[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 246 (Tuesday, December 28, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73759-73760]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-28152]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2004-0013; FRL 9149-01-OW]


Proposed Renewal Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
EPA Program Information on Source Water Protection

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to 
submit an information collection request (ICR) for EPA Program 
Information on Source Water Protection (OMB Control No. 2040-0197) to 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). Before doing so, EPA 
is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed 
information collection as described in this document. This is a 
proposed extension of the existing ICR, which is approved through July 
31, 2022. 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 February 28, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2004-0013, online using https://www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method), by email to the Office of Water (OW) Docket at [email protected] or by mail to the Water Docket, EPA Docket Center (WJC 
West), MC 28221T, Environmental Protection Agency, 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 profanities, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sherri Comerford, Drinking Water 
Protection Division--Prevention Branch, Office of Ground Water and 
Drinking Water (MC 4606M), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-
4639; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents that explain in detail 
the information that EPA will be collecting are available in the public 
docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at https://www.regulations.gov or in person at the Water Docket, 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 https://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Pursuant to Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA specifically 
solicits comments and information to enable the agency to 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; 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; enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and 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. 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: EPA is collecting data from the states on their 
advancement toward substantial implementation of protection strategies 
for all community water systems (CWSs). EPA and states use this 
voluntary collection of data to track and understand the progress 
toward increasing the percentage of CWSs (and the populations they 
serve)

[[Page 73760]]

where risk is minimized through source water protection. Source water 
protection data that states submit directly to the Source Water 
Protection Information System (SDWIS) is accessible to the public via 
EPA's website. Availability of this information, together with source 
water and demographic indicators that are publicly available via EPA's 
Drinking Water Mapping Application to Protect Source Waters (DWMAPS), 
promotes equity by empowering communities to include these 
considerations in their own analyses and outreach efforts.
    Form Notification: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: 51.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.
    Frequency of response: Annual.
    Total estimated annual burden: 288 hours. Burden is defined at 5 
CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $16,721 (per year).
    Changes in Estimates: EPA anticipates the annual totals for 
estimated burden and costs at 288 hours and $16,721, respectively. 
There is an expected decrease of hours in the total estimated 
respondent burden compared to what was identified in the ICR currently 
approved by OMB due to voluntary reporting that would decrease in 
frequency from quarterly to annual reporting. State databases are fully 
developed, and tracking is routine, which EPA believes will result in 
efficiencies that would allow states to minimize hourly burden and 
cost.

Radhika Fox,
Assistant Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2021-28152 Filed 12-27-21; 8:45 am]
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