[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20962-20964]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06408]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0580; FRL-11359-01-OW]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; POTW 
Influent PFAS Study Data Collection

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to 
submit an information collection request, ``U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency POTW Influent PFAS Study Data Collection'' (EPA ICR 
No. 2799.01, OMB Control No. 2040-NEW) to the Office of Management and 
Budget for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA). Before doing so, the EPA is soliciting public 
comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as 
described below. This is a request for approval of a new collection. 
This notice allows for 60 days for public comments.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before May 28, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-

[[Page 20963]]

OW-2023-0580, 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.
    The 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: Sean Dempsey, Engineering and Analysis 
Division, Office of Science and Technology, (4303T), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: 202-564-5088; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a request for approval of a new 
collection. 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.
    This notice allows 60 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 the EPA's public docket, visit 
http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, the 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 forms of information technology. The 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, the 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 directs the United States 
Environmental Protection Agency to develop national regulations known 
as Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards (ELGs) to place limits 
on the pollutants that are discharged by categories of industry to 
surface waters and publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). In addition, 
the EPA conducts National Sewage Sludge Surveys (NSSSs) to collect 
national concentration data on contaminants found in sewage sludge and 
biosolids (sewage sludge treated to meet the requirements in 40 CFR 
part 503 and intended to be applied to land as a soil amendment or 
fertilizer), and to help inform future risk assessments and risk 
management options. For many decades, industrial facilities have used 
and discharged per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to POTWs. PFAS are a 
class of synthetic chemicals of concern to the EPA because of their 
widespread use and potential to accumulate in the environment. Certain 
PFAS are known to cause adverse ecological and human health effects. 
Most POTWs do not operate processes and technologies that effectively 
reduce or eliminate PFAS in wastewater; therefore, PFAS are 
subsequently discharged into surface waters and/or accumulate in sewage 
sludge generated by the POTW which poses a potential risk for further 
PFAS release depending on sewage sludge management practices.
    As announced in the EPA's Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15, 
published in January 2023, the EPA is conducting a POTW Influent PFAS 
Study to collect and analyze nationwide data on industrial discharges 
of PFAS to POTWs as well as PFAS in POTW influent, effluent, and sewage 
sludge. The EPA will require, through an OMB-approved Information 
Collection Request, a subset of large POTWs across the United States to 
complete a questionnaire and collect and analyze wastewater and sewage 
sludge samples. The data collection activities will produce a robust 
data set that will enable the EPA to characterize the type and quantity 
of PFAS in wastewater discharges from industrial users to POTWs 
(including industrial categories that the EPA has determined 
historically or currently use PFAS but for which there is insufficient 
PFAS monitoring data available) as well as POTW influent, effluent, and 
sewage sludge. The wastewater sampling data will primarily be used to 
identify and prioritize industrial point source categories where 
additional study or regulations may be warranted to control PFAS 
discharges. The sewage sludge sampling will fulfill the EPA's data 
needs for the upcoming NSSS by establishing a current national data set 
of sewage sludge characteristics which the EPA will subsequently use to 
inform upcoming risk assessments and the need for future regulations 
and guidance pertaining to the management of sewage sludge.
    This collection effort is necessary because there is only very 
limited publicly accessible data on PFAS discharges from industrial 
categories to POTWs; the relative PFAS contributions from residential, 
commercial, and industrial sources to POTWs; and the fate and transport 
of PFAS in POTW influent and sewage sludge. This collection effort is 
also consistent with the Agency's October 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap 
commitments to address PFAS through investment in scientific research 
to fill gaps in understanding of PFAS and to prevent PFAS from entering 
the environment.
    As part of the POTW Influent PFAS Study, the EPA estimates that 
approximately 400 POTWs with the highest daily flow rates of all POTWs 
in the U.S. will complete a mandatory electronic questionnaire. The 
objectives of the questionnaire will be to gather POTW-specific 
information and data on industrial users discharging to the POTW, known 
or suspected sources of PFAS discharges to the POTW, and wastewater and 
sewage sludge management practices of the POTW. The EPA plans to use 
the information and data collected in the questionnaire to select a 
subset of 200 to 300 POTWs to participate in a two-phase sampling 
program. Phase 1 will require each selected POTW to collect and analyze 
one-time grab samples of industrial user effluent, domestic wastewater 
influent, POTW influent, and POTW effluent for forty specific PFAS and 
adsorbable organic fluorine (AOF). For each POTW selected, the EPA 
intends to specify no more than ten industrial users for which the POTW 
must collect and analyze effluent samples. The total number of 
industrial users sampled as part of the sampling program is not 
expected to exceed 2,000 facilities. Phase 2 will require selected 
POTWs to collect and analyze one-time grab samples of sewage sludge for 
forty specific PFAS and ancillary parameters.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: 400 of the largest POTWs in the 
nation will receive the questionnaire (400 facilities)

[[Page 20964]]

and a subset of 200-300 facilities will be asked to conduct specific 
sampling, conducted in two phases.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory (Clean Water Act 
Section 308) (citing authority).
    Estimated number of respondents: 400 (total).
    Frequency of response: One-time data collection.
    Total estimated respondent burden: 25,640 hours. Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated respondent cost: $5,486,816 one-time cost.
    Changes in estimates: This is a new data collection request and is 
a one-time temporary increase to the agency's burden.

Deborah G. Nagle,
Director, Office of Science and Technology, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 2024-06408 Filed 3-25-24; 8:45 am]
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