United States                 Office of Water               EPA-823-F-O1-033
              Environmental Protection         4305                      January 2002
              Agency

              Fact  Sheet

              Information Collection Request for Water Quality Standards
Summary
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is planning to continue the Information
Collection Request (ICR) for the Water Quality Standards Regulation. Before submitting the
ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval, EPA is soliciting
comments on the proposed information collection.

Background

    Water Quality Standards are provisions of State, tribal, and Federal law which consist of
designated uses for waters of the United States, numeric or narrative water quality criteria to
protect the designated uses, and an antidegradation policy to protect existing uses and high
quality waters. State and Tribal water quality standards are the foundation for restoring and
maintaining the quality of the Nation's waters under the Clean Water Act (CWA).

    CWA Section 303(c), implemented by the Water Quality Standards (WQS) Regulation (40
CFR part 131), requires States and certain Indian Tribes (those Tribes that have received EPA
authorization to administer the water quality standards program and have had their water quality
standards approved by EPA) to review and, if appropriate, revise their water quality standards
regulations once every three years and to submit to EPA the results of the review. EPA then
reviews each  State and tribal submission for approval or disapproval.

    The existing estimated total annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for the
collection of water quality standards information is 190,336 hours based on 83 respondents
(States, Territories, and Tribes) and an average of 2,293 hours per response.

About this Information Collection Request

    The EPA would like to solicit comments on this water quality standards information
collection 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.

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How to Get Additional Information
EPA is soliciting comments from the public regarding the water quality standards
information collection. For more information, please call Rob Van Brunt at (202) 260-2630.
Please submit your written comments to Rob Van Brunt at: U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave
NW (4305), Washington DC 20460, or through Email at vanbrunt.robert eua.gov .
You may view the proposed Information Collection Request (EPA ICR Number 0988.08) at
http://www.epa.gov/icr and the Federal Register notice for the ICR at
httD://www.eDa. gov/waterscience/standards .

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