Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 170 / Friday, August 31, 2018 / Notices 44623 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. 

DATES: Additional comments may be 

submitted on or before October 1, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, 

referencing Docket ID Number EPA– 

HQ–OECA–2017–0640 to (1) EPA online 

using www.regulations.gov (our 

preferred method), by email to 

docket.oeca@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA 

Docket Center, Environmental 

Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 

1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 

Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB via 

email to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov. 

Address comments to OMB Desk Officer 

for EPA. 

EPA’s policy is that all comments 

received will be included in the public 

docket without change including any 

personal information provided, unless 

the comment includes profanity, threats, 

information claimed to be Confidential 

Business Information (CBI) or other 

information whose disclosure is 

restricted by statute. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michelle Stevenson, Office of 

Compliance, Monitoring, Assistance, 

and Media Programs Division, 

Pesticides, Waste & Toxics Branch 

(2225A), Environmental Protection 

Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 

Washington, DC 20460; telephone 

number: (202) 564–4203; fax number: 

(202) 564–0085; email: 

stevenson.michelle@epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Supporting documents, which explain 

in detail the information that the EPA 

will be collecting, are available in the 

public docket for this ICR. The docket 

can be viewed online at 

www.regulations.gov or in person at the 

EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room 

3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, 

Washington, DC. The telephone number 

for the Docket Center is 202–566–1744. 

For additional information about EPA’s 

public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/ 

dockets. 

Abstract: Producers of pesticides and 

pesticide devices must maintain certain 

records with respect to their operations 

and make such records available for 

inspection and copying as specified in 

Section 8 of the Federal Insecticide, 

Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) 

and in regulations at 40 CFR part 169. 

This information collection is 

mandatory under FIFRA Section 8. It is 

used by the Agency to determine 

compliance with FIFRA. 

Form Numbers: None. 

Respondents/affected entities: 

Producers of pesticides and pesticide 

devices for sale or distribution in or 

exported to the United States. 

Respondent’s obligation to respond: 

Mandatory (40 CFR 169). 

Estimated number of respondents: 

28,566 (total). 

Frequency of response: Annually. 

Total estimated burden: 57,132 hours 

(per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 

1320.3(b). 

Total estimated cost: $7,545,424 (per 

year), which includes no annualized 

capital or operation & maintenance 

costs. 

Changes in the Estimates: There is an 

increase of 28,238 hours in the total 

estimated burden currently identified in 

the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR 

Burdens. This increase is due to an 

adjustment in the estimates of the 

number of respondents. 

Courtney Kerwin, 

Director, Regulatory Support Division. 

[FR Doc. 2018–18954 Filed 8–30–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[EPA–HQ–OW–2018–0420; FRL–9983–12– 

OW] 

Public Listening Session; Stakeholder 

Input on Peak Flows Management 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) is interested in the views 

of the public on possible approaches to 

updating the National Pollutant 

Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) 

regulations related to the management 

of peak wet weather flows at Publicly 

Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) 

treatment plants serving separate 

sanitary sewer collection systems. 

Consequently, EPA is inviting interested 

members of the public to three planned 

listening sessions on: October 16, 2018 

at EPA Headquarters in Washington, 

DC, October 24, 2018 at EPA Region 7 

in Lenexa, Kansas, and October 30, 2018 

to be held online. EPA welcomes oral or 

written information at the listening 

sessions as well as any other 

information the public may wish to 

provide EPA through the docket (Docket 

ID No. EPA–HQ–OW–2018–0420). 

DATES: The in-person listening sessions 

will be held at EPA Headquarters in 

Washington, DC on October 16, 2018 

from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT; and in 

EPA Region 7 in Lenexa, Kansas on 

October 24, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 

p.m. CDT. In addition to the in-person 

listening sessions, EPA will hold an 

online listening session on October 30, 

2018 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EDT. 

For those who intend to submit 

written statements to the docket, EPA is 

asking that this information be provided 

before October 31, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: The in-person listening 

sessions will be held at the following 

locations: 

• For the EPA Headquarters in 

Washington, DC listening session: US 

EPA Headquarters, William Jefferson 

Clinton East Building, Room 1153, 1201 

Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, 

DC 20004; 

• For the EPA Region 7 listening 

session: 11201 Renner Blvd., Lenexa, KS 

66219. 

The online listening session will be 

accessible though https://www.epa.gov/ 

npdes/peak-flows-sewage-treatmentplants. 

To register for any of the listening 

sessions go to: https://www.epa.gov/ 

npdes/peak-flows-sewage-treatmentplants. 

To submit written information to EPA: 

Submit any written statements or input, 

identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– 

OW–2018–0420, to the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal: http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments. 

Once submitted, comments cannot be 

edited or withdrawn. EPA may publish 

any comment received to its public 

docket. Do not submit electronically any 

information you consider to be 

Confidential Business Information (CBI) 

or other information whose disclosure is 

restricted by statute. Multimedia 

submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be 

accompanied by a written comment. 

The written comment is considered the 

official comment and should include 

discussion of all points you wish to 

make. EPA will generally not consider 

comments or comment contents located 

outside of the primary submission (i.e., 

on the web, cloud, or other file sharing 

system). For additional submission 

methods, the full EPA public comment 

policy, information about CBI or 

multimedia submissions, and general 

guidance on making effective 

comments, please visit http://

www2.epa.gov/dockets/commentingepadockets. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jamie Piziali, Water Permits Division, 

Office of Water, Environmental 

Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 

Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460; 

telephone number: 202–564–1709; or 

email: peakflowsrule@epa.gov. Also see 

the following website for additional 

information regarding the rulemaking: 

https://www.epa.gov/npdes/municipalwastewater. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
44624 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 170 / Friday, August 31, 2018 / Notices 

I. General Information 

A. Public Listening Session 

i. Public Listening Sessions: EPA will 

hold two public listening sessions to 

gather feedback from interested 

members of the public on the issues and 

concerns that the Agency should be 

aware of during this rulemaking. The 

public listening sessions will begin with 

EPA providing a brief background on 

peak flows management issues and 

EPA’s goals for this rulemaking. This 

will then be followed by an opportunity 

for the public to provide input on these 

issues. EPA is asking that oral 

statements be limited to three minutes 

or less and is welcoming written 

statements at the sessions. Each 

listening session will begin at 9:00 a.m. 

local time and continue until all those 

wishing to speak have had a chance to 

provide comments, or until 2:00 p.m., 

whichever comes first. A transcript of 

oral remarks made during the listening 

sessions will be at https://www.epa.gov/ 

npdes/municipal-wastewater and 

included in the rulemaking docket. 

ii. Online Listening Session: In 

addition to the in-person listening 

sessions, EPA will also hold a ‘‘virtual’’ 

listening session via a webcast on 

October 30, 2018, from 11:00 a.m. to 

4:00 p.m. EDT. The same format will be 

followed as that for the in-person 

listening session. After a presentation 

from EPA, members of the public may 

call in and give brief (three-minute or 

less) statements. Audience members 

will be able to listen to the webcast and 

all public statements through their 

computer speakers. A transcript of oral 

remarks made during the listening 

sessions will be at https://www.epa.gov/ 

npdes/peak-flows-sewage-treatmentplants and included in the rulemaking 

docket. 

B. Additional Information and Public 

Meeting Registration 

Prior to each listening session, EPA 

will post any relevant materials to the 

following website: https://www.epa.gov/ 

npdes/peak-flows-sewage-treatmentplants. Information posted to the 

website will include any handouts that 

may be provided at the meeting as well 

as a web link that participants may use 

to register for the public meeting in 

advance. Advanced registration is not 

required, but is requested so that EPA 

can ensure there is sufficient space and 

time allotted for those who wish to 

participate. The listening session will 

continue until all speakers in 

attendance have had a chance to 

provide comments, or the listed end 

time, whichever comes first. If you 

choose not to pre-register to speak, it is 

recommended that you arrive at the start 

of the listening session to register in 

person in order to ensure the 

opportunity to participate. 

II. Background 

EPA is providing the following 

background information to assist the 

public in preparing for the listening 

sessions. Under the Clean Water Act 

(CWA), municipal sewage treatment 

plants or Publicly Owned Treatment 

Works (POTWs) treatment plants are 

required to comply with prescribed 

restrictions on their discharges to a 

water of the United States. Specifically, 

each POTW must obtain an NPDES 

permit that will require, at a minimum, 

that the treatment plant’s discharge 

meet effluent limitations for secondary 

treatment. See CWA § 1311(b)(1)(B) and 

§ 1342(a), 40 CFR 133 and 40 CFR 

122.44(a)(1). The permit will also 

require meeting any more stringent 

effluent limitations that are necessary to 

meet applicable water quality standards. 

See CWA § 1311(b)(1)(C), § 1342(a), and 

40 CFR 122.44(d). The permit will also 

require the POTW operator to comply 

with other terms and conditions based 

on the NPDES regulations at 40 CFR 

122. These include, for example, 

requirements regarding monitoring and 

reporting of discharges and proper 

operation and maintenance of POTW 

facilities and systems of treatment. 

Many sewage treatment processes 

may be used to comply with these 

effluent requirements. Most 

municipalities use a series of unit 

processes to treat wastewater prior to 

discharge including the following: 

• Preliminary treatment or screening 

to remove large solids, 

• primary clarification (or 

preliminary sedimentation) to remove 

floating and settleable solids, 

• biological treatment (also referred to 

as secondary treatment) to remove 

biodegradable organic pollutants and 

suspended solids, and 

• disinfection to deactivate 

pathogens. 

Some facilities also provide more 

advanced treatment, which is designed 

to reduce constituents, such as nitrogen 

and phosphorus, that are not removed 

in any significant quantity by traditional 

biological treatment processes. 

Sanitary sewer collection systems are 

designed to remove wastewater from 

homes and other buildings and convey 

it to a wastewater treatment plant. The 

collection system is a critical element in 

the successful performance of the 

POTW’s wastewater treatment 

operation. Collection systems are 

designed in one of two ways. Combined 

sewer systems are designed to collect 

both stormwater and sanitary 

wastewater for delivery to the treatment 

plant. By contrast, separate sanitary 

sewers are designed to carry only 

sanitary wastewater (separate sanitary 

sewers typically are built with some 

allowance, however, for higher flows 

that occur during storm events in order 

to handle minor and non-excessive 

amounts of stormwater or groundwater 

that enter the system through 

infiltration and inflow or ‘‘I/I’’). EPA 

notes that, at this time, it contemplates 

the scope of the rulemaking would be 

limited to peak flows at POTWs with 

separate sanitary sewer systems. 

Significant increases in flows at a 

treatment facility can create operational 

challenges and potentially adversely 

affect the treatment efficiencies. 

Biological treatment components at 

treatment plants are particularly 

vulnerable to high-volume peak flows. 

Where peak influent flows during 

periods of wet weather exceed the 

treatment capacity of existing biological 

or advanced treatment units, POTWs 

must consider ways in which to prevent 

damage to their treatment plant, while 

maintaining effective operation of the 

system to meet applicable NPDES 

permit limitations. Under these 

conditions, POTW operators use several 

different strategies which may include a 

combination of alternative treatment 

approaches, storage, and sewer 

maintenance and rehabilitation work to 

minimize the amount of stormwater that 

enters the collection system 

through I/I. 

Among the peak flow management 

approaches that have been used or 

considered are those involving the 

diversion of a portion of the peak flows 

around biological or advanced treatment 

units. The diverted flow is then 

recombined with flows from the 

biological treatment units. Other 

alternatives include the installation of 

various treatment processes at the 

POTW that supplement the plant’s 

ability to process and treat peak flows. 

Refer to EPA’s Draft Summary of 

Blending Practices and the Discharge of 

Pollutants for Different Blending 

Scenarios (EPA, June 2014) at https://

www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/ 

2015-10/documents/sso_lit_review_

draft.pdf. These approaches have been 

the subject of previous EPA 

policymaking efforts that have not been 

adopted. See 68 FR 63042 (November 7, 

2003), and 70 FR 76013 (December 22, 

2005). EPA has also looked at the 

potential public health implications of 

these different approaches. See 

Summary of June 19–20, 2014, Experts 

Forum on Public Health Impacts of 

Blending (EPA, May 2015) at https:// 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 170 / Friday, August 31, 2018 / Notices 44625 

www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/ 

2015-10/documents/experts_forum_

summary.pdf. 

POTWs with separate sanitary sewer 

systems can also lessen the impact of 

peak flows by implementing a variety of 

strategies to minimize the introduction 

of stormwater into the collection 

system. While virtually every separate 

sanitary sewer system has some 

groundwater infiltration and 

stormwater-derived I/I, it may be 

considered excessive when it is the 

cause of overflows or causes disruptions 

in the treatment system. POTWs with 

excessive I/I have a number of different 

methods for identifying the largest 

sources of I/I in their sewer system. 

These include system mapping, flow 

monitoring, conducting smoke or dye 

tests, sensor technology, and using 

optical devices to view sections of the 

system. Developing plans for correcting 

and rehabilitating the highest priority 

sources of I/I into the collection system 

may involve such strategies as repairing 

manholes, replacing and repairing 

private building lateral pipes, ensuring 

building downspouts are not connected 

to the sewer system, sealing sewer 

joints, inserting sewer liners, or even 

replacing sections of the sewer line. 

Other strategies may focus on 

maximizing existing collection system 

capacity through real-time controls to 

optimize flows within the system, or 

building additional storage within the 

collection system or treatment plant. 

EPA acknowledges the significant 

expertise that exists among states, tribes, 

POTWs and municipal officials, 

engineering firms, public health 

agencies, and the public related to these 

issues. These listening sessions are 

designed to take advantage of this 

information from a variety of 

perspectives to help provide a complete 

picture of the considerations that should 

go into any rulemaking to address 

permitting requirements for the 

management of peak flows at POTWs 

with separate sanitary sewer systems. 

III. Areas of Feedback Requested for 

Public Listening Sessions 

Interested members of the public who 

plan to provide oral or written 

testimony at the listening sessions, or to 

submit written material to EPA 

separately as detailed in the instructions 

provided in the ADDRESSES section of 

this notice, are welcome to provide their 

input on any issue related to the topic 

of peak flow management at POTW 

treatment plants with separate sanitary 

sewer systems. But EPA particularly 

welcomes feedback from the public on 

the following specific questions. 

• What strategies have you found to 

be successful in reducing peak flow 

volumes at the POTW treatment plant? 

• What permitting or other regulatory 

approaches are you aware of that in 

your opinion provide a good basis for 

any rulemaking in this area? 

• What treatment technologies have 

POTWs with separate sanitary sewer 

systems used successfully to manage 

peak excess flows during wet weather? 

How effective are these technologies at 

meeting effluent limitations? What are 

examples of technologies addressing 

other pollutants not typically subject to 

discharge requirements in NPDES 

permits (e.g., pathogens)? Related to 

these questions, do you have supporting 

treatment efficacy data that you would 

be willing to share with EPA for this 

rulemaking? 

• What are your specific suggestions 

regarding conditions that could be 

included in NPDES permits to allow 

diversions of some peak flows around 

biological treatment units to protect the 

treatment plant? Considerations could 

include: 

—What information might the NPDES 

permitting authority need in order to 

determine whether such diversions 

are necessary to protect the treatment 

plant? 

—Should the number of times such 

diversions are permitted to occur be 

limited or reported? 

—Are there any requirements that 

should be considered for ensuring 

that the treatment plant is operated 

and maintained in an effective 

manner to minimize the number of 

peak flow diversions that occur? 

—What requirements would be 

appropriate for ensuring that 

maintenance of the collection system 

to minimize the introduction of 

stormwater into the sanitary system 

through inflow and infiltration is 

occurring? 

—What monitoring and reporting 

requirements would be important to 

demonstrate that applicable effluent 

limits are still being met? 

—How may the permit ensure that 

public and ecological health is 

protected? 

Authority: Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1251 

et seq. 

Dated: August 24, 2018. 

Martha Shimkin, 

Acting Director, Office of Wastewater 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2018–19016 Filed 8–30–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[ER–FRL–9041–1] 

Environmental Impact Statements; 

Notice of Availability 

AGENCY: Office of Federal Activities, 

EPA. 

General Information (202) 564–7156 or 

https://www2.epa.gov/nepa/ 

Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact 

Statements 

Filed 08/20/2018 Through 08/24/2018 

Pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.9. 

Notice 

Section 309(a) of the Clean Air Act 

requires that EPA make public its 

comments on EISs issued by other 

Federal agencies. EPA’s comment letters 

on EISs are available at: https://

cdxnodengn.epa.gov/cdx-enepa-public/ 

action/eis/search. 

EIS No. 20180192, Draft, BLM, AZ, Ten 

West Link 500kV Transmission Line 

Project Draft Environmental Impact 

Statement and Draft Resource 

Management Plan Amendments, 

Comment Period Ends: 11/29/2018, 

Contact: Joseph Incardine 801–560– 

7135. 

EIS No. 20180193, Final, DOI, AK, 

Liberty Development and Production 

Plan Beaufort Sea, Alaska Final 

Environmental Impact Statement, 

Review Period Ends: 10/01/2018, 

Contact: Lauren Boldrick 907–334– 

5200. 

EIS No. 20180194, Draft, FERC, OR, 

Swan Lake North Pumped Storage 

Project, Comment Period Ends: 10/15/ 

2018, Contact: Dianne Rodman 202– 

502–6077. 

EIS No. 20180195, Draft, BLM, WY, 

Leavitt Reservoir Expansion Project, 

Comment Period Ends: 10/15/2018, 

Contact: Holly Elliott 307–347–5100. 

EIS No. 20180196, Final, BLM, AK, 

Alpine Satellite Development Plan for 

the Proposed Greater Mooses Tooth 2 

Development Project, Review Period 

Ends: 10/01/2018, Contact: Stephanie 

Rice 907–271–3202. 

EIS No. 20180197, Draft, BLM, WY, Lost 

Creek Uranium In-Situ Recovery 

Project Modifications, Comment 

Period Ends: 10/15/2018, Contact: 

Annette Treat 307–328–4314. 

EIS No. 20180199, Draft, USFWS, IA, 

Draft Environmental Impact 

Statement for Proposed Habitat 

Conservation Plan and Incidental 

Take Permit, Comment Period Ends: 

10/15/2018, Contact: Kraig McPeek 

309–757–5800. 

EIS No. 20180199, Final Supplement, 

TVA, KY, Shawnee Fossil Plant Coal 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES