Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Performance Evaluation Studies on Wastewater Laboratories (Renewal)

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), Performance Evaluation Studies on Wastewater Laboratories (EPA ICR Number 0234.15, OMB Control Number 2080-0021) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through August 31, 2026. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on May 21, 2026 during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 165 (Thursday, August 27, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 165 (Thursday, August 27, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55338-55339]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17504]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OECA-2013-0547; FRL-13607-01-OFA]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Performance Evaluation Studies on Wastewater Laboratories 
(Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR),

[[Page 55339]]

Performance Evaluation Studies on Wastewater Laboratories (EPA ICR 
Number 0234.15, OMB Control Number 2080-0021) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, 
which is currently approved through August 31, 2026. Public comments 
were previously requested via the Federal Register on May 21, 2026 
during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 
days for public comments.

DATES: Comments may be submitted on or before September 28, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OECA-2013-0547, to 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#adc9c2cec6c8d983c2c8ceccedc8ddcc83cac2db"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a9cdc6cac2ccdd87c6cccac8e9ccd9c887cec6df">[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.
    Submit written comments and recommendations to OMB for the proposed 
information collection within 30 days of publication of this notice to 
<a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this particular information 
collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Savitske, Compliance, 
Inspector, and Training Division, Mail Code 2227A, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (202) 564-2601; email address: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#603301160914130b054e271205070f1219200510014e070f16"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="95c6f4e3fce1e6fef0bbd2e7f0f2fae7ecd5f0e5f4bbf2fae3">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a proposed extension of the ICR, 
which is currently approved through August 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.
    Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register 
on May 21, 2026 during a 60-day comment period (91 FR 29954). This 
notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. Supporting 
documents, which 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. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit 
<a href="http://www.epa.gov/dockets">http://www.epa.gov/dockets</a>.
    Abstract: Discharge Monitoring Report-Quality Assurance (DMR-QA) 
study program participation is mandatory for Major and selected Minor 
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit holders 
in accordance with Clean Water Act Section 308. The DMR-QA study 
program is designed to evaluate the analytic ability of laboratories 
that perform chemical, microbiological and whole effluent toxicity 
(WET) analyses required in NPDES permits for reporting results in the 
Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMR). Under DMR-QA, the permit holder is 
responsible for having their in-house and/or contract laboratories 
analyze proficiency test samples and submit results to proficiency 
testing (PT) providers for grading. Graded results are transmitted by 
either the permit holder or PT provider to the appropriate federal or 
state NPDES permitting authority. Permit holders are responsible for 
submitting corrective action reports to the appropriate permitting 
authority.
    Form Numbers: 6400-01.
    Respondents/affected entities: Major and selected Minor permit 
holders under the Clean Water Act's National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System (NPDES).
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory under Clean Water Act 
Section 308(a).
    Estimated number of respondents: 5,500 (total).
    Frequency of response: Major permit holders must participate 
annually. Minor permit holders must participate if selected by the 
state or EPA DMR-QA coordinator.
    Total estimated burden: 36,300 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $6,632,670 (per year), which includes 
$4,219,985 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the estimates: There is no change of hours in the total 
estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by 
OMB. Labor and non-labor costs for obtaining performance evaluation 
samples increased to account for changes in employee benefit and 
compensation as well as inflation. Agency costs have been revised to 
reflect efficiencies with electronically distributing DMR-QA study 
booklets to over 90 percent of the respondent universe.

Courtney Kerwin,
Deputy Director, Data and Enterprise Programs Division.
[FR Doc. 2026-17504 Filed 8-26-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


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