Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Notice.
In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501
Comments must be submitted on or before March 11, 2003.
Comments may be submitted electronically, by mail, or through hand delivery/courier. Follow the detailed instructions as provided in Section I.B. of the
Please direct questions or requests for copies of these ICR to: Jack Faulk, Industrial Branch, Water Permits Division, Office of Wastewater Management; tel.: (202) 564–0768, fax: (202) 564–6431; or e-mail:
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 displayed in 40 CFR part 9.
The EPA would like to solicit comments to:
(1) 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;
(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information;
(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology,
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 official public docket consists of the documents specifically referenced in the ICRs, any public comments received, and other information related to these ICRs. Although a part of the official docket, the public docket does not include Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. The official public docket is the collection of materials that is available for public viewing at the Water Docket in the EPA Docket Center, (EPA/DC) EPA West, Room B135, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566–1744, and the telephone number for the Water Docket is (202) 566–2426.
You may use EPA Dockets at
Certain types of information will not be placed in the EPA Dockets. Information claimed as CBI, and other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute, which is not included in the official public docket, will not be available for public viewing in EPA's electronic public docket. EPA's policy is that copyrighted material will not be placed in EPA's electronic public docket but will be available only in printed, paper form in the official public docket. To the extent feasible, publicly available docket materials will be made available in EPA's electronic public docket. When a document is selected from the index list in EPA Dockets, the system will identify whether the document is available for viewing in EPA's electronic public docket. Although not all docket materials may be available electronically, you may still access any of the publicly available docket materials through the docket facility identified in Section I.A. EPA intends to work towards providing electronic access to all of the publicly available docket materials through EPA's electronic public docket.
For public commenters, it is important to note that EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing in EPA's electronic public docket as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that material in the version of the comment that is placed in EPA's electronic public docket. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket.
Public comments submitted on computer disks that are mailed or delivered to the docket will be transferred to EPA's electronic public docket. Public comments that are mailed or delivered to the Docket will be scanned and placed in EPA's electronic public docket. Where practical, physical objects will be photographed, and the photograph will be placed in EPA's electronic public docket along with a brief description written by the docket staff.
For additional information about EPA's electronic public docket visit EPA Dockets online or see 67 FR 38102, May 31, 2002.
You may submit comments electronically, by mail, by facsimile, or through hand delivery/courier. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, identify the appropriate docket identification number in the subject line on the first page of your comment. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the specified comment period. Comments received after the close of the comment period will be marked “late.” EPA is not required to consider these late comments in formulating a final decision. If you wish to submit CBI or information that is otherwise protected by statute, please contact the person listed in
You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your comments:
1. Explain your views as clearly as possible.
2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
3. Provide 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 your estimate.
5. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.
6. Offer alternatives.
7. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period deadline identified.
8. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, identify the appropriate docket identification number in the subject line on the first page of your response. It would also be helpful if you provided the name, date, and
Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA specifically solicits comments and information to enable it to:
1. Evaluate whether the proposed collections of information are necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether the information will have practical utility.
2. Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimates of the burdens of the proposed collections of information.
3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected.
4. Minimize the burden of the collections of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated or electronic collection technologies or other forms of information technology,
In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501
(1) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and Sewage Sludge Management State Program Requirements, EPA ICR No. 0168.07, OMB Control No. 2040–0057, expiring on April 30, 2003.
(2) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Modification and Variance Requests, EPA ICR No. 0029.08, OMB Control No. 2040–0068, expiring on April 30, 2003.
(3) Applications for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Discharge Permits and the Sewage Sludge Management Permits, EPA ICR No. 0226.17, OMB Control No. 2040–0086, expiring on April 30, 2003.
For all three ICRs, please contact: Jack Faulk, Industrial Branch, Water Permits Division, Office of Wastewater Management; tel.: (202) 564–0768, fax: (202) 564–6431; or e-mail: faulk.jack@epa.gov.
(1) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and Sewage Sludge Management State Program Requirements, EPA ICR No. 0168.07, OMB Control No. 2040–0057, expiring on April 30, 2003.
States have the option of obtaining a sludge management program. This program may be a component of a State NPDES Program, or it may be administered as a separate program. To obtain a NPDES or sludge program, a State must submit an application that includes a program description, an Attorney General's Statement, draft Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the EPA Region, and copies of the State's statutes and regulations.
Once a State obtains authority for an NPDES or sludge program, it becomes responsible for implementing the program in that jurisdiction. The State must retain records on the permittees and perform inspections. In addition, when a State obtains NPDES or sludge authority, EPA must oversee the program. Thus, States must submit permit information and compliance reports to the EPA.
When EPA issues a permit in an unauthorized State, that State must certify that the permit requirements comply with State water laws. According to the Clean Water Act (CWA) (section 510), States may adopt discharge requirements that are equal to or more stringent than requirements in the CWA or Federal regulations.
The purpose of this ICR is to revise and extend the current recordkeeping and reporting requirements associated with State NPDES and sludge programs. There are three categories of reporting requirements that are covered by this ICR. The first category, “State Program
This estimate includes the time required to review the instructions, search existing data sources, gather and maintain all necessary data, and complete and review the information collected. The respondents are the 50 States, 7 U.S. Territories, and 567 Federally-Recognized Indian Tribes (of which 45 States and 1 Territory are authorized to administer the NPDES Program); the burden per respondent is variable although the majority of the burden is on the 45 States and 1 Territory that are authorized to administer the NPDES Program.
(2) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Modification and Variance Requests, EPA ICR No. 0029.08, OMB Control No. 2040–0068, expiring on April 30, 2003.
State government burden is also a respondent burden for this ICR. Total State government burden hours for the 45 States and 1 Territory authorized to administer the NPDES Program are estimated to be 246,946 for reviewing and approving these modification and variance requests.
The total respondent burden hours are 303,997 for 13,137 respondents.
(3) Applications for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Discharge Permits and the Sewage Sludge Management Permits, EPA ICR No. 0226.17, OMB Control No. 2040–0086, expiring on April 30, 2003.