04-26077. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Clean Water Act State Revolving Fund Program (Renewal), EPA ICR Number 1391.07, OMB Control Number 2040-0118

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (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. This ICR is scheduled to expire on 11/30/2004. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. This ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

DATES:

Additional comments may be submitted on or before December 27, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OW-2004-0015, to (1) EPA online using EDOCKET (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 at: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Clifford Yee, Office of Wastewater Management, Mail Code 4204M, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-0598; fax number: 202-501-2403; 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 August 5, 2004 (69 FR 47432), EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments.

EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID No. OW-2004-0015, which is available for public viewing at the Water Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 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 Reading Room is [phone], and the telephone number for the Water Docket is [phone]. An electronic version of the public docket is available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) at http://www.epa.gov/​edocket. Use EDOCKET to 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.

Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice. EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose public 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 EDOCKET. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket. Although identified as an item in the official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the official public docket, and will not be available for public viewing in EDOCKET. For further information about the electronic docket, see EPA's Federal Register notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102 (May 31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov/​edocket.

Title: Clean Water Act State Revolving Fund Program (Renewal).

Abstract: The Clean Water Act, as amended by “The Water Quality Act of 1987” (U.S.C. 1381-1387 et. seq.), created a Title VI which authorizes grants to States for the establishment of State Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds (SRFs). The information collection activities will occur primarily at the program level through the State “Intended Use Plan” and “Annual Report.” The information is needed annually to implement section 606 of the Clean Water Act (CWA).

The 1987 Act declares that water pollution control revolving funds shall be administered by an instrumentality of the State subject to the requirements of the act. This means that each State has a general responsibility for administering its revolving fund and must take on certain specific responsibilities in carrying out its administrative duties. The information collection activities will occur primarily at the program level through the State Intended Use Plan and Annual Report. The information is needed annually to implement section 606 of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The Act requires the information to ensure national accountability, adequate public comment and review, fiscal integrity and consistent management directed to achieve environmental benefits and results. The individual information collections are: (1) Capitalization Grant Application and Agreement/State Intended Use Plan, (2) Annual Report, (3) State Annual Audit, and (4) Application for SRF Financial Assistance.

(1) Capitalization Grant Application and Agreement/State Intended Use Plan: The State will prepare a Capitalization Grant application that includes an Intended Use Plan (IUP) outlining in detail how it will use all the funds available to the fund. The grant agreement contains or incorporates by reference the IUP, application materials, payment schedule, and required assurances. The bulk of the information is provided in the IUP, the legal agreement which commits the State and EPA to execute their responsibilities under the Act.

(2) Annual Report: The State must agree to complete and submit an Annual Report that indicates how the State has met the goals and objectives of the previous fiscal year as stated in the IUP and grant agreement. The report provides information on loan recipients, loan amounts, loan terms, project categories, and similar data on other forms of assistance. The report describes the extent to which the existing SRF financial operating policies, alone or in combination with other State financial assistance programs, will provide for the long term fiscal health of the Fund and carry out other provisions specified in the grant operating agreement.

(3) Annual Audit: Most States have agreed to conduct or have conducted a separate financial audit of the Capitalization Grant which will provide opinions on the financial statements, and a report on the internal controls and compliance with program requirements. The remaining States will be covered by audits conducted under the requirements of the Single Audit Act and by EPA's Office of Inspector General.

(4) Application for SRF Financial Assistance: Local communities and other eligible entities have to prepare and submit applications for SRF assistance to their respective State Agency which manages the SRF program. The State reviews the completed loan applications, and verifies that the proposed projects will comply with applicable Federal and State requirements.

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 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and are identified on the form and/or instrument, if applicable.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 111 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: 3,009.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,060.

Frequency of Response: Annually.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 339,405.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: $6,155,700, includes $0 annual capital/startup and O&M costs and $6,155,700 annual labor costs.

Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 76,500 hours in the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens. This increase is due to the increase in the number of participants in the program, the individual burden still remains the same.

Dated: November 17, 2004.

Oscar Morales,

Director, Collection Strategies Division.