Document ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2003-0013-0018
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request: Title IV of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002: Drinking Water Security and Safety (Act) Renewal; EPA ICR No. 2103.04, OMB No. 2040-0253
Posted Date: 2010-08-25T04:00Z

[Federal Register: August 25, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 164)]
[Notices]               
[Page 52325-52326]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25au10-59]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2003-0013, FRL-9193-3; EPA ICR No. 2103.04; OMB No. 2040-
0253]

 
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request: Title IV of the Public Health Security and 
Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002: Drinking Water 
Security and Safety (Act) Renewal

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 to renew an existing approved Information Collection 
Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is 
scheduled to expire on February 28, 2011. 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 October 25, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2003-0013, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the online instructions 
for submitting comments.
     E-mail: OW-Docket@epa.gov.
     Mail: EPA Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, 
Mailcode: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2003-
0013. 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 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: Karen Edwards, Water Security 
Division, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, Mailcode: 4608T, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-3797; fax number: 202-
566-0055; e-mail address: Edwards.Karen@epa.gov.

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-OW-2003-0013, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Water 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 for the Water Docket is 202-566-2426. 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

[[Page 52326]]

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 the DATES section.
    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 
community water systems serving more than 3,300 persons.
    Title: Title IV of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism 
Preparedness and Response Act of 2002: Drinking Water Security and 
Safety (Act).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2103.04; OMB Control No. 2040-0253.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on February 
28, 2011. 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: Section 1433 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended 
by the Bioterrorism Act, requires each community water system serving a 
population of more than 3,300 people to conduct a vulnerability 
assessment of its water system and to prepare or revise an emergency 
response plan that incorporates the results of the vulnerability 
assessment. These requirements are mandatory under the statute. EPA 
will continue to use the information collected under this ICR to 
determine whether community water systems have conducted vulnerability 
assessments and prepared or revised emergency response plans in 
compliance with Section 1433. EPA is required to protect all 
vulnerability assessments and all information derived from them from 
disclosure to unauthorized parties and has established an Information 
Protection Protocol describing how that will be accomplished.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 237 
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: 80.
    Frequency of response: Once.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 8,994.
    Estimated total annual costs: $77,252. This includes an estimated 
burden cost of $1,035/respondent and an estimated cost of $16,849 for 
capital and maintenance/operational costs.

Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

    There is no decrease in the total estimated respondent burden 
compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB. 
This reflects EPA's continued need to collect documents that were 
included in the original estimate, but still have not been submitted to 
the Agency.

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 the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
section.

    Dated: August 19, 2010.
Sheila E. Frace,
Acting Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 2010-21104 Filed 8-24-10; 8:45 am]
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