[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 58 (Monday, March 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18136-18137]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06228]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2015-0613; FRL-10843-01-OMS]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Implementation of Title I of the Marine Protection, Research, 
and Sanctuaries Act (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), Implementation of Title I of the 
Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (EPA ICR Number 
0824.08, OMB Control Number 2040-0008) 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, 2023. Public comments were 
previously requested via the Federal Register on July 13, 2022 during a 
60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for 
public comments.

DATES: Comments may be submitted on or before April 26, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OW-2015-0613, to EPA 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. 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: Chris Laabs, Oceans, Wetlands, and 
Communities Division, mail code 4504T, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and 
Watersheds, mail code 4501T, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-566-
1223; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a proposed 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.
    Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register 
on July 13, 2022 during a 60-day comment period (87 FR 41716). This 
notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. 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.
    Abstract: With limited exceptions, ocean dumping--the 
transportation of any material for the purpose of dumping 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. In the case of Federal navigation 
projects, USACE may implement the MPRSA directly in the Federal 
projects involving ocean disposal of dredged materials in lieu of the 
permit process. USACE relies on EPA's Ocean Dumping Criteria when 
evaluating permit requests for (and implementing Federal projects 
involving) the transportation of dredged material for the purpose of 
dumping it into ocean waters. MPRSA permits and federal projects 
involving the 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 wastes and other materials and 
establishing Site Management and Monitoring Plans for ocean disposal 
sites. EPA collects, or sponsors the collection of, information for the

[[Page 18137]]

purposes of permit issuance, reporting of emergency dumping to 
safeguard life at sea, and for compliance with permit requirements. EPA 
may issue emergency, research, special, and general permits. Examples 
of EPA permits include 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 
aesthetic, 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 228. To meet U.S. reporting obligations 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: 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: 2,490 respondents per year 
(total).
    Frequency of response: Varies greatly depending on the respondent/
entities needs to obtain or retain the benefits entailed in 40 CFR 
parts 220 through 229.
    Total estimated burden: 3,369 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
    Total estimated cost: $722,340 (per year), which includes $565,299 
for capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the estimates: There is a decrease of 127 total 
estimated respondent hours in the total estimated respondent burden 
compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. The decrease is 
related to a lower number of general permit submissions anticipated, 
consistent with the actual average number of submissions. The total 
average annual costs have increased from $344,066 to $722,340 due to an 
anticipated increase in research permit submissions from once every ten 
years to once every two years which may require additional supporting 
analysis.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2023-06228 Filed 3-24-23; 8:45 am]
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