81 FR 48792 - Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 143 (July 26, 2016)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ``Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program'' (EPA ICR No. 1391.11, OMB Control No. 2040-0118) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through July 31, 2016. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (81 FR 19173) on April 4, 2016, 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 in this renewal notice, 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.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 26, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48792-48793]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-17513]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2004-0015; FRL 9949-48-OEI]


Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted 
an information collection request (ICR), ``Clean Water State Revolving 
Fund Program'' (EPA ICR No. 1391.11, OMB Control No. 2040-0118) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et 
seq.). This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently 
approved through July 31, 2016. Public comments were previously 
requested via the Federal Register (81 FR 19173) on April 4, 2016, 
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 in 
this renewal notice, 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: Comments must be submitted on or before August 25, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OW-2002-0059, to (1) EPA online using http://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: Mark Mylin, Municipal Support 
Division, Office of Wastewater Management, 4204M, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: 202-564-0607; 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, docket number EPA-HQ-OW-2004-0015. 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.
    Abstract: The Clean Water State Revolving Funds (CWSRF) were 
established by the 1987 amendments to the Clean Water Act (CWA) as a 
financial assistance program for a wide range of wastewater 
infrastructure and

[[Page 48793]]

other water quality projects. The 1987 amendments added Title VI to the 
CWA, enabling EPA to provide grants to all 50 states and Puerto Rico to 
capitalize CWSRFs. The CWSRFs can provide loans and other forms of 
assistance for a wide array of projects, including construction of 
wastewater treatments facilities, green infrastructure projects, 
agricultural best management practices, and water and energy efficiency 
improvements. Eligible borrowers of CWSRF funding range from 
municipalities to nonprofit organizations and other private entities. 
Recently, Title VI of the CWA was amended in 2014 by the Water 
Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA). Additional information 
about the CWSRFs is available at http://www.epa.gov/cwsrf/learn-about-clean-water-state-revolving-fund-cwsrf.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities affected by this action are 
state environmental departments, and/or finance agencies responsible 
for operating the CWSRFs and eligible CWSRF borrowers.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Required to obtain or retain a 
benefit per Title VI of CWA as amended by WRRDA.
    Estimated number of respondents: 51 state environmental departments 
and/or finance agencies (per year); 393 eligible CWSRF borrowers (per 
year)
    Frequency of response: Varies by requirement (i.e., quarterly, 
semi-annually and annually)
    Total estimated burden: 57,376 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b)
    Total estimated cost: $6,074,741 (per year), including $2,928,100 
in non-labor costs.
    Changes in Estimates: This renewal adds two information collections 
activities not included in the previous version of the ICR. 
Specifically, the renewal includes the additional burden associated 
with the EPA requirement that the CWSRFs submit data into the CWNIMS 
and CBR databases on a recurring basis. The renewal also reflects the 
additional burden related to the recently released public awareness 
policy, directing CWSRF borrowers that receive federal funds to 
publicize EPA's role in funding the projects.
    Though these information collection activities add additional 
burden, the total estimated reporting burden under this renewal is 
significantly lower compared to the previously approved ICR. The 
estimate of the annual burden has been decreased by 748,471 hours while 
the total annual cost burden has been decreased by $17,744,006. This 
significant revision is due to the removal of the burden associated 
with CWSRF applications and ongoing ARRA reporting.

Courtney Kerwin,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2016-17513 Filed 7-25-16; 8:45 am]
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