[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 9, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54140-54141]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22106]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OECA-2013-0547; FRL-10000-86-OECA]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Performance Evaluation Studies on Wastewater Laboratories (Renewal); 
EPA ICR No. 0234.13, OMB Control No. 2080-0021

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Performance Evaluation Studies 
on Wastewater Laboratories'' (EPA ICR No. 0234.13, OMB Control No. 
2080-0021) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. Before doing 
so, 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 May 31, 2020. 
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.

[[Page 54141]]


DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 9, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OECA-
2013-0547, 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 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Savitske, Monitoring, 
Assistance, and Media Programs Division, Office of Compliance, (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.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 
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. 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, 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: 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 laboratories 
that perform chemical, microbiological and whole effluent toxicity 
(WET) analyses required in NPDES permits for reporting results in the 
Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMR). Under DMR-QA, the permit holder is 
responsible for having their in-house and/or contract laboratories 
analyze proficiency test samples and submit results to proficiency 
testing (PT) providers for grading. Graded results are transmitted by 
either the permit holder or PT provider to the appropriate federal or 
state NPDES permitting authority. Permit holders are responsible for 
submitting corrective action reports to the appropriate permitting 
authority.
    Form numbers: 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: Major permit holders must 
participate annually. Minor permit holders must participate if selected 
by the state or EPA DMR-QA coordinator.
    Estimated number of respondents: 5,500 (total).
    Frequency of response: Major permit holders must participate 
annually. Minor permit holders must participate if selected by the 
state or EPA DMR-QA coordinator.
    Total estimated burden: 36,300 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $5,240,070 (per year), includes $3,243,350 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in estimates: There is a decrease of 1,320 hours in the 
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This decrease is due to a slight decrease of NPDES 
major permit holders over the last three years. Labor costs will be 
revised upward to account for changes in employee benefit compensation 
costs and inflation. Non-labor costs for obtaining proficiency test 
samples will also likely increase.

    Dated: October 3, 2019.
Martha Segall,
Acting Director, Monitoring, Assistance, and Media Programs Division, 
Office of Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2019-22106 Filed 10-8-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P