[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 23 (Thursday, February 3, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6170-6171]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-02169]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-2008-0719; FRL-9526-01-OMS]


Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; National Pollutant Discharge Elimination 
System Program (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), ``Information Collection Request 
(ICR) Supporting Statement for The National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System Program (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR Number 0229.25, OMB 
Control Number 2040-0004) 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, 2022. Public comments were previously requested via 
the Federal Register on July 29, 2021 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 March 7, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
2008-0719, t online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method) 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.
    Submit written comments and recommendations to OMB for the proposed 
information collection within 30 days of publication of this notice to 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information 
collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joshua Baehr, National Program Branch, 
Water Permits Division, OWM Mail Code: 4203M, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1201 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 202-564-2277; 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

[[Page 6171]]

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: This Information Collection Request (ICR) renews the 
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program ICR and 
consolidates the information collection burden and costs associated 
with activities previously reported in 18 of the NPDES program or 
NPDES-related ICRs. It calculates the information collection burden and 
costs associated with the NPDES program, identifies the types of 
activities regulated under the NPDES program, describes the roles and 
responsibilities of state governments and the Agency, and presents the 
program areas that address the various types of regulated activities. 
This renewal documents the addition of the burden and costs for the 
four existing NPDES ICRs listed below. Once this renewal ICR is 
approved, the following ICRs will be discontinued: Public Notification 
Requirements for Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) in the Great Lakes 
Basin (OMB control no. 2040-0293, EPA ICR 2562.03, expiration date 04/
30/24); Effluent Limitation Guidelines and Standards for the Dental 
Category (OMB control no. 2040-0287, EPA ICR no. 2514.03, expiration 
11/30/23); 2020 NPDES Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) for Industrial 
Stormwater Discharges (OMB control no. 2040-0300, EPA ICR no. 2612.02, 
expiration 03/31/24); and NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule--Phase 2 
Extension (OMB Control No.: 2020-0037, EPA ICR No. 2617.02, expiration 
12/31/2023).
    The Clean Water Act (CWA) provides that NPDES permits are required 
for the discharge of pollutants to waters of the United States. The CWA 
requires EPA to develop and implement the NPDES permit program. CWA 
section 402(b) allows states to acquire authority to administer the 
NPDES program, enabling them to issue NPDES permits for discharges 
within the state. At present, 47 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands are 
authorized to administer the NPDES permit program. In states that do 
not have authority for these programs, the Agency administers the 
program and issues NPDES permits. Because some permit applications are 
processed by states and some by EPA, this ICR calculates government 
burden and cost for both authorized states and EPA. See Appendix F.1 
for a copy of the authorizing regulation.
    Form Numbers: EPA Form 3510-1; EPA Form 3510-2A; EPA Form 3510-2B; 
EPA Form 3510-2C; EPA Form 3510-2D; EPA Form 3510-2E; EPA Form 3510-2F; 
EPA Form 3510-2S.
    Respondents/affected entities: Any point source discharger of 
pollutants, publicly owned and privately owned treatment works (POTWs 
and PrOTWs), industrial dischargers to POTWs and PrOTWs, industrial and 
commercial dischargers to water of the United States, sewage sludge 
management and disposal operations, large vessels, dischargers of 
stormwater, construction sites, municipalities, pesticide applicators, 
local and state governments.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory, sections 301, 302, 
304, 306, 307, 308, 316(b), 401, 402, 403, 405, and 510 of the CWA; the 
1987 Water Quality Act (WQA) revisions to CWA section 402(p); 40 CFR 
parts 122, 123, 124, and 125 (and parts 501 and 503 for Biosolids); and 
the Great Lakes Critical Programs Act (CPA).
    Estimated number of respondents: 827,180 (total). (Includes 637 
States/Tribes/Territories).
    Frequency of response: Varies depending on the specific response 
activity and can range from ongoing and monthly to once every five 
years.
    Total estimated burden: 31,143,503 hours (per year). Burden is 
defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $1,732,287,018 (per year), includes 
$22,999,181 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the estimates: The majority of the burden hour increase 
occurred as a result of an increase in EPA's estimates of permittee 
respondents, which is largely attributed to improvements in the NPDES 
Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS-NPDES) database, 
implementation of the Electronic Reporting Rule Phase 1, and refined 
estimates. This ICR eliminates the initial permit application and 
compliance activities for existing Cooling Water Intake Structure 
(CWIS) facilities, as these actions have been completed by all existing 
CWIS facilities. The compliance and administration of small vessels 
general permit (sVGP) has been removed, which lowered the number of 
vessel respondents significantly.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2022-02169 Filed 2-2-22; 8:45 am]
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