[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 133 (Wednesday, July 13, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41716-41717]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-14946]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2015-0613; FRL-9956-01-OW]


Information Collection Request; Proposed Renewal; Comment 
Request; Implementation of Title I of the Marine Protection, Research, 
and Sanctuaries Act

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to 
submit an information collection request (ICR) renewal, 
``Implementation of Title I of the Marine Protection, Research, and 
Sanctuaries Act,'' (EPA ICR No. is 0824.08, OMB Control No. 2040-0008) 
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 below. 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 September 12, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2015-0613 (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. 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: Chris Laabs, Oceans, Wetlands, and 
Communities Division, mail code 4504T, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and, 
Watersheds, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-566-1223; fax number: 202-
566-1147; 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 PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 et 
seq.), 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. If approved by OMB, renewals are 
typically granted a three-year extension.
    Abstract: With limited exceptions, ocean dumping--the 
transportation of any material for the purpose of dumping material in 
ocean waters--is prohibited except in compliance with a permit issued 
under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA). EPA 
is responsible for issuing ocean dumping permits for all materials 
except dredged material. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is 
responsible for issuing ocean dumping permits for dredged material 
using EPA's environmental criteria, though for federal projects, the 
USACE may apply the environmental criteria directly in lieu of the 
permit process. All ocean dumping permits and federal projects 
involving ocean dumping of dredged material are subject to EPA review 
and concurrence. EPA is also responsible for designating and managing 
ocean sites for the disposal of materials and establishing Site 
Management and Monitoring Plans for ocean disposal sites. EPA collects 
or sponsors the collection of information for the purposes of permit 
issuance, reporting

[[Page 41717]]

of emergency dumping to safety of life at sea, compliance with permit 
requirements, including general permits for burial at sea, for 
transportation and disposal of vessels, and for ocean disposal of 
marine mammal carcasses.
    EPA collects this information to ensure that ocean dumping is 
appropriately regulated and will not harm human health and the marine 
environment, based on applying the Ocean Dumping Criteria. The Ocean 
Dumping Criteria consider, among other things: the environmental impact 
of the dumping; the need for the dumping; the effect of the dumping on 
esthetic, recreational, or economic values; land-based alternatives to 
ocean dumping; and the adverse effects of the dumping on other uses of 
the ocean. The Ocean Dumping Criteria are codified in 40 CFR parts 220 
through 229. To meet U.S. reporting obligation under the London 
Convention, an international treaty on ocean dumping, EPA also reports 
some of this information in the annual United States Ocean Dumping 
Report.
    EPA uses ocean dumping information to make decisions regarding 
whether to issue, deny, or impose conditions on ocean dumping permits 
issued by EPA in order to ensure consistency with the Ocean Dumping 
Criteria. EPA uses monitoring and reporting data from permittees to 
assess compliance with ocean dumping permits, including associated 
monitoring activities.
    Form numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Respondents/affected entities may 
include any private person or entity, or state, local, or foreign 
governments.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Required to obtain or retain a 
benefit, specifically permit authorization and/or compliance with 
permits required under MPRSA sections 102 and 104, 33 U.S.C. 1402 & 
1404, and implementing regulations at 40 CFR parts 220 through 229.
    Estimated number of respondents: 2,488 respondents per year.
    Frequency of response: The frequency of response varies for 
application and reporting requirements for different permits. Other 
than the general permit for transportation and disposal of vessels, 
response is required once for each permit application, whether a single 
notification to EPA or a permit application. Depending on the type of 
MPRSA permit, a permit application would be required prior to 
expiration if the permittee seeks re-issuance: general permit (once 
every seven years), special permit (once every three years), and 
research permit (once every 18 months).
    Total estimated burden: The public reporting and recordkeeping 
burdens for this collection of information are estimated to be 3,298 
hours per year. Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
    Total estimated cost: Annual costs are estimated to be $355,104, 
which includes $159,795 for labor and $195,309 for capital or operation 
& maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: There is no significant increase in the 
burden. There is a decrease of 198 hours in the total estimated 
respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. This 
decrease is primarily due to a decrease in the average number of burial 
at sea activities reported over the last three years.

John Goodin,
Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds.
[FR Doc. 2022-14946 Filed 7-12-22; 8:45 am]
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