[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 18 (Friday, January 26, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2505-2506]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-1405]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5403-9]
Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review:
National Water Quality Inventory Reports
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request
(ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature
of the information collection and its expected cost and burden; where
appropriate, it includes the actual data collection instrument.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 26, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY CALL: Sandy Farmer at EPA, (202) 260-
2740, and refer to EPA ICR No. 1506.04.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: National Water Quality Inventory Reports (Clean Water Act
Sections 305(b), 303(d), 314(a), and 106(e)). (OMB Control No. 2040-
0071; EPA ICR No. 1560.04). This is a request for extension of a
currently approved collection.
Abstract: Section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act (Pub. L. 92-500, 33
U.S.C. 1251 et seq., most recently amended in 1987 by Pub. L. 100-4),
requires each State to prepare and submit a biennial water quality
report to the EPA Administrator. Regulations for water quality
monitoring, planning, management and reporting are found in 40 CFR part
130. Each 305(b) report includes such information as a
[[Page 2506]]
description of the quality of waters of the State; an analysis of the
extent to which these waters provide for the protection and propagation
of a balanced population of shellfish, fish, and wildlife, and allow
recreational activities in and on the water; recommendations for
additional action necessary to achieve such uses; an estimate of the
environmental impact and economic and social costs as well as the
economic and social benefits of such achievement; and a description of
the nature and extent of nonpoint sources of pollutants and
recommendations as to programs needed to control each category of such
sources.
Under the CWA Section 314(a)(2), States must incorporate
information regarding Clean Lakes into the 305(b) reports. States are
to include the following: an identification and classification
according to trophic condition of all publicly owned lakes; a
description of the methods to control sources of pollution and restore
these lakes; methods to mitigate the harmful effects of high acidity; a
list and description of publicly owned lakes for which uses are known
to be impaired; and an assessment of the status and trends of water
quality in lakes.
Section 303(d)(1) of the CWA requires States to identify and rank
water-quality limited waters which will not meet State water quality
standards after implementation of required controls, such as,
technology-based point source controls.
Reporting under Sections 305(b) and 314 is required of the 50
States. Reporting activities under Section 303(d) may be submitted as
part of the 305(b) report or may be submitted under separate cover.
Other respondents (Territories, River Basin Commissions, certain Indian
Tribes or Tribal Groups) also prepare 305(b) reports to document the
quality of their waters to EPA, Congress, and the public and, in some
cases, to meet grant conditions.
The 305(b) reporting process is an essential component of the EPA
water pollution control program. EPA's Office of Water uses the 305(b)
reports as the principal information source for assessing nationwide
water quality, progress made in maintaining and restoring water
quality, and the extent of remaining water pollution problems. EPA
prepares the National Water Quality Inventory Report to Congress and
evaluates impacts of EPA's water pollution control programs with the
information and data supplied in the State and Tribal 305(b) reports
and the corresponding national database, the EPA Waterbody System. The
Office of Water uses the Report to Congress to target persistent and
emerging water quality problems with new initiatives and to improve or
eliminate ineffective programs.
EPA uses the information submitted under Section 314 to evaluate
and to report on trends in the status of lake water quality reports
issued by the Section 314 Clean Lakes Program. The Agency also uses
this information for a variety of other purposes including to assist in
the management of lake projects funded under both the Section 314 and
319 of the Clean Water Act.
Under Section 303(d), EPA must review and approve or disapprove the
State lists of water-quality limited waterbodies still requiring total
maximum daily loads (TMDLs). Section 303(d) of the CWA establishes the
TMDL process to provide for more stringent water-quality based controls
when required Federal, State or local controls are inadequate to
achieve State water quality standards. TMDLs encourage a holistic view
of water quality problems considering all contributions and instream
water quality and provide a method to allocate those contributions to
meet water quality standards.
The next 305(b) reports and 303(d) lists are due to EPA in April
1996. Prior to each 305(b) reporting deadline, EPA publishes guidelines
on the types of information requested of respondents in their 305(b)
reports. The current edition is Guidelines for the Preparation of the
1996 State Water Quality Assessments (305(b) Reports), EPA 841-B-95-
001, May 1995. (For further information or a copy call: Barry Burgan at
EPA, (202) 260-7060).
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
Federal Register Notice required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting
comments on this collection of information was published on 10/6/95 (60
FR 52392). No comments were received.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 3,011
hours per response. 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.
Respondents/Affected Entities: States, Territories, and River Basin
Commissions.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 58.
Frequency of Response: Reports every 5 years beginning in 1996;
annual electronic updates of water quality assessment data beginning in
1997.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 174,638 hours.
Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the
accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods
for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of
automated collection techniques to the following addresses. Please
refer to EPA ICR No. 1560.04 and OMB Control No. 2040-0071 in any
correspondence.
Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE Regulatory
Information Division (2136), 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460.
and
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20503.
Dated: January 19, 1996.
Joseph Retzer,
Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 96-1405 Filed 1-25-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
