[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 66 (Wednesday, April 8, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15965-15967]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-7960]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-ORD-2009-0114, FRL-8790-5]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Questionnaire for Drinking Water Utilities 
Participating in Emerging Contaminant Sampling Program (NEW); EPA ICR 
No. 2346.01 OMB Control No. 2080-NEW

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to 
submit a request for a new Information Collection Request (ICR) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Before submitting the ICR to OMB 
for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects 
of the proposed information collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 8, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
ORD-2009-0114, by one of the following methods:
    <bullet> http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
    <bullet> E-mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9ed1ccdab0daf1fdf5fbeadefbeeffb0f9f1e8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="551a07117b113a363e3021153025347b323a23">[email protected]</span></a>.
    <bullet> Fax: 202-566-9744.
    <bullet> Mail: Research and Development Docket, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Mailcode: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460.
    <bullet> Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center, EPA West Room 3334, 1301 
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. Such deliveries are only 
accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special 
arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2009-0114. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
http://www.regulations.gov, including any

[[Page 15966]]

personal information provided, unless the comment includes information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit 
information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through 
http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov 
Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not 
know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the 
body of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA 
without going through http://www.regulations.gov your e-mail address 
will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that 
is placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If 
you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your 
name and other contact information in the body of your comment and with 
any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to 
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA 
may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid 
the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of 
any defects or viruses. For additional information about EPA's public 
docket visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan T. Glassmeyer, Ph.D., 
Environmental Protection Agency, 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr., MS 564, 
Cincinnati, OH 45268; telephone number: 513-569-7526; fax number 513-
569-7757; e-mail address: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a4c3c8c5d7d7c9c1ddc1d68ad7d1d7c5cae4c1d4c58ac3cbd2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c8afa4a9bbbba5adb1adbae6bbbdbba9a688adb8a9e6afa7be">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

How Can I Access the Docket and/or Submit Comments?

    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2009-0114, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Research and 
Development Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public 
Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading 
Room is 202-566-1744, and the telephone number for the Research and 
Development Docket is 202-566-1752.
    Use http://www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft 
collection of information, submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those 
documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once 
in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number 
identified in this document.

What Information Is EPA Particularly Interested in?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA specifically 
solicits comments and information to enable it 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. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from 
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of 
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork 
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.

What Should I Consider When I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific 
examples.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.
    7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page 
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.

What Information Collection Activity or ICR Does This Apply to?

    Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
drinking water utilities that are participants in a joint EPA/USGS 
sampling program.
    Title: Questionnaire for Drinking Water Utilities Participating in 
Emerging Contaminant Sampling Program (New).
    ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 2346.01, OMB Control No. 2080-NEW.
    ICR Status: This ICR is for a new information collection activity. 
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 
in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when 
approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed either by 
publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such 
as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The 
display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is 
consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: Improvements in analytical chemistry instrumentation have 
allowed scientists to detect trace amounts of chemicals that are 
commonly used in homes in the environment. These so-called ``emerging 
contaminants'' are chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals, personal care 
products, detergents and even endogenous hormones, which are either 
excreted from or washed off the body, and enter the wastewater 
treatment system. Wastewater treatment is not designed to specifically 
remove these chemicals, so a portion of the chemicals remain in 
wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. WWTP effluents are 
commonly released into surface waters. Natural processes such as 
photolysis, sorption, volatilization, degradation, and simple dilution 
further attenuate the concentrations of emerging contaminants. However, 
if a Drinking Water Treatment Plant (DWTP) intake is located downstream 
of a WWTP effluent outfall, there is a potential for these chemicals to 
be present in finished drinking water.
    The EPA's Office of Research and Development, in collaboration with 
the U.S. Geological Survey, is conducting a sampling program at up to 
50 DWTPs to determine the presence of these emerging contaminants in 
both the source water and finished drinking water. To better interpret 
the results of

[[Page 15967]]

the sampling program, detailed information concerning the operation of 
the DWTP at the time of sampling is required. This information can only 
be gathered through a questionnaire that is completed concurrent to the 
collection event. The questionnaire will collect information on the 
following:
    <bullet> The population served by the DWTP;
    <bullet> The source water, potential sources of pollution and 
current hydraulic conditions;
    <bullet> Detailed treatment steps used by the DWTP, including 
parameters such as pumpage at sampling, disinfectants used, and 
distribution system information;
    <bullet> Detailed water quality parameters at the time of sampling.
    The EPA will distribute the questionnaire to the DWTPs at the time 
of sampling along with the sampling supplies.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information 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 which have subsequently changed; 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.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated Total Number of Potential Respondents: 50.
    Frequency of Response: One time.
    Estimated Total Average Number of Responses for Each Respondent: 
10.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 500.
    Estimated Total Annual Costs: $14,992.50. This cost includes $250 
for operation and maintenance costs incurred by the respondents for 
photocopying and postage. No capital costs are included.

What Is the Next Step in the Process for This ICR?

    EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as 
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for 
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, EPA will 
issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the 
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any 
questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the 
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: March 30, 2009.
Linda Sheldon,
Acting Director, National Exposure Research Laboratory.
[FR Doc. E9-7960 Filed 4-7-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


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