Notice2022-01430
Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Establishing Vessel Sewage No-Discharge Zones (NDZs) Under Clean Water Act (Renewal)
Primary source
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Published
January 25, 2022
Issuing agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Abstract
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to submit an information collection request (ICR), "Establishing No-Discharge Zones (NDZs) Under Clean Water Act Section 312 (Renewal)" (EPA ICR No. 1791.09, OMB Control No. 2040-0187) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). Before doing so, the EPA solicits public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through August 31, 2022. 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 16 (Tuesday, January 25, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 25, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3804-3806]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-01430]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA HQ-OW-2008-0150; FRL 9350-01-OW]
Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request;
Establishing Vessel Sewage No-Discharge Zones (NDZs) Under Clean Water
Act (Renewal)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to submit an
information collection request (ICR), ``Establishing No-Discharge Zones
(NDZs) Under Clean Water Act Section 312 (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No.
1791.09, OMB Control No. 2040-0187) to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for review and approval in
[[Page 3805]]
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). Before doing so, the
EPA solicits public comments on specific aspects of the proposed
information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension
of the ICR, which is currently approved through August 31, 2022. 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 March 28, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2008-0150, online using <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> (our preferred method), by
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b7f8e09af3d8d4dcd2c3f7d2c7d699d0d8c1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c28d95ef86ada1a9a7b682a7b2a3eca5adb4">[email protected]</span></a>, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center,
Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460.
For comments submitted at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, follow the online
instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot
be edited or removed from <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. The EPA may publish any
comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any
information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI)
or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a
written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment
and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. The EPA
generally will not consider comments or comment contents located
outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or other
file sharing system). The EPA encourages the public to submit comments
via <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, as there will be a delay in processing mail,
and hand deliveries will be accepted on a limited basis. For additional
submission methods, please contact the person identified in the ``For
Further Information Contact'' section. For the full EPA public comment
policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, and general
guidance on making effective comments, please visit <a href="https://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets">https://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelsey Watts-FitzGerald, Oceans,
Wetlands and Communities Division, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and
Watersheds, (4504T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-566-0232; email
address: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#55223421212678333c212f3230273439317b3e303926302c153025347b323a23"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="95e2f4e1e1e6b8f3fce1eff2f0e7f4f9f1bbfef0f9e6f0ecd5f0e5f4bbf2fae3">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents that 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
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> 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. The official public
docket is located at the Office of Environmental Information (OEI)
Docket in the EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution
Ave. NW, Washington, DC. The regular hours of the EPA Docket Center
Public Reading Room are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding legal holidays; however, due to the COVID-19
pandemic, there may be limited or no opportunity to enter the docket
center. At the time of this printing, out of an abundance of caution
for members of the public and the EPA staff, the EPA Docket Center and
Reading Room are open to the public by appointment only to reduce the
risk of transmitting COVID-19. During this time, Docket Center staff
will continue to provide remote customer service via email, phone, and
webform. Hand deliveries and couriers may be received by scheduled
appointment only. For further information on the EPA Docket Center
services and the current status, please visit us online at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/dockets">https://www.epa.gov/dockets</a>. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room
is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the OEI Docket is (202)
566-1752.
An electronic version of the public docket is available on the
EPA's website at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. You may use <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>
to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the
contents of the official public docket, and access those documents in
the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the
system, key in the appropriate docket identification number then select
``search.'' It is important to note that the EPA's policy is that
public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be
made available for public viewing online at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> without
change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Information
claimed as CBI and other information whose disclosure is restricted by
statute is not included in the official public docket or in the
electronic public docket.
The EPA's policy is that copyrighted material, including
copyrighted material contained in a public comment, will not be placed
in the EPA's electronic public docket but will be available only in
printed, paper form in the official public docket. The EPA has not
included any copyrighted material in the docket for this FR Notice of
Information Request. If commenters submit copyrighted material in a
public comment, it will be placed in the official public docket and
made available for public viewing when the EPA Docket Center is open.
For additional information about the EPA's public docket, visit <a href="http://www.epa.gov/dockets">http://www.epa.gov/dockets</a>.
Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, the EPA solicits
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). The
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, the 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: (A) Sewage No-Discharge Zones: CWA section 312(f) and the
implementing regulations in 40 CFR part 140 identify the information
that must be included in a state's application to the EPA to establish
a no-discharge zone (NDZ) for vessel sewage for some or all of the
state's waters.
In designated NDZs, the discharge of both treated and untreated
sewage from vessels is prohibited. A state is not required to designate
an NDZ and therefore need only develop applications for waters where
such a discharge prohibition has been deemed necessary and beneficial
by the state. This ICR addresses the burden to state respondents to
develop applications
[[Page 3806]]
containing the necessary information, as well as the burden associated
with the EPA's review of state applications. The information collection
activities discussed in this ICR do not require the submission of any
confidential information.
(B) Uniform National Discharge Standards (UNDS) NDZs and Review of
Discharge Determination or Standard: CWA section 312(n)(7) and the
implementing regulations in 40 CFR part 1700 identify the information
that a state must submit to the EPA in the state's application to
establish an NDZ for one or more discharges incidental to the normal
operation of a vessel of the Armed Forces. A state may seek an NDZ
designation for any incidental discharge subject to UNDS for which the
EPA and Department of Defense (DoD) have promulgated national standards
of performance and corresponding implementing regulations,
respectively. In addition, CWA section 312(n)(5) provides that that the
Governor of any state may petition the EPA and DoD to review any
discharge determination or standard promulgated under CWA section
312(n) for vessels of the Armed Forces if there is significant new
information that could reasonably result in a change to the discharge
determination or standard. This ICR addresses the burden to a state
respondent to develop applications for NDZs and requests for a review
of a determination or standard and the burden to the EPA to review the
applications. The information collection activities discussed in this
ICR do not require the submission of any confidential information.
Form numbers: None.
Respondents/affected entities: States.
Respondent's obligation to respond: The responses to this
collection of information are required to obtain the benefit of a
sewage NDZ (CWA section 312(f)). The responses to this collection of
information are required to obtain the benefit of an UNDS NDZ or a
review of an UNDS discharge determination or standard (CWA section
312(n)).
Estimated number of respondents: 17 (total).
Frequency of response: One time.
Total estimated burden: 914 hours (per year). Burden is defined at
5 CFR 1320.03(b).
Total estimated cost: $50,869 (per year), includes $848 annualized
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
Changes in Estimates: The EPA expects a decrease in hours in the
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently
approved by OMB. EPA expects a decrease in the overall costs as well,
despite increases to state and federal labor costs. These decreases are
attributable to fewer anticipated respondents compared with previous
estimates. This adjustment is made to account for overestimates in the
existing ICR and the EPA's estimate of applications for NDZs and review
of standards that may be submitted during the three-year ICR cycle.
Dated: January 19, 2022.
John Goodin,
Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds.
[FR Doc. 2022-01430 Filed 1-24-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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