2010-2538. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Clean Water Act Section 404 State-Assumed Programs (Renewal); EPA ICR No. 0220.11, OMB Control No. 2040-0168

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 March 8, 2010.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2005-0023, to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by e-mail to [e-mail], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 28221T, 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kathy Hurld, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds, Wetlands Division (4502T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: [phone]; fax number: 202-566-1349; 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 26, 2009 (74 FR 43116) 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-2005-0023, which is available for online viewing at http://www.regulations.gov,, or in person viewing at the Water Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC 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 202-566-1744, and the telephone number for the Water Docket is 202-566-2426.

Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://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 http://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 http://www.regulations.gov.

Title: Clean Water Act Section 404 State-Assumed Programs (Renewal).

ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 0220.11, OMB Control No. 2040-0168.

ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on February 28, 2010. 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: Section 404(g) of the Clean Water Act authorizes States and Tribes to assume the section 404 permit program. States/Tribes must demonstrate that they meet the statutory and regulatory requirements (40 CFR part 233) for an approvable program. Specified information and documents must be submitted by the State/Tribe to EPA to request assumption. Once the required information and documents are submitted and EPA has a complete assumption request package, the statutory time clock for EPA's decision to either approve or deny the State/Tribe's assumption request starts. The information contained in the assumption request is made available to the other involved Federal agencies (Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service) and to the general public for review and comment. These minimum information requirements are based on the information that must be submitted when applying for a section 404 permit from the Corps of Engineers (33 CFR part 325).

States/Tribes must be able to issue permits that comply with the 404(b)(1) Guidelines, the environmental review criteria. States/Tribes and the reviewing Federal agencies must be able to review proposed projects to evaluate, avoid, minimize and compensate for anticipated impacts. EPA's assumption regulations establish recommended elements that should be included in the State/Tribes' permit application, so that sufficient information is available to make a thorough analysis of anticipated impacts. These minimum information requirements are based on the information that must be submitted when applying for a section 404 permit from the Corps of Engineers (CWA section 404(h)(1)(A)(i) and section 404(j) and 40 CFR 230.10, 233.20, 233.21, 233.34, and 233.50) (33 CFR 325.1).

EPA is responsible for oversight of assumed programs to ensure that State/Tribal programs are in compliance with applicable requirements and that State/Tribal permit decisions adequately consider, avoid, minimize and compensate for anticipated impacts. States/Tribes must evaluate their programs annually and submit the results in a report to EPA. EPA's assumption regulations establish minimum requirements for the annual report (40 CFR 233.52).

Burden Statement: This collection of information is separated into three pieces. The annual public reporting and record keeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 520 hours to request program assumption, 5 hours to complete a permit application and 80 hours to prepare the annual report. 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: States and Tribes seeking to or having assumed section 404 permit programs.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 6.

Frequency of Response: Once, On Occasion, Annually.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 101,360.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: There are no annualized capital or O&M costs.

Changes in the Estimates: There is no change in the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens.

Dated: February 1, 2010.

John Moses,

Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.