Document ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0150-0001
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Establishing No-Discharge Zones Under Clean Water Act Section 312; EPA ICR No.1791.08, OMB Control No. 2040-0187
Posted Date: 2008-03-25T04:00Z

[Federal Register: March 25, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 58)]
[Notices]               
[Page 15752-15754]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25mr08-47]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0150; FRL-8546-1]

 
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Establishing No-Discharge Zones Under Clean Water Act 
Section 312; EPA ICR No.1791.08, OMB Control No. 2040-0187

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

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 June 30, 2008. 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 May 27, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2008-0150, by the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov Follow the on-line instructions 
for submitting comments.
     E-mail: OW-Docket@epa.gov.
     Mail: Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, 
Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. 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-
0150. 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: Chris Laabs, Oceans and Coastal 
Protection Division, Environmental Protection Agency, 4504T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 202-566-1223; 
fax number: 202-566-1546; e-mail address: laabs.chris@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-2008-0150, which is available for online viewing at the 
Water Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 
1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center 
Public Reading Room is open from 8 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 
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 public 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 above.

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 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 DATES.

[[Page 15753]]

    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 
State, local, and tribal governments.
    Title: Establishing No-Discharge Zones Under Clean Water Act 
section 312.
    ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 1791.05, OMB Control No. 2040-0187.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2008.
    Abstract: (A) Sewage No-discharge Zones: The need for EPA to obtain 
information for the establishment of no-discharge zones (NDZs) for 
vessel sewage in State waters stems from CWA sections 312(f)(3), 
(f)(4)(A), and (f)(4)(B), and subsequent regulations at 40 CFR 
140.4(a)-(c). No-discharge zones are established to provide State and 
local governments with additional protection of waters from treated or 
untreated vessel sewage. There are three ways in which NDZs for vessel 
sewage can be established. This ICR discusses the information 
requirements associated with the establishment of NDZs for vessel 
sewage. The responses to this collection of information are required to 
obtain the benefit of a sewage NDZ (see 33 U.S.C. 1322). The 
information collection activities discussed in this ICR do not require 
the submission of any confidential information.
    (B) UNDS No-discharge Zones: Under section 312(n) of the Clean 
Water Act (``Uniform National Discharge Standards for Vessels of the 
Armed Forces'' or ``UNDS'') no-discharge zones (``NDZs'') for 
discharges from Armed Forces vessels may be established by either State 
prohibition or EPA prohibition following the procedures in 40 CFR Part 
1700. UNDS also provides that the Governor of any State may petition 
EPA and the Secretary of Defense to review any determination or 
standard promulgated under the UNDS program if there is significant new 
information that could reasonably result in a change to the 
determination or standard. This ICR discusses the information that will 
be required from a State if it decides to establish a NDZ by State 
prohibition or apply for a NDZ by EPA prohibition, and the information 
that will be required from a State if it decides to submit a petition 
for review. The responses to this collection of information are 
required to obtain the benefit of an UNDS NDZ or a review of an UNDS 
determination or standard (see 33 U.S.C. 1322(n)). The information 
collection activities discussed in this ICR do not require the 
submission of any confidential information.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to be 127 hours 
per response. The estimates include time for gathering information, and 
preparing and submitting requests. 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; 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 captured in the following charts.

                                 Table 1.--Sewage NDZ Total Estimated Respondent (State Agency) Burden and Cost Summary
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                                                                             Number of     Total number     Total labor    Total annual
                                                             Number of    activities per   of hours per    cost per year   capital cost    Total annual
                                                            respondents        year            year             ($)             ($)        O&M costs ($)
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Sewage NDZ by State Prohibition [40 CFR 140.4(a)].......               8               8            1064          47,058            0.00           1,200
Sewage NDZ by EPA Prohibition [40 CFR 140.4(b)].........               1             .33              43           1,888            0.00              50
Drinking water NDZs [40 CFR 140.4(c)]...................               1               1             143           6,369            0.00             150
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    Total...............................................              10            9.33            1250          55,315            0.00           1,400
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                                    Table 2.--UNDS Total Estimated Respondent (State Agency) Burden and Cost Summary
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                                                             Number of       Number of     Total number     Total labor    Total annual    Total annual
                                                            respondents     activities       of hours      cost per ($)     capital ($)    O&M costs ($)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No-discharge Zone by State Prohibition 40 CFR 1700.9;                  4               4             717          32,408               0             600
 Table 4]...............................................
No-discharge Zone by EPA Prohibition [40 CFR 1700.10;                  1               1          194.25           8,821               0             150
 Table 5]...............................................
Petition for Review [40 CFR 1700.12; Table 6]...........               1               1           46.25           1,976               0             150
    Total...............................................               6               6           957.5          43,206               0             900
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                               Table 3. Total CWA Section 312 Estimated Respondent (State Agency) Burden and Cost Summary
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                                                                             Number of                      Total labor
                                                             Number of    activities per   Total number    cost per year   Total annual    Total annual
                                                            respondents        year        of hours per         ($)         capital ($)    O&M costs ($)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total...............................................              16           15.33          2207.5          98,520            0.00           2,300
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[[Page 15754]]

Are There Changes in the Estimates From the Last Approval?

    Estimates have been updated with current state and federal labor 
costs.

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 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: March 19, 2008.
Craig E. Hooks,
Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds.
[FR Doc. E8-6002 Filed 3-24-08; 8:45 am]

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