
[Federal Register: December 1, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 231)]
[Notices]               
[Page 72793-72794]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01de08-61]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0438; FRL-8746-9]

 
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Microbial Rules (Renewal); EPA 
ICR No. 1895.04, OMB Control No. 2040-0205

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 an Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an 
existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, 
describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated 
burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before December 31, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2008-0438 to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), by e-mail to OW-Docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA 
Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Docket (28221T), 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail 
to: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725

[[Page 72794]]

17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Naylor, Drinking Water 
Protection Division, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (4606M), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202.564.3847; fax number: 
202.564.3755; e-mail address: naylor.richard@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On June 6, 2008 (73 FR 32323), EPA sought comments on this ICR 
pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. Any additional 
comments on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days 
of this notice.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0438, 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 EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://
www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those 
documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the 
system, select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number 
identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public 
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made 
available for public viewing at http://www.regulations.gov as EPA 
receives them and without change, unless the comment contains 
copyrighted material, confidential business information (CBI), or other 
information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For 
further information about the electronic docket, go to http://
www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Microbial Rules (Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1895.04, OMB Control No. 2040-0205.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2008. 
Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor 
the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 
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 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 Microbial Rules Renewal ICR examines public water 
system (PWS), primacy agency and EPA burden and costs for recordkeeping 
and reporting requirements in support of the microbial drinking water 
regulations. These recordkeeping and reporting requirements are 
mandatory for compliance with 40 CFR parts 141 and 142. The following 
microbial regulations are included: Surface Water Treatment Rule, Total 
Coliform Rule, Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, Filter 
Backwash Recycling Rule, Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment 
Rule, Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, and Ground 
Water Rule. Future microbial-related rulemakings will be added to this 
consolidated ICR after the regulations are finalized and the initial, 
rule-specific, ICRs are due to expire.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 0.88 
hours per response. 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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: New and existing public water 
systems (PWS) and primacy agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 155,750.
    Frequency of Response: varies by requirement (i.e., on occasion, 
monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually).
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 10,669,916.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $554.0 million includes $197.2 million 
annualized capital or O&M costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 2,045,051 hours 
in the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory 
of Approved ICR Burdens. This increase is primarily due to adjustments 
to burden based on consultations with drinking water associations and 
to restructuring adjustments (i.e., incorporation of the burden hours 
for the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule and the 
Ground Water Rule).

    Dated: November 24, 2008.
John Moses,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
 [FR Doc. E8-28451 Filed 11-28-08; 8:45 am]

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