-FRL-9989-52-OEI]


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

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), National Water Quality Inventory 
Reports (EPA ICR Number 1560.12, OMB Control Number 2040-0071) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed 
extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through March 31, 
2019. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal 
Register on August 30, 2018 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 April 22, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2003-0026, to (1) EPA 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, 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: Cynthia N. Johnson, Watershed 
Restoration, Assessment and Protection Division (WRAPD), Office of 
Water, Mail Code: 4503T, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-566-
1679; fax number: 202-566-1336; 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 whether waters assessed by a state meet the state's 
water quality standards, and when waters are impaired, the pollutants 
and potential sources affecting water quality. This information helps 
States and the public track 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 because of pollutant 
discharges. In developing the Section 303(d) lists, States are required 
to consider various sources of water 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.
    During the period covered by this ICR renewal, respondents will: 
Complete their 2020 Section 305(b) reports and 2020 Section 303(d) 
lists; complete their 2022 Section 305(b) reports and 2022 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 2020 reporting cycle and for the 2022 cycle, and EPA will review 
303(d) list and TMDL submissions from respondents.
    Form numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are States, Territories and Tribes with Clean Water Act 
(CWA) responsibilities.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory: Integrated Water 
Quality Inventory Reports (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: 3,718,130 (per year) hours. Burden is 
defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $211,716,534 (per year), includes $0 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in estimates: There is an estimated decrease of 21,887 of 
total burden hours per year. EPA has completed phase 1 of the Water 
Quality Framework, which is a new way of integrating EPA's data and 
information systems to more effectively support reporting and tracking 
water quality protection and restoration actions. Phase 1 streamlined 
water quality assessment and reporting by reducing transactions 
associated with paper copy reviews and increasing electronic data 
exchange. The system to support this

[[Page 10825]]

new electronic reporting was released to support the 2018 reporting 
cycle in April of 2018. EPA estimates a reduction of 10-50% on specific 
agency and respondent activities aimed to be improved from this new 
reporting system, and these reductions are explained within the 
supporting statement.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director of Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2019-05512 Filed 3-21-19; 8:45 am]
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