Document ID: EPA-HQ-OECA-2013-0547-0014
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals Performance Evaluation Studies on Wastewater Laboratories
Posted Date: 2023-05-26T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 102 (Friday, May 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34152-34153]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-11315]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OECA-2013-0547; FRL-11006-01-OMS]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Performance Evaluation Studies on Wastewater Laboratories 
(Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), Performance Evaluation Studies on 
Wastewater Laboratories (EPA ICR Number 0234.14, OMB Control Number 
2080-0021) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a 
proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through May 
31, 2023. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal 
Register on November 30, 2022 during a 60-day comment period. This 
notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.

DATES: Comments may be submitted on or before June 26, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OECA-2013-0547, to EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method), by email to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket 
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460. 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.
    Submit written comments and recommendations to OMB for the proposed 
information collection within 30 days of publication of this notice to 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information 
collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Savitske, Monitoring, 
Assistance, and Media Programs Division, Office of Compliance, Mail 
Code 2227A, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-2601; fax number: 
(202) 564-0050; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a proposed extension of the ICR, 
which is currently approved through May 31, 2023. 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.
    Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register 
November, 30, 2022 during a 60-day comment period (87 FR 73357). This 
notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. 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, WJC 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: Discharge Monitoring Report-Quality Assurance (DMR-QA) 
study program participation is mandatory for major and selected minor 
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit holders 
in accordance with Clean Water Act Section 308. The DMR-QA study 
program is designed to evaluate the analytic ability of laboratories 
that perform chemical, microbiological and whole effluent toxicity 
(WET) analyses required in NPDES permits for reporting results in the 
Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMR). Under DMR-QA, the permit holder is 
responsible for having their in-house and/or contract laboratories 
analyze performance evaluation samples and submit results to 
proficiency testing (PT) providers for grading. Graded results are 
transmitted by either the permit holder or PT provider to the 
appropriate federal or state NPDES permitting authority. Permit holders 
are responsible for submitting corrective action reports to the 
appropriate permitting authority.
    Form numbers: EPA Form 6400-01.
    Respondents/affected entities: Major and selected minor permit 
holders under the Clean Water Act's National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System (NPDES).
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory under Clean Water Act 
section 308(a).
    Estimated number of respondents: 5,500 (total).
    Frequency of response: Annually, On occasion.
    Total estimated burden: 36,300 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $5,852,825 (per year), which includes 
$3,781,470 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the estimates: There is no change of hours in the total 
estimated

[[Page 34153]]

respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. Non-
labor costs for obtaining performance evaluation samples increased.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2023-11315 Filed 5-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P