Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Information Request for the Underground Injection Control Program

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), "Information Request for the Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program" (EPA ICR No. 0370.28, OMB Control No. 2040-0042) 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 as described below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through December 31, 2026. This notice allows for 60 days for public comments.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 161 (Friday, August 21, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 161 (Friday, August 21, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54326-54327]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17096]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2014-0359; FRL-13348-01-OW]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Information 
Collection Request; Comment Request; Information Request for the 
Underground Injection Control Program

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), ``Information Request 
for the Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program'' (EPA ICR No. 
0370.28, OMB Control No. 2040-0042) 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 as described 
below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently 
approved through December 31, 2026. This notice allows for 60 days for 
public comments.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 20, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OW-2014-0359, to (1) EPA 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#a0eff78de4cfc3cbc5d4e0c5d0c18ec7cfd6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="afe0f882ebc0ccc4cadbefcadfce81c8c0d9">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>, 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: Kyle Carey, Drinking Water 
Infrastructure Development Division, Office of Ground Water and 
Drinking Water, 4606M, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (914) 
489-1550; fax number: (202) 564-3756; email address: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#64070516011d4a0f1d0801240114054a030b12"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="583b392a3d21763321343d183d2839763f372e">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a proposed extension of the ICR, 
which is currently approved through December 31, 2026. 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.
    This notice allows 60 days for public comments. Supporting 
documents, which explain in detail the information that 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. For additional information about 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, 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

[[Page 54327]]

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 forms of information technology. 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: EPA developed the Underground Injection Control Program 
under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act to establish a 
Federal-State regulatory system to protect underground sources of 
drinking water (USDWs) from injection fluids and injection-related 
activities. Injected fluids can include hazardous waste; produced oil 
field brines or fluids used to enhance oil recovery; mineral processing 
fluids; various types of industrial fluids; automotive, sanitary, and 
other wastes; and carbon dioxide injected for geologic sequestration. 
Owners or operators of injection wells must obtain permits, conduct 
environmental monitoring, maintain records, and report results to EPA 
or--if the State in which the well is operated has been granted primary 
enforcement authority by EPA--the State agency. States must report to 
EPA on permitting activities, permittee compliance, and related 
information. This mandatory information is reported using standardized 
forms, online tools, and annual reports. Reporting data are used by UIC 
authorities to ensure the protection of USDWs.
    Form Numbers: 7520-1, 7520-2A, 7520-2B, 7520-3, 7520-4, 7520-6, 
7520-7, 7520-8, 7520-11, 7520-16, 7520-17, 7520-18, and 7520-19.
    Respondents/affected entities: Owners or operators of underground 
injection wells and State UIC primacy agencies.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: mandatory (40 CFR parts 144 
through 148).
    Estimated number of respondents: 37,143 (total).
    Frequency of response: annual, semi-annual, and quarterly.
    Total estimated burden: 1,689,674 hours (per year). Burden is 
defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $948,837,355 (per year), which includes 
$829,055,263 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 58,313 hours in 
the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This increase is due to adjustments that include an 
increase in the number of Class I, Class III, and Class VI permit 
applications expected to be prepared and reviewed. This is offset by a 
decrease in the number of Class II permit applications expected to be 
submitted and the number of Class II and Class III owners or operators 
who will be performing monitoring and reporting activities (associated 
with decreases in the injection well inventory). The unit burden for 
completing a permit application has not changed but the number of 
permit applications, and therefore the number of entities performing 
these activities has. EPA is implementing electronic reporting options, 
which will reduce the burden to operators and primacy agencies. 
Programmatic changes that result in changes to the burden estimate 
include anticipated approval of Class VI UIC Program primacy for 
several states, which will increase state burden (by shifting burden 
from EPA to the approved States).

Jennifer L. McLain,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 2026-17096 Filed 8-20-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


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