[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 166 (Friday, August 27, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46908-46909]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-22320]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-6429-6]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request; Industry Detailed Questionnaire: Phase II
Cooling Water Intake Structures
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 document announces that the following Information
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Industry Detailed
Questionnaire: Phase II Cooling Water Intake Structures, EPA ICR No.
1838.01. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and
its expected burden and cost; and in this case, it includes the actual
data collection instrument.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before September 27, 1999.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone at (202)
260-2740, by email at farmer.sandy@epa.gov, or download a copy of the
ICR off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No.
1838.01.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Industry Detailed Questionnaire: Phase II Cooling Water
Intake Structures (EPA ICR No. 1838.01). This is a new collection.
Abstract: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA'')
(44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.), this notice announces the submission of an
Information Collection Request (ICR) entitled, ``Industry Detailed
Questionnaire: Phase II Cooling Water Intake Structures'', from the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the ``Agency'') to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. EPA
requests approval to conduct a survey of facilities potentially subject
to section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act (CWA), 33 U.S.C. 1326(b).
Section 316(b) provides that any standard established pursuant to
sections 301 or 306 of the CWA and applicable to a point source shall
require that the location, design, construction, and capacity of
cooling water intake structures reflect the best technology available
(BTA) for minimizing adverse environmental impact. Such impacts occur
as a result of impingement (where fish and other aquatic life are
trapped on technologies at the entrance to cooling water intake
structures) and entrainment (where aquatic organisms, eggs, and larvae
are taken into the cooling system, passed through the heat exchanger,
and then pumped back out with the discharge from the facility). The
detailed industry questionnaire is the second step of a two-step
regulatory information collection effort. The screener questionnaire
represented the first step. On December 24, 1998, OMB approved the
Industry Screener Questionnaire: Phase I Cooling Water Intake
Structures (OMB number 2040-0203). EPA will use the information
collected from the detailed questionnaire to better characterize the
design, location, construction, capacity, and operation of cooling
water intake structures at facilities throughout the United States and
to assess economic impacts from any regulatory effort affecting those
facilities. The baseline technical data will help EPA frame regulatory
options and define further research needs regarding the relationship of
cooling water intake structures, intake technologies, and environmental
impacts. The survey will also collect economic data on facility
ownership, major activities, markets and finances. The Agency will use
this information to assess facility-level and firm-level impacts of
complying with the proposed cooling water intake structure regulations.
In order to fully evaluate costs associated with a proposed section
316(b) regulation, EPA will consider the costs associated with
performing section 316(b) demonstration studies, additions
[[Page 46909]]
and modifications to cooling water intake structures and equipment, and
operating and monitoring costs associated with the regulation. The
economic data will also enable EPA to carry out required economic
analyses, including a Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA), cost/benefits
analyses, and adverse impact analyses on small business entities. EPA
is developing proposed regulations implementing section 316(b) of the
Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1326(b) pursuant to a Consent Decree entered
on October 10, 1995. EPA has the authority to collect this information
under section 308 of the CWA (33 U.S.C. 1318). Accordingly, responses
to the detailed questionnaire are mandatory. In accordance with 40 CFR
part 2, subpart B, section 2.203, the survey will inform respondents of
their right to claim information as confidential. The survey provides
instructions on the procedures for making Confidential Business
Information (CBI) claims, and the respondents will also be informed of
the terms and rules governing protection of CBI obtained under the CWA.
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 listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter 15. The Federal Register
document required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this
collection of information was published on 1/26/98 (63 FR 3738); 363
comments were received. Based on these comments and the pretest
results, EPA significantly modified the questionnaire.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for the detailed questionnaire is estimated to average 156 hours
per response. The public reporting and recordkeeping burden for the
Short Technical Industry Questionnaire, the Watershed Case Study Short
Questionnaire, and the Voluntary and Supplemental Information
Questionnaire is estimated to average 10 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: Traditional Steam Electric
Utilities, Nonutility Power Producers, and Manufacturing Facilities.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,836.
Frequency of Response: One-time submission.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 128,736 hours.
Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden (non-labor costs): $13,635.
Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the
accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods
for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of
automated collection techniques to the following addresses. Please
refer to EPA ICR No. 1838.01 in any correspondence.
Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of
Policy, Regulatory Information Division (2137), 401 M Street, SW,
Washington, DC 20460; and
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20503.
Dated: August 23, 1999.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 99-22320 Filed 8-26-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
