78 FR 242 pgs. 76293-76294 - Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Performance Evaluation Studies on Wastewater Laboratories (Renewal)
Type: NOTICEVolume: 78Number: 242Pages: 76293 - 76294
Pages: 76293, 76294Docket number: [EPA-HQ-OECA-2013-0547; FRL 9903-29-OEI]
FR document: [FR Doc. 2013-29862 Filed 12-16-13; 8:45 am]
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
[top]
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OECA-2013-0547; FRL 9903-29-OEI]
Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB 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 has submitted an information collection request (ICR), "Performance Evaluation Studies on Wastewater Laboratories (Renewal)" 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 January 31, 2014. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (78 FR 41926) on July 12, 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 January 16, 2014.
ADDRESSES:
Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OECA-2013-0547, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by email to docket.oeca@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:
Brian Krausz, Office of Compliance, Monitoring, Assistance, and Media Programs Division, 2227A, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-3069; fax number: 202-564-0038; email address: krausz.brian@epa.gov .
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[top] 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
EPA ICR Number: 0234.11.
OMB Control Number: 2080-0021
Abstract: Discharge Monitoring Report-Quality Assurance (DMR-QA) study program participation is mandatory for major and selected minor National Pollution 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 the laboratories that perform chemical, microbiological and whole effluent toxicity (WET) analyses required in the 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 perform proficiency tests and submit results for grading by proficiency test (PT) providers. Graded results are transmitted by either the permittee or PT provider to the appropriate federal or state NPDES regulatory authority. Permit holders are responsible for submitting corrective action reports to the appropriate regulatory authority.
Form Numbers: EPA Form 6400-01.
Respondents/affected entities: Major and selected minor permit holders under the Clean Water Act's National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).
Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory under Clean Water Act Section 308(a).
Estimated number of respondents: 5,509 (total).
Frequency of response: Major permit holders must participate annually. Minor permit holders must participate if selected by the state or EPA DMR-QA coordinator.
Total estimated burden: 36,361 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
Total estimated cost: $4,176,263 (per year), includes $2,376,638 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
Changes in Estimates: There is a decrease of 5,150 hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. This decrease in burden hours can be attributed to a number of states obtaining full or partial waivers from this activity through agreements with the EPA. Labor costs were revised upward to take into account employee benefit compensation costs and inflation. Non-labor costs for obtaining proficiency test samples increased because of an update to the list of most commonly used analytes, and due to inflation.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2013-29862 Filed 12-16-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P