[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 194 (Friday, October 6, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52391-52393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-24878]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5313-3]
Agency Information Collection Activities up for Renewal
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 the Information Collection Request
(ICR) listed below is coming up for renewal. Before submitting the
renewal package to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), EPA is
soliciting comments on specific aspects of the collection as described
below.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 5, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds (4503F), 401 M
Street SW., Washington, DC 20460.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barry Burgan, National 305(b)
Coordinator, telephone: (202) 260-7060; facsimile: (202) 260-1977;
email: burgan.barry@epamail.epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Affected entities: Entities affected by this action are the 50
States, the District of Columbia, five Territories (Puerto Rico, the
Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana
Islands). Four Interstate River Basin Commissions and five Indian
Tribes or Tribal Groups also sent data to EPA during the period covered
by the current ICR. The SIC code for respondents is 9511
(Administration of Environmental Quality.
Programs: Air and Water Resources and Solid Waste Management).
Title: National Water Quality Inventory Reports (Clean Water Act
Sections 305(b), 303(d), and 314(a)). OMB Control Number 2040-0071.
Expiration date: February 29, 1996.
Abstract: Section 305(b)(1) 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
assessment 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
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 CWA Section 314(a)(2), States must incorporate their Clean
Lakes Report into the 305(b) reports. Clean Lakes Reports include 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 technology-based point source
controls.
Reporting under Sections 305(b) and 314 is thus 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
the effectiveness of the Clean Lakes grant program. The Agency
assembles national information on water quality trends in lakes
eligible for Section 314 grants, initiation and completion of Clean
Lakes Projects funded with 314 grants, and tangible results of lake
restoration projects.
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 (see contact information above).
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. This ICR renewal does not
involve third-party and public disclosures not previously reviewed and
approved by OMB.
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;
(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
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of responses.
Burden Statement: The existing burden estimate for all reporting
and
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recordkeeping (from the currently approved ICR) was 256,654 burden
hours per year. This estimate was based on 58 respondents and a
biennial response frequency, and was equivalent to an average of 8,850
burden hours per biennial response. This estimate includes the time
needed to review instructions, search existing data sources, gather and
maintain the data needed, and complete and review the collection of
information. EPA intends to reduce the burden in the future by reducing
the frequency for submitting the actual 305(b) reports to 5 years with
annual electronic reporting on core elements for the geographic areas
covered in that year.
Send comments regarding these matters, or any other aspect of the
information collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden,
to the address listed above.
Dated: September 29, 1995.
Robert H. Wayland III,
Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds.
[FR Doc. 95-24878 Filed 10-5-95; 8:45 am]
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