[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 61 (Monday, March 31, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15176-15177]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-8090]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5804-8]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Public Water Systems Supervision Program.
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 EPA is planning to submit the
following continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB): Public Water Systems Supervision
Program, EPA No. 0270.36; OMB No.2040-0090, which expires on 3/31/97.
Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is
soliciting comments on specific aspects of the existing information
collection as described below.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before May 30, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water. People interested
in getting information or making comments about these ICRs should
direct inquiries or comments to the Office of Ground Water and Drinking
Water, Mail Code 4601, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20460.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Ground Water and Drinking
Water's Public Water Systems Supervision Program Information Collection
Request Service Line: 202-260-2050 or through E-mail
Donaher.Clare@epamail.epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
Public Water Systems, primacy agents including regulators in the
States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Trust Territories; Indian Tribes and
Alaska Native Villages, and in some instances, U. S. EPA Regional
Administrators and staff.
Title: Information Collection Request for Public Water Systems
Supervision Program, expires March 31, 1997.
Abstract: This ICR contains record keeping and reporting
requirements that are mandatory for compliance with 40 CFR Parts 141
and 142. Sections 1401 and 1412 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA),
as amended, require EPA to establish National Primary Drinking Water
Regulations (NPDWRs) that ensure the safety of drinking water. These
regulations guarantee that exposure to contaminants--microbial, organic
and inorganic chemicals, and radionuclides in finished drinking water
is below the level established by human health risk assessments. The
Act further requires EPA to ensure compliance with and enforce these
regulations. Section 1445 of SDWA stipulates that every supplier of
water shall conduct monitoring, maintain records, and provide such
information as is needed for the Agency to carry out its compliance and
enforcement responsibilities with respect to SDWA. Implementation of
these requirements is principally a responsibility of the States,
particularly the 49 States that have assumed primary enforcement
responsibility (primacy) for public water systems under SDWA Section
1413. As part of the Public Water Systems Supervision Program, the
Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water's Federal Reporting Data
System (FRDS) and the newly-instituted Safe Drinking Water Information
System (SDWIS) collect data from the States on public water systems
regulated by EPA. Data include the public water system inventory,
violations, and Federal and State enforcement actions. Without
comprehensive, up-to-date information on drinking water contamination,
the Agency would not be able to ensure ``a supply of drinking water
which dependably complies with such maximum contaminant levels'' (SDWA,
Section 1401 (1) (d)).
An Agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required
to respond to a collection of information if it does not display 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 EPA solicits 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,
including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (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 electronic, mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of responses.
[[Page 15177]]
Burden Statement: In the ICR for 1994-1996, the total burden
associated with this ICR was estimated to be approximately 11 million
hours per year and the total cost was estimated to be $365 million per
year. We expect that the burden for the continuing ICR for 1997-1999
will be in the same range as the three previous years. EPA intends to
examine how SDWIS could assist in reducing the burden on the States for
reporting requirements and will be working with selected State
officials as we work on this renewal. Any recommendations from the
drinking water community and the general public on this issue will be
given consideration by the Agency.
Dated: March 25, 1997.
Cynthia C. Dougherty,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 97-8090 Filed 3-28-97; 8:45 am]
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