E6-16297. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Approval of State Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Programs; EPA ICR No. 1569.06, OMB Control No. 2040-0153 (Renewal)

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

DATES:

Additional comments may be submitted on or before November 2, 2006.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2006-0394, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by e-mail to [e-mail], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Docket—Mail Code 4101T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail to: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.

Note:

The EPA Docket Center suffered damage due to flooding during the last week of June 2006. The Docket Center is continuing to operate. However, during the cleanup, there will be temporary changes to Docket Center telephone numbers, addresses, and hours of operation for people who wish to make hand deliveries or visit the Public Reading Room to view documents. Consult EPA's Federal Register notice at 71 FR 38147 (July 5, 2006) or the EPA Web site at http://www.epa.gov/​epahome/​dockets.htm for current information on docket operations, locations and telephone numbers. The Docket Center's mailing address for U.S. mail and the procedure for submitting comments to www.regulations.gov are not affected by the flooding and will remain the same.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Don Waye, Assessment and Watershed Protection Division, Office of Wetlands Oceans and Watersheds, Mail Code 4503T, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: [phone]; fax number: [phone]; e-mail address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12. On May 16, 2006 (71 FR 28319), EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. Any additional comments on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice.

EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2006-0394, which is available for online viewing at www.regulations.gov,, or in person viewing at the Water Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC 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 is 202-566-2426.

Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at www.regulations.gov,, to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select “docket search,” then key in the docket ID number identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing at www.regulations.gov as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, Confidential Business Information (CBI), or other information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For further information about the electronic docket, go to www.regulations.gov.

Title: Approval of State Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Programs (Renewal).

ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1569.06, OMB Control No. 2040-0153.

ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on October 31, 2006. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 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 in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed either by publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.

Abstract: Under the provisions of national Program Development and Approval Guidance implementing section 6217 of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990 (CZARA) which was jointly developed and published by EPA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 29 coastal States and 5 coastal Territories with Federally approved Coastal Zone Management Programs have developed and submitted to EPA and NOAA Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Programs. EPA and NOAA have approved 13 States and 4 Territories, and conditionally approved 16 States and 1 Territory. The conditional approvals will require States and Territories to submit additional information in order to obtain final program approval. CZARA section 6217 requires States and Territories to obtain final approval of their Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Programs in order to retain their full share of funding available to them under section 319 of the Clean Water Act and section 306 of the Coastal Zone Management Act.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 125 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 which have subsequently changed; 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: 16 States and 1 Territory with approved coastal zone management programs.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 17.

Frequency of Response: Once.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 2,125 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: $76,500, which includes $0 annualized Capital Startup costs, $0 annualized O&M costs, and $76,500 annualized Labor Costs.

Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 1125 hours in the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens. This decrease is the result of EPA and NOAA having fully approved 17 of the 34 State Coastal Nonpoint Programs.

Dated: September 22, 2006.

Oscar Morales,

Director, Collection Strategies Division.