Document ID: EPA-HQ-OECA-2022-0812-0001
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: State Review Framework
Posted Date: 2022-09-19T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 180 (Monday, September 19, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57193-57194]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-20173]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OECA-2020-0031; FRL-10096-01-OECA]

Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; State Review 
Framework

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to 
submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Proposed Information 
Collection Request; Comment Request; State Review Framework'' (EPA ICR 
No. 2185.08, OMB Control No. 2020-0031 to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act. Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on 
specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described 
below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently 
approved through April 30, 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.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 18, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OECA-
2020-0031, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), 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 [email protected]. 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: Dave Hoffman, Office of Enforcement 
and Compliance Assurance, Office of Compliance, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (202) 564-0725; email address: [email protected].

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.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA is soliciting 
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. 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. At that time, EPA will issue another Federal Register

[[Page 57194]]

notice to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity 
to submit additional comments to OMB.
    Abstract: The State Review Framework is an oversight tool designed 
to assess state performance in enforcement and compliance assurance. 
The Framework's goal is to evaluate state performance by examining 
existing data to provide a consistent level of oversight and develop a 
uniform mechanism by which EPA Regions, working collaboratively with 
their states, can ensure state environmental agencies consistently 
implement the national compliance and enforcement program to meet 
agreed-upon goals. Furthermore, the Framework is designed to foster 
dialogue on enforcement and compliance performance between states to 
enhance relationships and increase feedback, which will in turn lead to 
consistent program management and improved environmental results. This 
request will allow OECA to review and collect information from state 
and local agency enforcement and compliance files, to support the State 
Review Framework implementation from FY 2024 to FY 2027. It will also 
allow EPA to make inquiries to assess the State Review Framework 
process, including consistency achieved among the EPA Regions and 
states, resources required to conduct reviews, and overall 
effectiveness of the program.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: States, localities, and territories.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Required as part of program 
authorization under the Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Drinking Water and 
Resource Conservation and Recovery Acts.
    Estimated number of respondents: 213 (total).
    Frequency of response: Once every 5 years.
    Total estimated burden: 12,993 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $546,729 (per year).
    Changes in Estimates: There is an increase in total estimated 
response burden hours from 218 to 305 per respondent due to the 
addition of the safe drinking water act enforcement review pilot, which 
wasn't captured in the previous ICR. This pilot isn't formally part of 
the SRF, but the agency believes this ICR is an appropriate forum to 
collect input, due to their similarities in workload and purpose. At 
the conclusion of the pilot, the agency will review the program and if 
necessary, revise this ICR. In addition, there is an increase in the 
number of respondents from 54 to 213 due to inclusion of all media 
(CAA, CWA, RCRA and SDWA) for 50 states and 4 territories, and 14 local 
air districts. Previous ICR's included a single response for each 
state/territory, whereas this ICR utilized a different methodology to 
capture the burden more accurately. The burden estimates for CAA, CWA 
and RCRA are unchanged.

John Dombrowski,
Director, Office of Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2022-20173 Filed 9-16-22; 8:45 am]
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