[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 95 (Tuesday, May 17, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29875-29876]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-10578]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

U.S. Geological Survey

[GC22LK000036U00; OMB Control Number 1028-NEW]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Surveys for Ambient 
Groundwater Quality Monitoring

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is proposing a new information 
collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
July 18, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this information collection request 
(ICR) by mail to U.S. Geological Survey, Information Collections 
Officer, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 159, Reston, VA 20192; or by 
email to [email protected]. Please reference OMB Control 
Number 1028-NEW in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Devin Gaige by email at [email protected], or by 
telephone at 518-285-5668.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, we provide the general public and other Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and 
continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the impact 
of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's 
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information 
collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired 
format.
    We are soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is described 
below. We are especially interested in public comment addressing the 
following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the proper 
functions of the USGS; (2) will this information be processed and used 
in a timely manner; (3) is the

[[Page 29876]]

estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the USGS enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(5) how might the USGS minimize the burden of this collection on the 
respondents, including through the use of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personally identifiable information 
(PII) in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--
including your PII--may be made publicly available at any time. While 
you can ask us in your comment to withhold your PII from public review, 
we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    Abstract: As part of a long-term effort to quantify and report on 
the ambient groundwater quality in upstate New York, the USGS New York 
Water Science Center will sample pre-existing wells drilled in bedrock 
and glacial-drift aquifers. The well selection process will include 
mailing an informational postcard, with a QR code linked to a survey, 
to well owners within the study region. For respondents who allow their 
well to be sampled, construction logs and information about the well 
set-up, treatment, and usage will be used to determine if the well 
meets the project requirements for sampling. Samples will be analyzed 
for a broad suite of properties and constituents, including 
physicochemical properties and concentrations of dissolved gases, major 
ions, nutrients, trace elements, pesticides, volatile organic 
compounds, radionuclides, and indicator bacteria. The resulting dataset 
will contribute to characterizing the ambient groundwater-quality 
conditions in New York State and can be used to identify long-term 
trends. The results will be provided to the well owners and will be 
available to the public through the USGS National Water Information 
System database (https://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/ny/nwis/qw), published 
reports, and published data releases.
    Title of Collection: Surveys for Ambient Groundwater-Quality 
Monitoring.
    OMB Control Number: 1028-NEW.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: New.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals/households.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 150 individuals, 30 
local governments.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 180.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: 15 minutes.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 45 hours.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: Once.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, nor is a person required to 
respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.
    The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Jennifer Graham,
Center Director, NYWSC.
[FR Doc. 2022-10578 Filed 5-16-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338-11-P