Document ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0357-0005
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Reporting Requirements for BEACH Act Grants (Renewal)
Posted Date: 2011-09-20T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 182 (Tuesday, September 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58266-58268]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-24089]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0357; FRL-9466-7]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Reporting Requirements for BEACH Act Grants (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 the 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 January 31, 2012. Before submitting 
the ICR to OMB for review and approval, the EPA is soliciting comments 
on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described 
below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 21, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2008-0357, by one of the following methods:
     http:[sol][sol]www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: ow-docket@epa.gov.
     Fax: (202) 566-0409.
     Mail: Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, 
Mailcode: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center, EPA West Building, Room 
3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20004. 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-OW-2008-
0357. The 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:[sol][sol]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 www.regulations.gov 
or e-mail. The http:[sol][sol]www.regulations.gov Web site is an 
``anonymous access'' system, which means the 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 the EPA without 
going through http:[sol][sol]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, the 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 the EPA cannot read your comment 
due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, 
the 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 the 
EPA's public docket visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at 
http:[sol][sol]www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lars Wilcut, Standards and Health 
Protection Division, Office of Science and Technology, (4305T), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566-0447; fax number: 
(202) 566-0409; e-mail address: wilcut.lars@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

How can I access the docket and/or submit comments?

    The EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket 
ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0357, 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 number for the Water Docket is 202-566-2426.
    Use http://www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft 
collection of

[[Page 58267]]

information, submit or view public comments, access the index listing 
of the contents of the docket, and 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 the EPA particularly interested in?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, the 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, the EPA is requesting comments 
from very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples 
of specific additional efforts that the 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 the 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 the 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 
environmental and public health agencies in coastal and Great Lakes 
states, territories, and tribes.
    Title: Reporting Requirements for BEACH Act Grants (Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2048.04, OMB Control No. 2040-0244.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on January 
31, 2012. 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 the 
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: The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health 
(BEACH) Act amends the Clean Water Act (CWA) in part and authorizes the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to award BEACH Act Program 
Development and Implementation Grants to coastal and Great Lakes 
states, tribes, and territories (collectively referred to as states) 
for their beach monitoring and notification programs. The grants will 
assist those states to develop and implement a consistent approach to 
monitor recreational water quality; assess, manage, and communicate 
health risks from waterborne microbial contamination; notify the public 
of pollution occurrences; and post beach advisories and closures to 
prevent public exposure to microbial pathogens. To qualify for a BEACH 
Act Grant, a state must submit information to the EPA documenting that 
its beach monitoring and notification program is consistent with nine 
performance criteria outlined in the National Beach Guidance and 
Required Performance Criteria for Grants. For the EPA to award a BEACH 
Implementation Grant, a state must document that its coastal monitoring 
and notification program includes or will include the following:
     A risk-based beach evaluation and classification plan.
     A sampling design and monitoring implementation plan.
     Monitoring report submission and delegation procedures.
     Methods and assessment procedures.
     A public notification and risk communication plan.
     Measures to notify the EPA and local governments.
     Measures to notify the public.
     Notification report submission and delegation procedures.
     Public evaluation of the program.
    Beach program information will be collected by the EPA's Office of 
Science and Technology and the applicable EPA regions. All information 
except the monitoring and notification reports will be stored in the 
applicable regions. The monitoring and notification information will be 
stored in the eBEACHES Database and displayed on the EPA's Beaches Web 
site for use by the public, state environmental and public health 
agencies, and the EPA.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2,400 
hours per respondent. This burden represents reports and accompanying 
data to be submitted each year by the 37 eligible states and 
territories. 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: 37.
    Frequency of response: Submitting monitoring and notification 
reports: quarterly; all other reporting: annual.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 4.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 88,812.
    Estimated total annual costs: $11,463,642. This includes an 
estimated burden cost of $7,520,562 and an

[[Page 58268]]

estimated cost of $3,943,080 for maintenance and operational costs.

Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

    There is an increase of 26 hours in the total estimated respondent 
burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by 
OMB. This increase reflects the EPA's expectation that states will 
voluntarily report monitoring and notification data more frequently, in 
order to improve public health protection at beaches through increased 
timeliness of water quality results at beaches nationwide. This change 
also reflects the EPA's expectation that no new jurisdictions will 
become eligible for BEACH Act grant in the next three years.

What is the next step in the process for this ICR?

    The 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, the 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: September 13, 2011.
Ephraim King,
Director, Office of Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2011-24089 Filed 9-19-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P