Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Questionnaire for Steam Electric Power Generating Effluent Guidelines (New); EPA ICR No. 2368.01, OMB Control No. 2040-NEW, 10791-10793 [2010-4962]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 9, 2010 / Notices
solicitations and contracts for supplies
or services other than commercial items
that contain the clause at DFARS
252.246–7003. DFARS 252.244–7000
requires that contractors include DFARS
252.246–7003 when applicable in
subcontracts for commercial items or
commercial components awarded at any
tier under the contract.
Ynette R. Shelkin,
Editor, Defense Acquisition Regulations
System.
[FR Doc. 2010–4990 Filed 3–8–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–08–P
ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
Sunshine Act Notice
AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance
Commission.
ACTION: Notice of Public Meeting
Agenda.
DATE AND TIME: Thursday, March 11,
2010, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. EST.
PLACE: U.S. Election Assistance
Commission, 1225 New York Ave, NW.,
Suite 150, Washington, DC 20005
(Metro Stop: Metro Center).
Agenda
sroberts on DSKD5P82C1PROD with NOTICES
The Commission will hold a public
meeting to discuss identifying and
mitigating risk in elections operations.
Commissioners will receive an update
on re-accrediting Wyle Laboratories, Inc.
Commissioners will consider other
administrative matters.
Members of the public may observe
but not participate in EAC meetings
unless this notice provides otherwise.
Members of the public may use small
electronic audio recording devices to
record the proceedings. The use of other
recording equipment and cameras
requires advance notice to and
coordination with the Commission’s
Communications Office.*
* View EAC Regulations
Implementing Government in the
Sunshine Act.
This meeting and hearing will be
open to the public.
PERSON TO CONTACT FOR INFORMATION:
Bryan Whitener, Telephone: (202) 566–
3100.
Thomas R. Wilkey,
Executive Director, U.S. Election Assistance
Commission.
[FR Doc. 2010–5052 Filed 3–5–10; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 6820–KF–P
VerDate Nov<24>2008
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Blue Ribbon Commission on
America’s Nuclear Future
AGENCY: Department of Energy, Office of
Nuclear Energy.
ACTION: Notice of open meeting.
SUMMARY: This notice announces an
open meeting of the Blue Ribbon
Commission on America’s Nuclear
Future (the Commission). The
Commission was organized pursuant to
the Federal Advisory Committee Act
(Pub. L. 94–463, 86 Stat. 770) (the Act).
The Act requires that agencies publish
these notices in the Federal Register.
The Charter of the Commission can be
found at https://www.energy.gov/news/
documents/BRC_Charter.pdf.
DATES: Thursday, March 25, 2010,
1 p.m.–5 p.m.; Friday, March 26, 2010,
8:30 a.m.–12 p.m.
ADDRESSES: Willard Intercontinental,
1401 Pennsylvania Avenue,
Washington, DC 20004, (202) 628–9100.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Timothy A. Frazier, Designated Federal
Officer, U.S. Department of Energy,
1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585; telephone (202)
586–4243 or facsimile (202) 586–0544;
e-mail CommissionDFO
@nuclear.energy.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: The President directed
that the Blue Ribbon Commission on
America’s Nuclear Future (the
Commission) be established to conduct
a comprehensive review of policies for
managing the back end of the nuclear
fuel cycle. The Commission will
provide advice and make
recommendations on issues including
alternatives for the storage, processing,
and disposal of civilian and defense
spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste.
The Commission is composed of
individuals of diverse backgrounds
selected for their technical expertise and
experience, established records of
distinguished professional and pubic
service, and their knowledge of issues
pertaining to nuclear energy.
Purpose of the Meeting: Inform the
Commission members about the history
and current status of spent nuclear fuel
and high-level waste disposal in the
United States and projections of
disposal needs in the future.
Tentative Agenda: The initial meeting
is expected to include presentations on
the history of efforts to dispose of
civilian light-water reactor spent
nuclear fuel (SNF) and defense highlevel waste (HLW) in the United States.
Presentations are also expected that will
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10791
provide the status of the SNF and HLW
(quantities and locations), projected
generation rates for SNF associated with
new nuclear plants, and projected
quantities of defense HLW.
Public Participation: The meeting is
open to the public. Individuals and
representatives of organizations who
would like to offer comments and
suggestions may do so at the end of the
meeting on Friday, March 26, 2010.
Approximately 15 minutes will be
reserved for public comments. Time
allotted per speaker will depend on the
number who wish to speak but will not
exceed 5 minutes. The Designated
Federal Officer is empowered to
conduct the meeting in a fashion that
will facilitate the orderly conduct of
business. Those not able to attend the
meeting or have insufficient time to
address the committee are invited to
send a written statement to Timothy A.
Frazier, U.S. Department of Energy 1000
Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585, or e-mail
CommissionDFO@nuclear.energy.gov.
Minutes: The minutes of the meeting
will be available by contacting Mr.
Frazier. He may be reached at the postal
address or email address above.
Issued in Washington, DC on March 3,
2010.
Rachel Samuel,
Deputy Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010–4987 Filed 3–8–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–OW–2009–0819; FRL–9124–7]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Questionnaire for Steam
Electric Power Generating Effluent
Guidelines (New); EPA ICR No.
2368.01, OMB Control No. 2040–NEW
AGENCY: Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document
announces that an Information
Collection Request (ICR) has been
forwarded to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and
approval. This is a request for a new
collection. The ICR, which is abstracted
below, describes the nature of the
information collection and its estimated
burden and cost.
E:\FR\FM\09MRN1.SGM
09MRN1
sroberts on DSKD5P82C1PROD with NOTICES
10792
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 9, 2010 / Notices
DATES: Additional comments may be
submitted on or before April 8, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
referencing Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
OW–2009–0819, to (1) EPA online using
https://www.regulations.gov (our
preferred method), by e-mail to owdocket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA
Docket Center, Environmental
Protection Agency, Water Docket,
Mailcode 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and
(2) OMB by mail to: Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA,
725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC
20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Jezebele Alicea-Virella, Engineering and
Analysis Division (4303T),
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington,
DC 20460; telephone number: 202–566–
1755; e-mail address:
Alicea.Jezebele@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has
submitted the following ICR to OMB for
review and approval according to the
procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12.
On October 29, 2009 (74 FR 55837–
55839), EPA sought comments on this
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA
received comments from electric power
companies, industry trade associations,
and an environmental group. The topics
raised in these comments address both
general matters related to the ICR, such
as format and timing, and suggested
revisions to specific questions that
request technical information in various
sections of the questionnaire. The
comments are summarized in the
supporting statement for this ICR. Any
additional comments on this proposed
ICR should be submitted to EPA and
OMB within 30 days of this notice.
EPA has established a public docket
for this ICR under Docket ID No. EPA–
HQ–OW–2009–0819, which is available
for online viewing at https://
www.regulations.gov, or in person
viewing at the Water Docket in the EPA
Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West,
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave.,
NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC
Public Reading Room is open from 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The
telephone number for the Reading Room
is 202–566–1744, and the telephone
number for the Water Docket is (202)
566–2426.
Use EPA’s electronic docket and
comment system at https://
www.regulations.gov, to submit or view
public comments, access the index
listing of the contents of the docket, and
VerDate Nov<24>2008
19:04 Mar 08, 2010
Jkt 220001
to access those documents in the docket
that are available electronically. Once in
the system, select ‘‘docket search,’’ then
key in the docket ID number identified
above. Please note that EPA’s policy is
that public comments, whether
submitted electronically or in paper,
will be made available for public
viewing at https://www.regulations.gov
as EPA receives them and without
change, unless the comment contains
copyrighted material, confidential
business information (CBI), or other
information whose public disclosure is
restricted by statute. For further
information about the electronic docket,
go to https://www.regulations.gov.
Title: Questionnaire for Steam Electric
Power Generating Effluent Guidelines
(New).
ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2368.01,
OMB Control No. 2040–NEW.
ICR Status: This ICR is for a new
information collection activity. 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 in title 40 of the CFR,
after appearing in the Federal Register
when approved, are listed in 40 CFR
part 9, are displayed either by
publication in the Federal Register or
by other appropriate means, such as on
the related collection instrument or
form, if applicable. The display of OMB
control numbers in certain EPA
regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR
part 9.
Abstract: The Clean Water Act (CWA)
directs EPA to develop regulations,
called effluent guidelines, to limit the
amount of pollutants that are discharged
to surface waters or to sewage treatment
plants. The effluent guidelines for the
steam electric power generating point
source category apply to steam electric
generating units at establishments that
are primarily engaged in the generation
of electricity for distribution and sale,
resulting primarily from a process using
nuclear or fossil-type fuels, such as coal,
oil and natural gas.
EPA first identified the industry
during its 2005 annual review of
discharges from categories with existing
effluent guidelines regulations, when
publicly available data indicated that
this industry ranked high in discharges
of toxic and nonconventional
pollutants. Because of these findings,
EPA initiated a more detailed study of
the industry and collected data through
site visits, wastewater sampling, a
limited data request, and secondary
sources of data. EPA determined that
steam electric power plants are
responsible for a significant amount of
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
the toxic pollutant loadings discharged
to surface waters by point sources.
Further information regarding these
conclusions can be found in EPA’s
study, Steam Electric Power Generating
Point Source Category: Final Detailed
Study Report (EPA 821–R–09–008). This
ICR will support the review and
revision of the Steam Electric ELGs.
EPA is requesting the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) to
review and approve the ICR for Steam
Electric Power Generating Effluent
Guidelines. The ICR will aid in the
collection of information from a wide
range of steam electric power generating
industry operations to characterize
waste streams, understand the processes
that generate the wastes, gather
environmental data, and assess the
availability and affordability of
treatment technologies. These data will
be used to perform detailed technical
and economic analyses that will support
EPA’s rulemaking.
EPA has identified approximately
1,200 fossil- and nuclear-fueled steam
electric power plants that are potentially
within scope of the data collection
objectives of the questionnaire. To
reduce burden on the industry, EPA
intends to distribute the questionnaire
to a statistically-sampled subset of these
facilities. After addressing comments
provided during the first FRN
publication comment period, which
ended on December 28, 2009, EPA
estimates that approximately 734 fossilor nuclear-fueled steam electric plants
will be required to complete Parts A and
I of the questionnaire. This is a decrease
in the number of respondents, from 760
to 734. The questionnaire consists of
multiple sections which have been
tailored to address specific processes,
specific data needs, or types of power
plants. Parts A and I of the
questionnaire will be sent to all
questionnaire recipients (734 plants);
the remaining sections will be sent to
discrete subpopulations of
questionnaire recipients. Overall, EPA
estimates a reduction of 11,640 hours in
respondent burden as a result of the
revisions of the questionnaire.
The questionnaire will collect general
plant information and selected technical
information about the plant processes
and the electric generating units. The
information that will be collected
includes economic data and technical
information about flue gas
desulfurization (FGD) wastewater, ash
handling, process equipment cleaning
operations, wastewater treatment,
surface impoundment and landfill
operations, and nuclear operations. The
questionnaire will also require certain
power plants to collect and analyze
E:\FR\FM\09MRN1.SGM
09MRN1
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 9, 2010 / Notices
samples of leachate from surface
impoundments and landfills containing
coal combustion residues. More details
about information requested in each
section of the questionnaire are
provided in the ICR supporting
statement.
Burden Statement: The annual public
reporting and recordkeeping burden for
this collection of information is
estimated to average 197 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 which have subsequently
changed; 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.
The ICR provides a detailed
explanation of the Agency’s estimate,
which is only briefly summarized here:
Respondents/Affected Entities: Steam
electric power plants.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
734.
Frequency of Response: Once.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden:
48,150 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost:
$3,076,316. This includes an estimated
annual burden cost of $2,670,633 for
labor and $405,683 million for
operations and maintenance.
Changes in the Estimates: This is a
new collection and thus represents a
one-time increase to the Agency’s
overall burden.
Dated: March 4, 2010.
John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2010–4962 Filed 3–8–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ACTION: Notice of the Availability of
Funds.
SUMMARY: EPA’s Office of Brownfields
and Land Revitalization (OBLR) plans to
make available approximately $8
million to supplementally fund
Revolving Loan Fund capitalization
grants previously awarded
competitively under section 104(k)(3) of
the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation and Liability
Act (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. 9604(k)(3).
Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan
Fund (BCRLF) pilots awarded under
section 104(d)(1) of CERCLA that have
not transitioned to section 104(k)(3)
grants are not eligible to apply for these
funds. EPA will consider awarding
supplemental funding only to RLF
grantees who have demonstrated an
ability to deliver programmatic results
by making at least one loan or subgrant.
The award of these funds is based on
the criteria described at CERCLA
104(k)(4)(A)(ii).
The Agency is now accepting requests
for supplemental funding from RLF
grantees. Requests for funding must be
submitted to the appropriate EPA
Regional Brownfields Coordinator
(listed below) by [insert date 30 days
from date of publication]. Funding
requests for hazardous substances and/
or petroleum funding will be accepted.
Specific information on submitting a
request for RLF supplemental funding is
described below and additional
information may be obtained by
contacting the EPA Regional
Brownfields Coordinator.
DATES: This action is effective March 9,
2010.
ADDRESSES: A request for supplemental
funding must be in the form of a letter
addressed to the appropriate Regional
Brownfields Coordinator with a copy to
Diane Kelley, USEPA Region I, 5 Post
Office Square, Suite 100, Boston, MA
02109–3912. See listing below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Diane Kelley, U.S. EPA, Region I, (617)
918–1424 or the appropriate
Brownfields Regional Coordinator.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
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[FRL–9124–3]
FY2010 Supplemental Funding for
Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund
(RLF) Grantees
AGENCY: Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
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19:04 Mar 08, 2010
Jkt 220001
The Small Business Liability Relief
and Brownfields Revitalization Act
added section 104(k) to CERCLA to
authorize federal financial assistance for
brownfields revitalization, including
grants for assessment, cleanup and job
training. Section 104(k) includes a
provision for the EPA to, among other
things, award grants to eligible entities
to capitalize Revolving Loan Funds and
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
10793
to provide loans and subgrants for
brownfields cleanup. Section
104(k)(4)(A)(ii)o authorizes EPA to make
additional grant funds available to RLF
grantees for any year after the year for
which the initial grant is made
(noncompetitive RLF supplemental
funding) taking into consideration:
(I) The number of sites and number of
communities that are addressed by the
revolving loan fund;
(II) The demand for funding by
eligible entities that have not previously
received a grant under this subsection;
(III) The demonstrated ability of the
eligible entity to use the revolving loan
fund to enhance remediation and
provide funds on a continuing basis;
and
(IV) such other similar factors as the
[Agency] considers appropriate to carry
out this subsection.
Eligibility
In order to be considered for
supplemental funding, RLF recipients
must have made at least one loan or
subgrant prior to applying for this
supplemental funding. Additionally, the
RLF recipient must have significantly
depleted existing available funds;
demonstrated a need for supplemental
funding based on, among other factors,
the number of sites that will be
addressed; demonstrated the ability to
administer and revolve the
capitalization funding in the RLF grant;
demonstrated an ability to use the RLF
grant to address funding gaps for
cleanup; and demonstrated that they
have provided a community benefit
from past and potential loan(s) and/or
subgrant(s). Additional consideration
will be given to RLF recipients who will
use the funds to address areas severely
impacted by economic disruptions.
Applicants for supplemental funding
must contact the appropriate Regional
Brownfields Coordinator below to
obtain information on the format for
supplemental funding applications for
their region. When requesting
supplemental funding, applicants must
specify whether they are seeking
funding for sites contaminated by
hazardous substances or petroleum.
Applicants may request both types of
funding.
E:\FR\FM\09MRN1.SGM
09MRN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 9, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10791-10793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-4962]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OW-2009-0819; FRL-9124-7]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Questionnaire for Steam Electric
Power Generating Effluent Guidelines (New); EPA ICR No. 2368.01, OMB
Control No. 2040-NEW
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request for a new
collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of
the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.
[[Page 10792]]
DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before April 8, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2009-0819, to (1) EPA online using https://www.regulations.gov (our
preferred method), by e-mail to ow-docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA
Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Docket, Mailcode
28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB
by mail to: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Jezebele Alicea-Virella,
Engineering and Analysis Division (4303T), Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone
number: 202-566-1755; e-mail address: Alicea.Jezebele@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR
1320.12. On October 29, 2009 (74 FR 55837-55839), EPA sought comments
on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received comments from
electric power companies, industry trade associations, and an
environmental group. The topics raised in these comments address both
general matters related to the ICR, such as format and timing, and
suggested revisions to specific questions that request technical
information in various sections of the questionnaire. The comments are
summarized in the supporting statement for this ICR. Any additional
comments on this proposed ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within
30 days of this notice.
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-OW-2009-0819, which is available for online viewing at
https://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Water Docket in
the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution
Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room is open from
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal
holidays. The telephone number for the Reading Room is 202-566-1744,
and the telephone number for the Water Docket is (202) 566-2426.
Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at https://www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those
documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the
system, select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number
identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made
available for public viewing at https://www.regulations.gov as EPA
receives them and without change, unless the comment contains
copyrighted material, confidential business information (CBI), or other
information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For
further information about the electronic docket, go to https://www.regulations.gov.
Title: Questionnaire for Steam Electric Power Generating Effluent
Guidelines (New).
ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2368.01, OMB Control No. 2040-NEW.
ICR Status: This ICR is for a new information collection activity.
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
in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when
approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed either by
publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such
as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The
display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is
consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
Abstract: The Clean Water Act (CWA) directs EPA to develop
regulations, called effluent guidelines, to limit the amount of
pollutants that are discharged to surface waters or to sewage treatment
plants. The effluent guidelines for the steam electric power generating
point source category apply to steam electric generating units at
establishments that are primarily engaged in the generation of
electricity for distribution and sale, resulting primarily from a
process using nuclear or fossil-type fuels, such as coal, oil and
natural gas.
EPA first identified the industry during its 2005 annual review of
discharges from categories with existing effluent guidelines
regulations, when publicly available data indicated that this industry
ranked high in discharges of toxic and nonconventional pollutants.
Because of these findings, EPA initiated a more detailed study of the
industry and collected data through site visits, wastewater sampling, a
limited data request, and secondary sources of data. EPA determined
that steam electric power plants are responsible for a significant
amount of the toxic pollutant loadings discharged to surface waters by
point sources. Further information regarding these conclusions can be
found in EPA's study, Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source
Category: Final Detailed Study Report (EPA 821-R-09-008). This ICR will
support the review and revision of the Steam Electric ELGs.
EPA is requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to
review and approve the ICR for Steam Electric Power Generating Effluent
Guidelines. The ICR will aid in the collection of information from a
wide range of steam electric power generating industry operations to
characterize waste streams, understand the processes that generate the
wastes, gather environmental data, and assess the availability and
affordability of treatment technologies. These data will be used to
perform detailed technical and economic analyses that will support
EPA's rulemaking.
EPA has identified approximately 1,200 fossil- and nuclear-fueled
steam electric power plants that are potentially within scope of the
data collection objectives of the questionnaire. To reduce burden on
the industry, EPA intends to distribute the questionnaire to a
statistically-sampled subset of these facilities. After addressing
comments provided during the first FRN publication comment period,
which ended on December 28, 2009, EPA estimates that approximately 734
fossil- or nuclear-fueled steam electric plants will be required to
complete Parts A and I of the questionnaire. This is a decrease in the
number of respondents, from 760 to 734. The questionnaire consists of
multiple sections which have been tailored to address specific
processes, specific data needs, or types of power plants. Parts A and I
of the questionnaire will be sent to all questionnaire recipients (734
plants); the remaining sections will be sent to discrete subpopulations
of questionnaire recipients. Overall, EPA estimates a reduction of
11,640 hours in respondent burden as a result of the revisions of the
questionnaire.
The questionnaire will collect general plant information and
selected technical information about the plant processes and the
electric generating units. The information that will be collected
includes economic data and technical information about flue gas
desulfurization (FGD) wastewater, ash handling, process equipment
cleaning operations, wastewater treatment, surface impoundment and
landfill operations, and nuclear operations. The questionnaire will
also require certain power plants to collect and analyze
[[Page 10793]]
samples of leachate from surface impoundments and landfills containing
coal combustion residues. More details about information requested in
each section of the questionnaire are provided in the ICR supporting
statement.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 197
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 which have subsequently changed; 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.
The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate,
which is only briefly summarized here:
Respondents/Affected Entities: Steam electric power plants.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 734.
Frequency of Response: Once.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 48,150 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $3,076,316. This includes an estimated
annual burden cost of $2,670,633 for labor and $405,683 million for
operations and maintenance.
Changes in the Estimates: This is a new collection and thus
represents a one-time increase to the Agency's overall burden.
Dated: March 4, 2010.
John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2010-4962 Filed 3-8-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P