Document ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2005-0023-0015
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Clean Water Act Section 404 State-Assumed Programs
Posted Date: 2014-01-29T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 19 (Wednesday, January 29, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4689-4690]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01666]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2005-0023; FRL 9905-74-OEI]

Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; Clean Water Act Section 404 State-Assumed 
Programs (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Clean Water Act Section 404 
State-Assumed Programs (Renewal)'' to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This is a proposed extension of 
the ICR, which is currently approved through January 31, 2014. Public 
comments on the ICR renewal were requested via the Federal Register (78 
FR 62629) published on October 22, 2013, during a 60-day comment 
period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public 
comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, including its 
estimated burden and cost to the public. 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.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before February 28, 
2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OW-2005-0023, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), by email ow-docket@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: Kathy Hurld, Office of Wetlands, 
Oceans, and Watersheds, Wetlands Division (4502T), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: 202-566-1348; fax number: 202-566-1349; email 
address: hurld.kathy@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, 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.
    EPA ICR Number: 0220.12.
    OMB Control Number: 2040-0168.
    Abstract: Section 404(g) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) authorizes 
States [and Tribes] to assume the section 404 permit program for 
discharges of dredged or fill material into certain Waters of the U.S. 
This ICR covers the collection of information EPA needs to perform its 
program approval and oversight responsibilities and the State/Tribe 
needs to establish and implement its program.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are those States/Tribes requesting assumption of the CWA 
section 404 permit program; States/Tribes with approved assumed 
programs; and permit applicants in States/Tribes with assumed programs.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Required to obtain or retain a 
benefit (40 CFR 233).
    Estimated number of respondents: EPA anticipates 2 States/Tribes 
will

[[Page 4690]]

request program assumption; there will be approximately 14,000 permit 
applications (3,500 applications per state); and 4 States/Tribes which 
have assumed the program (the two current programs and potentially two 
who may be approved under this ICR) which will submit an annual report.
    Frequency of response: States/Tribes will respond one time to 
request assumption and once the program is approved they will respond 
annually for the annual permit and annual report; permit applicants 
will respond one time when requesting a permit.
    Total estimated burden: The public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to be 90,960 
hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: Costs to states for assumed Section 404 
permit programs will vary widely by state and permit, however there are 
$0 capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 10,400 hours in 
the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This decrease is because the estimated number of 
permits reviewed by a state per year decreased. This decrease is based 
on the experience of the state of New Jersey, due in part to a change 
in the economy and to a recalculation in the number of permits 
estimated. There was an increase in the number of hours spent reviewing 
each permit, due to an increase in the number of times applicants 
requested a review of mitigation options. The estimate used here is a 
weighted average of Michigan's and New Jersey's estimates.

John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2014-01666 Filed 1-28-14; 8:45 am]
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