[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 155 (Tuesday, August 12, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43160-43161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-21274]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5873-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; 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 the following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Public Water Systems 
Supervision Program, OMB Control Number 2040-0090, which expires on 
September 30, 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 September 11, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY CALL: Sandy Farmer at EPA, (202) 260-
2740, and refer to EPA ICR No. 0270.38.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: Public Water Systems Supervision Program (OMB Control No. 
2040-0090; EPA ICR No. 0270.38) expiring 9/30 /97. This is a request 
for extension of a currently approved collection.
    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 
Agency's 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 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 under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting 
comments on this collection of information was published on March 31, 
1997; no comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2.7 
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: Owners/operators of Public Water 
Systems, Primacy agents who report to EPA Headquarters.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 173,317.

[[Page 43161]]

    Frequency of Response: varies from weekly to biannually.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 11.3 million hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $204.7 million.
    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. 00270.38 and OMB Control No. 2040-0090 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: August 6, 1997.
Joseph Retzer,
Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 97-21274 Filed 8-11-97; 8:45 am]
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