[Federal Register: May 1, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 84)]
[Notices]               
[Page 24174-24175]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01my98-69]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6007-6]

 
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Construction Grants Program

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), this notice announces that EPA is planning to submit the 
following proposed and/or continuing Information Collection Request 
(ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):
    Construction Grants Program Information Collection Request, EPA ICR 
No. 0827.05 and Control No. 2040-0027, current expiration date May 31, 
1998. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is 
soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information 
collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 30, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Lucille Liem, Office of Wastewater Management, Mail Code 
4204, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20460. Interested persons may obtain a copy of the ICR 
without charge by writing to the preceding address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lucille Liem, Telephone Number: (202) 
260-5844/Facsimile Number: (202) 260-1827/E-mail: 
LIEM.LUCILLE@epamail.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
State, Tribal, and Local governments, including the District of 
Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Outer Pacific Islands, and the Virgin 
Islands.
    Title: Construction Grants Program (OMB Control No. 2040-0027; EPA 
ICR 0827.05) expiring 05/31/98.
    Abstract: This Information Collection Request (ICR) extends the 
clearance for the information collection activities required under the 
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Construction Grants Program. 
The program is authorized by Title II of the Clean Water Act (CWA). 
Under this program, municipalities and Indian Tribes may obtain grants 
for wastewater treatment construction projects.
    In order to obtain a construction grant, a municipality must submit 
information describing the project and its ability to manage it. 
Municipal

[[Page 24175]]

managers use the information to plan, design, build, operate, and 
maintain a treatment works that protects public health and the 
environment. In addition, the appropriate State or EPA Regional office 
reviews the information to determine if the project is necessary, 
reasonable, in accordance with sound planning principles, and a prudent 
use of Federal funds.
    In general, Indian Tribes submit the same type of information as 
municipalities. Therefore, estimates of the municipal burden in 
descriptions of the individual information collections include the 
Indian Tribes' time, where applicable. EPA Regions assist the Tribes in 
preparing grant applications, which decreases the burden of the 
information requirements. In addition, the Indian Health Service 
provides technical assistance.
    EPA collects information from the State to meet statutory and 
administrative program management requirements. Under this ICR, the 
only requirement for States is the listing of projects for funding in 
priority order. State program managers would develop this type of list 
for their own administrative needs. EPA reviews the information to 
determine if the State's program meets CWA requirements and evaluates 
the effectiveness of the State's program management.
    Under Title II, construction grant programs may be administered by 
EPA or delegated States. The requirements for the construction grants 
program are at 40 CFR Part 35, Subpart I, and Title II of the CWA. 
These provisions require grantees to submit information to EPA or 
delegated States, and also require States that award construction 
grants to submit information to EPA. Authority for collecting this 
information comes from the Construction Grants Information Collection 
Request (OMB No. 2040-0027, ICR 0827.05).
    EPA is currently phasing out the Construction Grants Program. The 
program is being replaced by the State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) 
Program (Title VI of the Clean Water Act). Established in the 1987 
amendment to the CWA, the SRF program provides a continuous source of 
funding for publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). Because most States 
are now funding construction projects through the SRF program rather 
than the Construction Grants Program, the burden associated with the 
Construction Grants Program has decreased significantly. (The 
information collection request associated with the SRF program are 
cleared under a separate ICR, OMB No. 2040-0118, ICR No. 1391.)
    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. The OMB control numbers for EPA's 
regulations are listed in 40 CFR Part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter 15.
    The EPA would like to solicit comments 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.
    Burden Statement:
    Average Burden Hours per Response: 4.7.
    Frequency of Response: 280.
    Number of Likely Respondents: 60.
    Average Annual Cost Burden: $23,823.68.
    Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources 
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or 
provide information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time 
needed to review instructions; develop, acquire, install, and utilize 
technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and 
verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and 
disclosing and providing information; adjust the existing ways to 
comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements; 
train personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information; 
search data sources; complete and review the collection of information; 
and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.

    Dated: April 27, 1998.
Michael B. Cook,
Director, Office of Wastewater Management.
[FR Doc. 98-11663 Filed 4-30-98; 8:45 am]
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