[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 145 (Tuesday, July 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40524-40525]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-19886]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5864-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Performance Evaluation Studies on Water and 
Wastewater Laboratories

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 following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Performance Evaluation 
Studies on Water and Wastewater Laboratories, OMB #2080-0021, to expire 
on October 31, 1997. The ICR describes the nature of the information 
collection and its expected burden and cost; where appropriate, it 
includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before August 28, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY CALL: Sandy Farmer at EPA, (202) 260-
2740, and refer to EPA ICR No. 234.06.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: Performance Evaluation Studies on Water and Wastewater 
Laboratories (OMB Control No. 2080-0021; EPA ICR No. 234.06 ) expiring 
10/31/97. This is a request for extension of a currently approved 
collection.
    Abstract: The U.S.EPA receives analytical results on drinking 
waters and wastewaters from a variety of laboratories and must rely on 
these data as a primary basis for many of its regulatory decisions. As 
a consequence, it has become very important to have an objective 
demonstration that the contributing laboratories are capable of 
producing valid data. The Laboratory Performance Evaluation Studies are 
designed to fulfill this need to document and improve the quality of 
analytical data for certain critical analyses within drinking water, 
major point-source discharge and ambient water quality samples. 
Participation in Water Pollution (WP) studies that relate to wastewater 
analyses, and Water Supply (WS) studies that relate to drinking water 
analyses, is only mandated by the U.S.EPA for those laboratories that 
are receiving federal funds to do such analyses, however successful 
participation in these studies is often required by states that certify 
laboratories for water and wastewater analyses. Participation in the 
Discharge Monitoring Report--Quality Assurance (DMR-QA) studies is 
mandatory for those designated wastewater dischargers who are doing 
self-monitoring analyses required under a National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System (NPDES) permit. 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 notice required

[[Page 40525]]

under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this collection of 
information was published in 4/28/97 (62 FR 22940); One comment was 
received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to total 124,243 
hours/year, as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                        Total   
                                                                                                        annual  
                       Type of study                           Studies/    Resp./study  Avg. burden   respondent
                                                                 year                   hours/resp.     burden  
                                                                                                       (hours)  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Water Pollution Studies....................................            2       3,262.5         6.10       39,802
DMR-QA Studies (chemistry data)............................            1       6,112           4.37       26,710
DMR-QA Studies (toxicity data).............................            1         300          66.2        19,860
Water Supply Studies (chemistry data)......................            2       2,202.5         7.87       34,667
Water Supply Studies (micro. data).........................            2         300           5.34        3,204
                                                            ----------------------------------------------------
      Total................................................  ...........  ............  ...........      124,243
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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: wastewater labs, NPDES permittees 
and toxicity labs, and water chemistry and microbiological labs.
    Estimated Number of Respondents (per year): 6,525 wastewater labs, 
6,112 permittees, 300 tox labs and 5,005 water labs (chem + micro).
    Frequency of Response: two studies per year, except for the annual 
DMR-QA (NPDES) study.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 124,243 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $5,321,063.
    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 number 234.06 and OMB control number 2080-0021 in any 
correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE 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: July 23, 1997.
Joseph Retzer,
Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 97-19886 Filed 7-28-97; 8:45 am]
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