- EPA 816-2-01-005
Federal Register/Vol. 66, No. 106/Friday, June 1, 2001 /Notices 29793
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL-6989-8]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Final National
Primary Drinking Water Regulations;
Stage 1 Disinfectants/Disinfection
Byproducts Rule and Interim
Enhanced Surface Water Treatment
Rule
AGENCY: Environmental Protection
Agency.
ACTION: Notice.
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EPA 816-2-01-005
29794
Federal Register/Vol. 66, No. 106/Friday, June 1, 2001/Notices
SUMMARY: In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.
3501 ef seq.), this document announces
that Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) is planning to submit the
following two continuing Information
Collection Requests (ICRs) to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB).
Before submitting the ICRs to OMB for
review and approval, EPA is soliciting
comments on specific aspects of the
information collection as described at
the beginning of SUPPLEMENTARY •
INFORMATION.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before July 31, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Office of Ground Water and
Drinking Water (MC 4606), 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington,
DC 20460. A hard copy of an ICR may
be obtained without charge by calling
the identified information contact
individual for each ICR in Section C of
the Supplementary Information.,
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
specific information on the individual
ICR see Section C of the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. For All ICRs
An Agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection information
unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number. The OMB control
numbers for EPA's regulations are
displayed in 40 CFR part 9.
The EPA would like to solicit
comments 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;
(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 automated collection techniques
or other forms of information
technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses.
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.
B. List of ICRs Planned To Be
Submitted
In compliance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.},
this notice announces that EPA is
planning to submit the following two
continuing Information Collection
Requests (ICRs) to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB):
(1) Information Collection Request for
Final National Primary Drinking Water
Regulations; Stage 1 Disinfectants/
Disinfection Byproducts Rule, ICR
Number: 1896.01, OMB Control
Number: 2040-0204, expiring November
30, 2001.
(2) Information Collection Request for
Final National Primary Drinking Water
Regulations; Interim Enhanced Surface
Water Treatment Rule, ICR Number:
1895.01, OMB Control Number: 2040-
0205, expiring November 30, 2001.
C. Contact Individuals for ICRs
(1) Information Collection Request for
Final National Primary Drinking Water
Regulations; Stage 1 Disinfectants/
Disinfection Byproducts Rule, Nicole
Foley, phone: 202-260-0875, facsimile:
202-401-2345, foley.nicole@epa.gov.
(ICR Number: 1896.01, OMB Control
Number: 2040-0204, expiring November
30, 2001);
(2) Information Collection Request for
Final National Primary Drinking Water
Regulations; Interim Enhanced Surface
Water Treatment Rule, Nicole Foley,
phone: 202-260-0875, facsimile: 202-
401-2345, foley.nicole@epa.gov. (ICR
Number: 1895.01, OMB Control
Number: 2040-0205, expiring November
30, 2001).
D. Individual ICRs
(1) Information Collection Request for
Final National Primary Drinking Water
Regulations; Stage 1 Disinfectants/
Disinfection Byproducts Rule, ICR
Number: 1896.01, OMB Control
Number: 2040-0204, expiring November
30, 2001.
Affected Entities: Entities potentially
affected by this action are State, local,
Tribal or Federal governments, and
public water systems (PWSs). This rule
applies to community water systems
and nontransient noncommunity water
systems that add a chemical disinfectant
to the water in any part of the drinking
water treatment process and transient
noncommunity water systems that use
chlorine dioxide. "Small" systems serve
less than 10,000 people. "Large"
systems serve 10,000 or more people.
"Subpart H" systems include all PWSs
using surface water or ground water
under the direct influence of surface
water as a source (40 CFR 141.2).
Abstract: The Stage 1 Disinfectants/
Disinfection Byproducts Rule (Stage 1
DBPR) requires information collection
for disinfectants and disinfection
byproducts (DBFs). The contaminants
included in this rule also include DBF
precursors, characterized as total
organic carbon (TOG). Under the Stage
1 DBPR, contaminants and disinfectants
regulated include total trihalomethanes
(TTHMs), five haloacetic acids (HAAS),
bromate, chlorite, chlorine,
chloramines, chlorine dioxide, and TOG
(through a treatment technique). The
regulation is intended to protect public
health and welfare from these
chemicals.
All of the data collected from PWSs
and States are mandatory (40 CFR part
141 subpart L and 40 CFR part 142).
Data from laboratories for laboratory
certification or approval are not
mandatory, but laboratories must
provide it in order to obtain or retain a
benefit. Under this rule, State and local
respondents will collect and report
information on the levels of various
contaminants in drinking water supplies
at specified intervals. The
Environmental Protection Agency (the
Agency), through the Safe Drinking
Water Information System (SDWIS), will
use the information to ensure
compliance with this rule and to protect
public health. The date that systems
begin to monitor contaminants for the
Stage 1 DBPR depends on the size and
type of the system (40 CFR 141.130).
Monitoring, reporting, and record
keeping are required at both system and
State levels under the National Primary
Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs)
(40 CFR 141.131, 141.132, 141.134,
141.135, 142.14, 142.16). All public
water systems (PWSs) shall maintain
and report to the State information
documenting compliance with the
treatment and monitoring requirements
under the NPDWRs. States shall
maintain records essential for program
implementation and oversight. These
records, retained in the SDWIS or at
State offices, will allow EPA to track
PWS compliance with the NPDWRs.
Data collected under the Safe
Drinking Water Act (SDWA) are used by
the Agency's Office of Ground Water
and Drinking Water and other U.S. EPA
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EPA 816-2-01-005
Federal Register/Vol. 66, No. 106/Friday, June 1, 2001/Notices
29795
programs, such as Superfund and
RCRA. The data are also used by the
Farmers Home Administration, the
Department of the Interior, the
Department of Housing and Urban
Development, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, White House Task forces, the
Federal Emergency Management
Agency, the Food and Drug
Administration, public interest groups,
and many private companies and
individuals. The information collected
is not confidential.
Burden Statement: The estimated
annual burden hours for this renewed
information collection are 724,307
hours. The estimated average burden
hours per response is 0.7 hours. The
estimated average number of responses
per respondent is 24. The estimated
number of likely respondents annually
is 47,074. The estimated annual cost is
$43.1 million which represents O&M
costs in the form of fee for service.
Change in Burden: The burden will be
changed from 314,471 annual burden
hours to 724,307 annual burden hours
for this renewal ICR. The estimated
burden of 409,836 annual burden hours
is occurring because all monitoring,
reporting, and record keeping
requirements associated with
compliance under the Stage I DBPR will
take effect during the next ICR approval
period. The O&M costs also occur as a
result of die monitoring requirements.
(2) Information Collection Request for
Final National Primary Drinking Water
Regulations; Interim Enhanced Surface
Water Treatment Rule, ICR Number:
1895.01, OMB Control Number: 2040-
0205, expiring November 30, 2001.
Affected Entities: Entities potentially
affected by this action are State, local,
Tribal or Federal governments, and
public water systems serving 10,000 or
more people using surface water or
ground water under the direct influence
of surface water. "Subpart H" systems
include all PWSs using surface water or
' ground water under the direct influence
of surface water as a source (40 CFR
'§141.2).
.Abstract: The Interim Enhanced
Surface Water Treatment Rule (IESWTR)
requires information collection of
turbidity measurements and water
quality characteristics for Subpart H
public water systems (PWSs) serving
10,000 or more peopled Subpart H
systems include all PWSs using surface ,
water or ground water under the direct
influence (GWUDI) of surface water as
a source (40 CFR 141.2). Under this rule,
standards for combined filter effluent
are strengthened to improve control of
microbial contaminants, the protozoan
Cryptosporidium in particular. The rule
also establishes individual filter
monitoring and reporting requirements.
Additionally, the provisions of this rule
are intended to prevent an increase in
microbial risk while PWSs comply with
new standards for disinfection
byproducts. The regulatory initiative
discussed in this document is intended
to protect public health and welfare
from microbial contaminants. All of the
data collected from PWSs and States are
mandatory (40 CFR part 141 subpart L
and 40 CFR part 142). Data from
laboratories for laboratory certification
or approval are not mandatory, but
laboratories must provide the data in
order to obtain or retain a benefit. In
addition, under this drinking water
protection initiative, EPA would assure
appropriate laboratory approval through
a volunteer program for the
measurement of microbial contaminants
(e.g., Cryptosporidium) for the
protection of public health. Through
this program, EPA would evaluate the
performance of laboratories analyzing
PWS source water microbial samples.
Given the high level of skill and
experience required for the appropriate
analytical methods, and the
impracticality for States to adopt their
own laboratory approval program for a
small number of laboratories, an EPA
laboratory approval program is critical
to ensure high quality data. Also, the
microbial contaminant data analyzed by
the laboratories may be used to meet
possible future compliance
requirements for PWSs.
Several distinct types of data are
being collected under the IESWTR. The
most extensive data collection effort
involves monitoring the turbidity of
drinking water at individual filters for
all PWSs covered by this rule. This
monitoring requirement supplements
current combined filter effluent
turbidity monitoring already required
under the Surface. Water Treatment Rule
(SWTR). Under the current SWTR,
PWSs must monitor their combined
filter effluent every 4 hours to determine
compliance. This requirement will
continue under the IESWTR, but the
turbidity compliance levels will change.
The IESWTR will initiate new
requirements for individual filter
monitoring using a continuous
monitoring turbidimeter and
electronically recording data on a
continuous basis. The turbidity data for
individual filters are used to determine
if follow-up filter or plant assessments
are needed.
Monitoring, reporting, and record
keeping are required at both system and
State levels under the National Primary
Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs)
(40 CFR 141.172, 141.174, 142.175,
142.14,142.15). All affected PWSs shall
maintain and report to the State
information documenting compliance
with the treatment and monitoring
requirements under the NPDWRs. States
shall maintain records essential for
program implementation and oversight.
These records, retained in the Safe
Drinking Water Information System
(SDWIS), will allow EPA to track PWS
compliance with the NPDWRs.
Data collected under the Safe
Drinking Water Act (SDWA) are used by
the Agency's Office of Ground Water
and Drinking Water, and other U.S. EPA
programs such as Superfund and RCRA.
The data are also used by the Farmers
Home Administration, the Department
of the Interior, the Department of
Housing and Urban Development, the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, White
. House task forces, the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, the
Food and Drug Administration, public
interest groups, and many private
companies and individuals. The
information collected is not
confidential.
Burden Statement: The estimated
annual burden hours for this renewed
information collection are 4,682,067
hours. The estimated average burden
hours per response is one hour. The
estimated average number of responses
per respondent is 3,229. The estimated
number of likely respondents annually
is 1,497. The estimated annual capital
cost is $30.9 million. The estimated
annual O&M cost is $10.3 million.
Change in Burden: The burden will be
changed from 150,557 annual hours to
4,687,452 annual hours for this renewal
ICR. The burden of 4,682,067 annual
hours is occurring because turbidity
monitoring for individual filters and
sanitary surveys are beginning in the
third year following promulgation of the
rule. In addition, a laboratory approval
program for measurement of microbial
contaminants will add an estimated
marginal burden of 5,385 annual hours,
an estimated annual capital cost of
$17,000,.and an estimated annual O&M
cost of $71,000.
Dated: May 24, 2001.
PhilOshida,
Acting Director, Office of Ground Water and
Drinking Water.
[FRDoc. 01-13923 Filed 5-31-01; 8:45 ami
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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