[Federal Register: March 25, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 58)]
[Notices]
[Page 15752-15754]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25mr08-47]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0150; FRL-8546-1]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Establishing No-Discharge Zones Under Clean Water Act
Section 312; EPA ICR No.1791.08, OMB Control No. 2040-0187
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to
submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection
Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is
scheduled to expire on June 30, 2008. 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 May 27, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2008-0150, by the following methods:
http://www.regulations.gov Follow the on-line instructions
for submitting comments.
E-mail: OW-Docket@epa.gov.
Mail: Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency,
Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460.
Hand Delivery: EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. Such deliveries are only accepted during
the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should
be made for deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2008-
0150. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in
the public docket without change and may be made available online at:
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through http://
www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site
is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your
identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of
your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without
going through http://www.regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be
automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is
placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you
submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name
and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any
disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA
may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid
the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of
any defects or viruses. For additional information about EPA's public
docket visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at: http://www.epa.gov/
epahome/dockets.htm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Laabs, Oceans and Coastal
Protection Division, Environmental Protection Agency, 4504T, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 202-566-1223;
fax number: 202-566-1546; e-mail address: laabs.chris@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
How Can I Access the Docket and/or Submit Comments?
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
no. EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0150, which is available for online viewing at the
Water Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334,
1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center
Public Reading Room is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading
Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Water Docket
Docket is (202) 566-2426.
Use http://www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft
collection of information, submit or view public comments, access the
index listing of the contents of the public docket, and to access those
documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once
in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number
identified above.
What Information is EPA Particularly Interested in?
Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA specifically
solicits 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. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.
What Should I Consider when I Prepare My Comments for EPA?
You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your
comments:
1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific
examples.
2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used
that support your views.
4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified
under DATES.
[[Page 15753]]
7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal
Register citation.
What Information Collection Activity or ICR Does This Apply to?
Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
State, local, and tribal governments.
Title: Establishing No-Discharge Zones Under Clean Water Act
section 312.
ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 1791.05, OMB Control No. 2040-0187.
ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2008.
Abstract: (A) Sewage No-discharge Zones: The need for EPA to obtain
information for the establishment of no-discharge zones (NDZs) for
vessel sewage in State waters stems from CWA sections 312(f)(3),
(f)(4)(A), and (f)(4)(B), and subsequent regulations at 40 CFR
140.4(a)-(c). No-discharge zones are established to provide State and
local governments with additional protection of waters from treated or
untreated vessel sewage. There are three ways in which NDZs for vessel
sewage can be established. This ICR discusses the information
requirements associated with the establishment of NDZs for vessel
sewage. The responses to this collection of information are required to
obtain the benefit of a sewage NDZ (see 33 U.S.C. 1322). The
information collection activities discussed in this ICR do not require
the submission of any confidential information.
(B) UNDS No-discharge Zones: Under section 312(n) of the Clean
Water Act (``Uniform National Discharge Standards for Vessels of the
Armed Forces'' or ``UNDS'') no-discharge zones (``NDZs'') for
discharges from Armed Forces vessels may be established by either State
prohibition or EPA prohibition following the procedures in 40 CFR Part
1700. UNDS also provides that the Governor of any State may petition
EPA and the Secretary of Defense to review any determination or
standard promulgated under the UNDS program if there is significant new
information that could reasonably result in a change to the
determination or standard. This ICR discusses the information that will
be required from a State if it decides to establish a NDZ by State
prohibition or apply for a NDZ by EPA prohibition, and the information
that will be required from a State if it decides to submit a petition
for review. The responses to this collection of information are
required to obtain the benefit of an UNDS NDZ or a review of an UNDS
determination or standard (see 33 U.S.C. 1322(n)). The information
collection activities discussed in this ICR do not require the
submission of any confidential information.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to be 127 hours
per response. The estimates include time for gathering information, and
preparing and submitting requests. 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.
The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate,
which is captured in the following charts.
Table 1.--Sewage NDZ Total Estimated Respondent (State Agency) Burden and Cost Summary
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Number of Total number Total labor Total annual
Number of activities per of hours per cost per year capital cost Total annual
respondents year year ($) ($) O&M costs ($)
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Sewage NDZ by State Prohibition [40 CFR 140.4(a)]....... 8 8 1064 47,058 0.00 1,200
Sewage NDZ by EPA Prohibition [40 CFR 140.4(b)]......... 1 .33 43 1,888 0.00 50
Drinking water NDZs [40 CFR 140.4(c)]................... 1 1 143 6,369 0.00 150
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Total............................................... 10 9.33 1250 55,315 0.00 1,400
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Table 2.--UNDS Total Estimated Respondent (State Agency) Burden and Cost Summary
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Number of Number of Total number Total labor Total annual Total annual
respondents activities of hours cost per ($) capital ($) O&M costs ($)
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No-discharge Zone by State Prohibition 40 CFR 1700.9; 4 4 717 32,408 0 600
Table 4]...............................................
No-discharge Zone by EPA Prohibition [40 CFR 1700.10; 1 1 194.25 8,821 0 150
Table 5]...............................................
Petition for Review [40 CFR 1700.12; Table 6]........... 1 1 46.25 1,976 0 150
Total............................................... 6 6 957.5 43,206 0 900
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Table 3. Total CWA Section 312 Estimated Respondent (State Agency) Burden and Cost Summary
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Number of Total labor
Number of activities per Total number cost per year Total annual Total annual
respondents year of hours per ($) capital ($) O&M costs ($)
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Total............................................... 16 15.33 2207.5 98,520 0.00 2,300
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[[Page 15754]]
Are There Changes in the Estimates From the Last Approval?
Estimates have been updated with current state and federal labor
costs.
What Is the Next Step in the Process for This ICR?
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 pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, EPA will
issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any
questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Dated: March 19, 2008.
Craig E. Hooks,
Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds.
[FR Doc. E8-6002 Filed 3-24-08; 8:45 am]
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