[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 137 (Tuesday, July 19, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43029-43030]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15371]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2003-0026; FRL-9959-01-OW]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
National Water Quality Inventory Reports (Renewal)

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), ``National Water 
Quality Inventory Reports (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1560.11, OMB Control 
No. 2040-0071) 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. This is a 
proposed 3-year extension of the ICR, which is currently approved 
through March 31, 2023. 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 19, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-2003-
0026, 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: Edward Laird, Watershed Restoration, 
Assessment and Protection Division (WRAPD), Office of Wetlands, Oceans, 
and Watersheds, Mail Code: 4503T, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-566-
2848; fax number: 202-566-1437; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents that explain in detail 
the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the 
public docket for this ICR (Docket ID EPA-HQ-OW-2003-0026). 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.
    Abstract: The Clean Water Act Section 305(b) reports contain 
information on whether waters assessed by a state meet the state's 
water quality standards, and, when waters are impaired, the pollutants 
and potential sources affecting water quality. This information helps 
states and the public track progress in addressing water pollution. 
Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act requires states to identify and 
rank waters that cannot meet water quality standards (WQS) following 
the implementation of technology-based controls. Under Section 303(d), 
states are also required to establish total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) 
for listed waters not meeting standards because of pollutant 
discharges. In developing the Section 303(d) lists, states are required 
to consider various sources of water quality related data and 
information, including the Section 305(b) state water quality reports. 
Section 106(e) requires that states annually update monitoring data and 
use it in their Section 305(b) report. Section 314(a) requires states 
to report on the condition of their publicly owned lakes within the 
Section 305(b) report.
    Pursuant to the Clean Water Act and its implementing regulations, 
EPA reviews and approves or disapproves state Section 303(d) lists and 
TMDLs from 56 respondents (the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and 
the five Territories). Section 303(d) specifically requires states to 
develop lists and TMDLs, and EPA is to review and approve or disapprove 
the lists and the TMDLs. EPA also collects state 305(b) reports from 59 
respondents (the 50 States, the District of Columbia, five Territories, 
and 3 River Basin Commissions).
    Tribes are not required to submit Section 305(b) reports. However, 
to meet the needs of Tribes at all levels of development, EPA has 
prepared guidance that presents the basic steps a Tribe should take to 
collect the water quality information it needs to make effective 
decisions about its program, its goals, and its future directions. 
Tribal water quality monitoring and reporting activities are covered 
under the Section 106 Tribal Grants Program and are not included in the 
burden estimates for this ICR. In addition, ICR number 2553.02 
``Treatment of Indian Tribes in a Similar Manner as States for Purposes 
of Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (Final Rule)'' addresses the 
tribes' CWA Section 303(d) Impaired Water Listing and TMDL TAS 
application and 303(d) Program implementation burden, as well as EPA's 
burden for reviewing the tribes' applications and 303(d) Program 
submittals.
    During the period covered by this ICR renewal, respondents will: 
complete their 2024 Section 305(b) reports and 2024 Section 303(d) 
lists; complete their 2026 Section 305(b) reports and 2026 Section 
303(d) lists; transmit annual electronic updates of ambient monitoring 
data via the Water Quality Exchange; and continue to develop TMDLs 
according to their established schedules. EPA will prepare biennial 
updates on assessed and impaired waters for Congress and the public for 
the 2024 reporting cycle and for the

[[Page 43030]]

2026 cycle, and EPA will review 303(d) list and TMDL submissions from 
respondents.
    The burdens of specific activities that states undertake as part of 
their Section 305(b) and 303(d) programs are derived from a project 
among EPA, states, and other interested stakeholders to develop a tool 
for estimating the states' resource needs for state water quality 
management programs. This project has developed the State Water Quality 
Management Workload Model (SWQMWM), which estimates and sums the 
workload involved in more than one hundred activities or tasks 
comprising a state water quality management program. Over twenty states 
contributed information about their activities that became the basis 
for the model. According to the SWQMWM, to meet Section 305(b) and 
303(d) reporting requirements the states will conduct: watershed 
monitoring and characterization; modeling and analysis; development of 
Section 303(d) lists and TMDLs for public review; public outreach; 
formal public participation; tracking; planning; legal support; etc. In 
general, respondents have conducted each of these reporting and record 
keeping activities for past Section 305(b) and 303(d) reporting cycles 
and thus have staff and procedures in place to continue their Section 
305(b) and 303(d) reporting programs. The burden associated with these 
tasks is estimated in this ICR to include the total number of TMDLs 
that may be submitted during the period covered by this ICR.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are States, Territories and Tribes with Clean Water Act 
(CWA) responsibilities.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory: Integrated Water 
Quality Inventory Reports. (Clean Water Act Sections 305(b), 303(d), 
314(a), and 106(e)).
    Estimated number of respondents: 59 (total).
    Frequency of response: Biennial.
    Total estimated burden: 3,696,243 hours (per year). Burden is 
defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $243,597,191 (per year), includes $0 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: There is a decrease of 10,944 hours in the 
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This decrease is due to efficiencies gained from the 
use of EPA's modernized Assessment and Total Maximum Daily Load 
Tracking and Implementation System (ATTAINS) database and the 
integration of EPA's data and information systems to better support 
reporting, tracking water quality protection, and restoration actions. 
These efficiencies streamlined water quality assessment and reporting 
by reducing paper copy transactions and improving electronic data 
exchange.

John Goodin,
Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds.
[FR Doc. 2022-15371 Filed 7-18-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P