[Federal Register: March 27, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 59)]
[Notices]               
[Page 14920-14921]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27mr98-71]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5987-6]

 
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Information Collection Request for the 1997 
State Source Water Assessment and Protection Programs Guidance

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), this document announces that the following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: The 1997 State Source Water 
Assessment and Protection Programs Guidance, EPA ICR#1816.01. The ICR 
describes the nature of the information collection and its expected 
burden and cost; where appropriate, it includes the actual data 
collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 27, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone 
at (202) 260-2740, by email at farmer.sandy@epamail.epa.gov, or 
download off the Internet at http://www/epa/gov/icr and refer to EPA 
ICR No. 1816.01.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: The 1997 State Source Water Assessment and Protection 
Programs

[[Page 14921]]

Guidance (EPA ICR No. 1816.01). This is a new collection.
    Abstract: Section 1453 (a)(3) of the Safe Drinking Water Act 
requires states to submit to EPA a Source Water Assessment Program 
within 18 months after issuance of the national guidance on State 
Source Water Assessment and Protection Programs, which was issued by 
EPA on August 5, 1997. These State source water assessments and 
protection programs describe the process by which a State does 
assessments for the protection and benefit of public water systems by: 
delineating source water protection areas, conducting contamination 
source inventories and susceptibility determinations, and indicating 
whether or not it plans to implement a source water protection program. 
A State is also required to develop such a program with public 
participation and report the results of the assessments to the public.
    Once a State program is approved by EPA, the State has two years to 
complete the source water assessments for the public water systems 
within its borders. Section 1453(a)(4) allows a State to request an 
extension of up to 18 months to complete the assessments. The extension 
request must indicate the reason a State requires additional time and 
must include a description of how and when the State will complete the 
assessment within the requested extension period. The request must also 
include information on the progress in implementing the assessments by 
the end of the first 18 months. 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 are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 
48 CFR Chapter 15. The Federal Register document required under 5 CFR 
1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this collection of information was 
published on 6/24/97 (FRL-5846-4). No comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2,436 
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; 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: States and Puerto Rico.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 51.
    Frequency of Response: Occasional.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 402,009 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $18,582,723.
    Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the 
accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods 
for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques to the following addresses. Please 
refer to EPA ICR NO. 1816.01 in any correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
OPPE Regulatory Information Division (2137),
401 M Street SW,
Washington, DC 20460;
    and
Office of Information and Regulatory Afairs,
Office of Management and Budget,
Attention: Desk Officer for EPA,
725 17th Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: March 23, 1998.
Joseph Retzer,
Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 98-8054 Filed 3-26-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-M