82 FR 29549 - Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; ICR Supporting Statement Information Collection Request for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program (Renewal)

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 124 (June 29, 2017)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), ``ICR Supporting Statement Information Collection Request for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 0229.22, OMB Control No. 2040-0004) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection. This is a proposed revision of the ICR which is currently approved through December 31, 2017. 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 82, Number 124 (Thursday, June 29, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29549-29550]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13672]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0719, FRL-9962-12-OW]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; ICR 
Supporting Statement Information Collection Request for National 
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program (Renewal)

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), ``ICR Supporting 
Statement Information Collection Request for National Pollutant 
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 
0229.22, OMB Control No. 2040-0004) to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA). Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments 
on specific aspects of the proposed information collection. This is a 
proposed revision of the ICR which is currently approved through 
December 31, 2017. 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 28, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2008-0719, FRL-9962-12-OW, online using https://www.regulations.gov 
(our preferred method), by email to [email protected], or by mail 
to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 
28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    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:  Amelia Letnes, State and Regional 
Branch, Water Permits Division, OWM Mail Code: 4203M, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (202) 564-5627; fax number: (202) 564 9544; 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 https://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 https://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 notice 
to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to 
submit additional comments to OMB.
    Abstract: This consolidated ICR calculates the burden and costs 
associated with the NPDES program, identifies the types of activities 
regulated under the NPDES program, describes the roles and 
responsibilities of state governments and the Agency, and presents the 
program areas that address the various types of regulated activities. 
It is a revision of the Information Collection Request for the NPDES 
Program (OMB Control Number: 2040-0004; EPA ICR Number: 0229.21; 
expiration date 12/31/2017) submitted to OMB in December 2015 that 
consolidated the burden and costs associated with activities previously 
reported in 11 NPDES program or NPDES-related ICRs administered by 
EPA's Water Permits Division. This renewal documents the addition, into 
the consolidated NPDES ICR, of the burden and costs for seven more 
NPDES programs, which were previously contained in separate ICRs as 
listed below:
     Consolidated Animal Sectors (OMB Control No. 2040-0250; 
EPA ICR Number 1989.09; Expiration date--5/31/2019)
     Pesticide Applicators (OMB Control No. 2040-0284; EPA ICR 
Number 2397.02; Expiration date--3/31/2019)
     National Pretreatment Program (OMB Control No. 2040-0009; 
EPA ICR Number 0002.15; Expiration date--4/30/2019)
     Cooling Water Intake Structures Phase I--New Facilities 
(OMB Control No. 2040-0241; EPA ICR Number 1973.06; Expiration date--
11/30/2019)
     Cooling Water Intake Structures at Phase III Facilities 
(OMB Control No.

[[Page 29550]]

2040-0268, EPA ICR No. 2169.05; Expiration date--07/31/2017)
     Cooling Water Intake Structures Existing Facilities (OMB 
Control No. 2040-0257; EPA ICR No. 2060.07 Expiration date--10/31/2017)
     NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule (OMB Control No. 2020-
0035; EPA ICR No. 2468.02; Expiration date--1/31/2019)
Permit applications and other respondent reports may contain 
confidential business information. If a respondent does consider this 
information to be of a confidential nature, the respondent may request 
that such information be treated as confidential. All confidential data 
will be handled in accordance with 40 CFR 122.7, 40 CFR part 2, and 
EPA's Security Manual part III, chapter 9, dated August 9, 1976.
    Form Numbers: OMB No. 2040-0086; OMB No. 2040-0250; OMB No. 2040-
0188, OMB No. 2040-0211; OMB No. 1004-0189; OMB 2040-0284; OMB No. 
0596-0082; and OMB No. 2040-0004.
    Respondents/affected entities: Any industrial point source 
discharger of pollutants, including but not limited to publicly owned 
and privately owned treatment works (POTWs and PrOTWs), industrial 
dischargers to POTWs and PrOTWs, sewage sludge management and disposal 
operations, small and large vessels, airports with deicing operations, 
dischargers of stormwater, construction sites, municipalities, 
pesticide applicators, local and state governments.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory. Sections 301, 302, 
304, 306, 307, 308, 316(b), 401, 402, 403, 405, and 510 of the CWA; the 
1987 Water Quality Act (WQA) revisions to CWA section 402(p); 40 (CFR) 
Parts 122, 123, 124, and 125 (and Parts 501 and 503 for Biosolids); and 
the Great Lakes Critical Programs Act (CPA).
    Estimated number of respondents: 935,020 total (934,383 permittees 
and 637 States/Tribes/Territories).
    Frequency of response: The frequency of response varies depending 
on the specific response activity and can range from ongoing and 
monthly to once every 5 years.
    Total estimated burden: 28,239,262 hours (per year). Burden is 
defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $1,476,244,044 (per year), includes 
$43,659,009 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: There is a net increase of 836,289 (3%) hours 
in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the combined 
burden of the component ICRs currently approved by OMB. This minor 
change in the total is primarily due to a combination of both burden 
increases and decreases in the component ICRs. Minor changes in the 
estimated burden occurred for five of the eight component ICRs (NPDES 
ICR, Pesticide Applicators ICR, National Pretreatment Program ICR, 
Cooling Water Intake Structures Phase I New Facilities ICR, and the 
Cooling Water Intake Structures Phase III Facilities ICR). Significant 
changes occurred for three of the eight component ICRs (Consolidated 
Animal Sectors ICR, Cooling Water Intake Structures Existing Facility 
ICR, and Electronic Reporting Rule ICR). These significant changes 
included:
     A decrease of 12 percent in the animal sector labor burden 
due to revised EPA estimates based on changes in industry practice, 
adherence to USDA guidelines, and industry consolidation (OMB Control 
No. 2040-0250; EPA ICR Number 1989.09);
     an increase of 140 percent in the cooling water intake 
structures existing facilities labor burden due to the coincidence of 
the period of greatest implementation burden with the three year ICR 
period (OMB Control No. 2040-0257; EPA ICR No. 2060.07); and
     a decrease of 164 percent in the electronic reporting rule 
labor burden due to the reduced need for data input due to increased 
participation in electronic filing of forms and reports as the rule is 
implemented (OMB Control No. 2020-0035; EPA ICR No. 2468.02).

    Dated: April 26, 2017.
Sheila E. Frace,
Acting Director, Office of Wastewater Management, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 2017-13672 Filed 6-28-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P