Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Information Collection Request for Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), 47496-47500 [2023-15616]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
47496
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 140 / Monday, July 24, 2023 / Notices
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–ORD–2021–0562; FRL–11038–01–
ORD]
Availability of the Draft IRIS
Toxicological Review of
Perfluorohexane Sulfonate (PFHxS)
and Related Salts
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of public comment
period.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is announcing a 60-day
public comment period associated with
release of the draft IRIS Toxicological
Review of Perfluorohexane Sulfonate
(PFHxS) and Related Salts. The draft
assessment was prepared by the Center
for Public Health and Environmental
Assessment (CPHEA) within EPA’s
Office of Research and Development
(ORD). EPA is releasing this draft IRIS
assessment for public comment in
advance of a contractor-led peer review.
Public comments received will be
provided to the external peer reviewers.
ERG, a contractor to EPA, will convene
a public meeting to discuss the draft
report during Step 4 of the IRIS Process.
The external peer reviewers will
consider public comments submitted in
response to this notice and those
provided at the public meeting when
reviewing this assessment. EPA will
consider all comments received when
revising the assessment post-peer
review. This draft assessment is not
final as described in EPA’s information
quality guidelines, and it does not
represent, and should not be construed
to represent Agency policy or views.
DATES: The 60-day public comment
period begins July 24, 2023 and ends
September 22, 2023. Comments must be
received on or before September 22,
2023.
SUMMARY:
The draft IRIS Toxicological
Review of Perfluorohexane Sulfonate
(PFHxS) and Related Salts will be
available via the internet on the IRIS
website at https://www.epa.gov/iris/irisrecent-additions and in the public
docket at https://www.regulations.gov,
Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2021–
0562.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information on the public comment
period, contact the ORD Docket at the
EPA Headquarters Docket Center;
telephone: 202–566–1752; facsimile:
202–566–9744; or email: Docket_ORD@
epa.gov.
For technical information on the draft
IRIS Toxicological Review of
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
ADDRESSES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:56 Jul 21, 2023
Jkt 259001
Perfluorohexane Sulfonate (PFHxS) and
Related Salts, contact the IRIS Hotline;
email: IRIS_HOTLINE@epa.gov. The
IRIS Program will provide updates
through the IRIS website (https://
www.epa.gov/iris) and via EPA’s IRIS
listserv. To register for the IRIS listserv,
visit the IRIS website (https://
www.epa.gov/iris) or visit https://
www.epa.gov/iris/forms/stayingconnected-integrated-risk-informationsystem#connect.
For questions about the peer review,
please contact: Laurie Waite, ERG, by
email at peerreview@erg.com (subject
line: EPA PFAS assessments peer
review); or by phone: (781) 674–7362.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
How To Submit Technical Comments to
the Docket at https://
www.regulations.gov
Submit your comments, identified by
Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2021–
0562 for the Perfluorohexane Sulfonate
(PFHxS) and Related Salts IRIS
Assessment, by one of the following
methods:
• www.regulations.gov: Follow the
on-line instructions for submitting
comments.
• Email: Docket_ORD@epa.gov.
• Fax: 202–566–9744.
• Mail: U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center
(ORD Docket), Mail Code: 28221T, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20460. The phone number is 202–
566–1752.
For information on visiting the EPA
Docket Center Public Reading Room,
visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets. The
telephone number for the Public
Reading Room is 202–566–1744. The
public can submit comments via
www.Regulations.gov or email.
Instructions: Direct your comments to
docket number EPA–HQ–ORD–2021–
0562 for Perfluorohexane Sulfonate
(PFHxS) and Related Salts IRIS
Assessment.
Please ensure that your comments are
submitted within the specified comment
period. Comments received after the
closing date will be marked ‘‘late,’’ and
may only be considered if time permits.
It is EPA’s policy to include all
comments it receives in the public
docket without change and to make the
comments available online at
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided, unless a
comment includes information claimed
to be Confidential Business Information
(CBI) or other information for which
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do
not submit information through
www.regulations.gov or email that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise
PO 00000
Frm 00024
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
protected. The www.regulations.gov
website is an ‘‘anonymous access’’
system, which means EPA will not
know your identity or contact
information unless you provide it in the
body of your comment. If you send an
email comment directly to EPA without
going through www.regulations.gov,
your email address will be
automatically captured and included as
part of the comment that is placed in the
public docket and made available on the
internet. If you submit an electronic
comment, EPA recommends that you
include your name and other contact
information in the body of your
comment and with any disk or CD–ROM
you submit. If EPA cannot read your
comment due to technical difficulties
and cannot contact you for clarification,
EPA may not be able to consider your
comment. Electronic files should avoid
the use of special characters, any form
of encryption, and be free of any defects
or viruses. For additional information
about EPA’s public docket visit the EPA
Docket Center homepage at
www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
Docket: Documents in the docket are
listed in the www.regulations.gov index.
Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available,
e.g., CBI or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute.
Certain other materials, such as
copyrighted material, are publicly
available only in hard copy. Publicly
available docket materials are available
either electronically in
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at
the ORD Docket in the EPA
Headquarters Docket Center.
Wayne Cascio,
Director, Center for Public Health &
Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2023–15613 Filed 7–21–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–OW–2017–0300; FRL–11162–01–
OW]
Proposed Information Collection
Request; Comment Request;
Information Collection Request for
Lead and Copper Rule Revisions
(LCRR)
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to
submit an information collection
request (ICR), ‘‘Information Collection
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\24JYN1.SGM
24JYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 140 / Monday, July 24, 2023 / Notices
Request for Lead and Copper Rule
Revisions (LCRR)’’ (EPA ICR No.
2606.03, OMB Control No. 2040–0297)
to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review and approval in
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act . 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 LCRR ICR
with additional information on the
potential burden that may result from
respondents (public water systems,
primacy agencies, and EPA) consulting
EPA’s recommendations in ‘‘Guidance
for Developing and Maintaining a
Service Line Inventory’’ (August 2022,
EPA 816–B–22–001) (referred to as
Service Line (SL) Inventory Guidance)
when seeking to comply with the
requirements of the LCRR. 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. While this ICR covers a period
of time following the LCRR compliance
date, October 16, 2024, EPA intends to
revise many parts of the LCRR through
the Lead and Copper Rule
Improvements (LCRI) prior to that
compliance date. EPA intends to
promulgate LCRI by October 16, 2024.
EPA intends to issue an ICR that would
revise the information collection to
reflect the requirements under LCRI
when it proposes and promulgates the
LCRI.
Comments must be submitted on
or before September 22, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
referencing Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
OW–2017–0300, online using
www.regulations.gov (our preferred
method), by email to LCRR@epa.gov, 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:
Amina Grant, Standards and Risk
Management Division, Office of Water,
Environmental Protection Agency, Mail
Code 4607M, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave.
NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone
number: 202–564–7683; email address:
Grant.Amina@epa.gov.
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
DATES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:18 Jul 21, 2023
Jkt 259001
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Supporting documents that 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 www.regulations.gov,
Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OW–2017–
0300, 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 https://www.epa.gov/dockets.
Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of
the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq, 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
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. EPA is also requesting
comment on the potential burden and
costs associated with the non-binding
voluntary recommendations in EPA’s
‘‘Guidance for Developing and
Maintaining a Service Line Inventory,’’
or SL Inventory Guidance, and the
inventory templates provided in
Appendix A of the guidance document.
In addition, EPA is requesting comment
on the recommendations in the SL
Inventory Guidance about how to
implement the LCRR requirement that
public water systems (PWS) internally
track address the locations of each
service line. 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: On January 15, 2021, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) published in the Federal Register
(FR) the ‘‘National Primary Drinking
Water Regulations: Lead and Copper
Rule Revisions’’ (LCRR) (86 FR 4198). In
a subsequent action on June 16, 2021,
PO 00000
Frm 00025
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
47497
EPA published the ‘‘National Primary
Drinking Water Regulations: Lead and
Copper Rule Revisions; Delay of
Effective and Compliance Dates’’ (86 FR
31939), which set the new effective date
for the LCRR as December 16, 2021, and
the compliance date as October 16,
2024. Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) approved the initial
‘‘Information Collection Request for
Lead and Copper Rule Revisions
(LCRR)’’ on July 25, 2022, and set the
renewal date as December 31, 2023.
Therefore, this ICR renewal
characterizes the incremental impacts of
the LCRR in terms of the burden and
costs for the three years after December
31, 2023 (January 1, 2024, through
December 31, 2026). Also, this ICR
modifies the extension to the ICR titled,
‘‘Disinfectants/Disinfection Byproducts,
Chemical, and Radionuclides Rules’’ (80
FR 78224, December 16, 2015, OMB
control number 2040–0204), which
estimates the burden and costs
associated with the previous Lead and
Copper Rule (LCR) as well as other
rules.
In addition to the renewal of the
‘‘Information Collection Request for
Lead and Copper Rule Revisions
(LCRR),’’ this ICR includes information
on the potential burden that may result
from respondents (public water systems,
primacy agencies, and EPA) that choose
to follow recommendations included in
EPA’s ‘‘Guidance for Developing and
Maintaining a Service Line Inventory’’
(August 2022, EPA 816–B–22–001)
when seeking to comply with the
inventory requirements of the LCRR
over the same three-year period of
January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026.
While this ICR covers a period of time
following the LCRR compliance date,
EPA intends to revise the LCRR prior to
the compliance date. EPA intends to
promulgate the Lead and Copper Rule
Improvements (LCRI) by October 16,
2024 and revise many rule areas of the
LCRR. The following summary of the
LCRR and the estimated burden and
costs associated with this ICR renewal
for the LCRR describe what would
happen without promulgation of the
LCRI and is provided for the reader to
understand the information that would
be collected if the LCRI is not
promulgated. However, EPA intends to
promulgate the LCRI. At that time, EPA
also intends to issue a new ICR that
would describe and assess the revised
burden and costs to reflect the LCRI
when EPA proposes and promulgates
the LCRI.
The LCRR revised the previous
version of this National Primary
Drinking Water Regulation and requires
community and non-transient non-
E:\FR\FM\24JYN1.SGM
24JYN1
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
47498
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 140 / Monday, July 24, 2023 / Notices
community water systems to optimize
corrosion control and, under specified
conditions, install source water
treatment, conduct public education,
and replace lead service lines (LSLs) in
the distribution system. The LCRR also
expands public education requirements
for lead, requires greater public access
to information on lead, and further
emphasizes lead reduction for sensitive
subpopulations by requiring additional
lead in drinking water testing at schools
and child care facilities. The LCRR is
designed to identify and reduce lead
exposure at systems with elevated lead
concentrations in their drinking water
by establishing a lead trigger level (TL)
of 0.010 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in
addition to the lead action level (AL) of
0.015 mg/L that was established under
the previous rule (a system’s lead
concentration is measured as the 90th
percentile water lead level derived from
a set of samples collected at consumers
taps during each monitoring period).
See the LCRR final rule Federal Register
for detailed information on the specific
regulatory requirements (86 FR 4198,
January 15, 2021).
Water systems required to comply
with the regulation include Federal,
State, Tribal, and local governmental
entities as well as private entities. States
(and Tribes) that have been granted
primary enforcement authority (i.e.,
primacy) for the LCR are responsible for
overseeing rule implementation by
systems within their jurisdiction. In
instances where a State or Tribe does
not have primacy, the EPA Region is the
primacy agency. Systems demonstrate
compliance through reporting the
analytical results of collected samples,
LSL statistics (both the number of LSLs
present in a system and the number of
LSLs replaced following a TLE or ALE),
and other information to the primacy
agency. Systems use this data to
demonstrate compliance, assess
treatment options, operate and maintain
installed treatment, and communicate
water quality information to consumers
served by the system. Primacy agencies
use the data to determine compliance,
designate treatment to be installed, and
set enforceable operating parameters.
Primacy agencies are also required to
report a subset of the data to EPA,
which uses this information to protect
public health by ensuring compliance
with the LCR, measuring progress
toward meeting the LCR’s goals, and
evaluating the appropriateness of State
and Tribal implementation activities.
The information reported by primacy
agencies to EPA can be found in the
Safe Drinking Water Information System
(SDWIS).
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:56 Jul 21, 2023
Jkt 259001
In 2024, the first year of the LCRR ICR
renewal period, which includes the
October 16, 2024 LCRR compliance
date, PWSs should still be engaged in
the regulatory startup activities
identified in the original ‘‘Information
Collection Request for Lead and Copper
Rule Revisions (LCRR).’’ These activities
include reading and understanding the
LCRR, assigning personnel and
resources for rule implementation,
attending training and receiving
technical assistance from the State,
developing initial LSL inventories and
submitting demonstrations for systems
that do not have lead, galvanized
requiring replacement (GRR), and
unknown service lines, and conferring
with primacy agencies on initial
planning for lead service line
replacement (LSLR) and preparation of
an LSLR plan when lead, GRR, and
unknown service lines are present.
During this same period, primacy
agencies will conduct startup activities
that include adopting the rule and
developing a program to implement it,
modifying their data systems, providing
system staff with training and technical
assistance, providing internal staff with
training for implementation, assisting
with initial LSL inventories and
reviewing initial inventories, reviewing
demonstrations of no LSLs, GRRs, and
unknown lines from systems, and
conferring with systems on initial
planning for LSLR and reviewing the
LSLR plan.
Following the LCRR compliance date,
both systems and primacy agencies
must work to implement several
ongoing and additional regulatory
requirements. The resultant ICR related
burden and costs associated with these
implementation activities are estimated
in years 2025 and 2026 of this ICR
renewal. The LCRR ICR water system
activities occurring in years 2025 and
2026 include ongoing rule
implementation and administration,
lead and copper tap monitoring,
corrosion control treatment (CCT), findand-fix, water quality parameter
monitoring, source water monitoring,
LSL inventory updates, LSLR, small
system point-of-use (POU) treatment as
a compliance alternative,1 lead public
1 The replacement of lead bearing plumbing
compliance option for small system flexibility is not
costed out in this ICR or the Economic Analysis for
the Final Lead and Copper Rule Revisions. EPA
lacks the system characteristic data that would
allow the Agency to determine a small system’s cost
for replacement of lead-bearing plumbing materials
because of the significant variability among systems
and the plumbing materials in the buildings they
serve. EPA assumes a system would only select the
replacement of lead-bearing plumbing materials
compliance option if it cost less than the three other
PO 00000
Frm 00026
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
education and outreach, public
notification, and lead in drinking water
testing programs at schools and child
care facilities.2 During this same period,
the burden and cost to primacy agencies
stems from their review and oversight of
the activities associated with each of the
PWS requirements outlined above as
well as training staff and managing data
systems. See the LCRR final rule
Federal Register publication for
detailed information on the specific
regulatory requirements to occur in the
years 2024, 2025, and 2026 (86 FR 4198,
January 15, 2021). However, note that
EPA intends to revise many of the parts
of LCRR through LCRI prior to the
October 16, 2024, compliance date,
including a future ICR associated with
the LCRI.
In this ICR, EPA is also assessing the
potential burden and cost to public
water systems, primacy agencies, and
EPA that choose to follow the nonbinding recommendations made by EPA
in its ‘‘Guidance for Developing and
Maintaining a Service Line Inventory’’
(August 2022, EPA 816–B–22–001),
when seeking to comply with the
inventory requirements of the LCRR
over the same three-year period (January
1, 2024 through December 31, 2026).3
The purpose of the SL Inventory
Guidance is to assist water systems as
they develop and maintain their service
line inventories and to provide primacy
agencies with needed information for
oversight and reporting to EPA. The
guidance covers the lifecycle of the
inventory, including inventory creation,
material investigations, system
reporting, primacy agency review,
public accessibility of service line
information, and service line consumer
notification. In addition, the guidance
provides best practices, case studies,
and templates related to topics, such as
the classification of service line
materials; best practices for service line
material investigations; inventory form
and format; inventory accessibility;
tools to support inventory development
and data tracking; and ways to prioritize
service line investigations.
More specifically, in this ICR, EPA
assessed the potential incremental
alternative compliance options (LSLR, CCT, and
POU).
2 Note the degree of burden and cost associated
with the majority of these activities is dependent on
sampled water lead levels at individual systems.
3 The SL Inventory Guidance document is not a
regulation itself nor does it change or substitute for
the relevant provisions and requirements in the
Safe Drinking Water Act and LCRR. Thus, it does
not impose legally binding requirements on EPA,
primacy agencies, or the regulated community. The
document does not confer legal rights or impose
legal obligations on EPA, primacy agencies, the
regulated community, or any member of the public.
E:\FR\FM\24JYN1.SGM
24JYN1
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 140 / Monday, July 24, 2023 / Notices
burden and cost associated with the
general recommendations for PWSs to:
create an initial inventory that is as
thorough as possible; provide, in the
publicly accessible inventory, location
identifiers for all service lines that are
sufficiently detailed to allow the
identification of a specific service line;
expand inventories to include service
line subclassifications, other plumbing
components such as lead connectors,
and other details such as source of
information, pipe diameter, and
installation date; conduct interviews
with experienced staff and plumbers to
help focus the inventory effort and
locate system records; interview
neighboring water systems about
regional construction practices; consider
inventory practices as something that
can be worked into the day-to-day
activities of the system rather than
treated as an independent effort;
consider developing or modifying SOPs
to document how they will collect
service line information during normal
operations and update their inventories;
partner with plumbers and other third
parties to obtain information on service
line materials; document the records
they reviewed (including information
from past reviews) as a best practice and
include the source of the material
classification in their inventory; and
continue to gather information on
service line materials after the lines
have been classified and assess the
accuracy of historical records.
The ICR also assesses the potential
burden and cost impacts of the SL
Inventory Guidance recommendations
associated with the LCRR requirement
to update the inventory.4 The guidance
recommends that PWSs begin engaging
customers and conducting proactive,
on-site service line material
investigations as soon as possible to
improve their inventory, verify existing
records, and reduce the number of
unknowns. The service line
investigative techniques discussed in
the SL Inventory Guidance include
visual observation, water quality
sampling, predictive modeling, and
excavation.
A third category of potential burden
and costs that could result from PWSs
choosing to implement the guidance
recommendations are those associated
with public accessibility of the
inventory. In the guidance, EPA
recommends that systems select the best
method for sharing the inventory data
with the public given their data sharing
4 The
LCRR requires submission of the updated
version of the inventory on the same schedule as
a system’s tap sampling monitoring, but no more
frequently than annually (40 CFR 141.90(e)(3)).
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:56 Jul 21, 2023
Jkt 259001
infrastructure, technological
capabilities, and staff limitations.
Online systems could share data in the
form of interactive maps or
downloadable spreadsheets on the
system’s website or through other cloudbased sharing apps or FTP/SFTP
servers. For PWSs that do not have an
online system to disseminate inventory
data, EPA recommends that these PWSs
consider developing such a system.
Alternatively, in the guidance, EPA
suggests that information can be shared
in a tabular data format in preexisting
utility mailings or newsletters.
Appendix A of the SL Inventory
Guidance also provides templates to
assist primacy agencies and PWSs to
standardize and potentially simplify the
inventory development and update
process.5 For detailed information on
the SL Inventory Guidance
recommendations and templates, see
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-anddrinking-water/revised-lead-andcopper-rule.
Form Numbers: None.
Respondents/affected entities: Data
associated with this ICR are collected
and maintained by PWS and State,
Territorial, Tribal, and Federal
governments. Respondents include:
• Owners/operators of PWSs, who
must report to their primacy agency.
• Primacy agencies, and the EPA
Regions that act as primacy agencies for
States, Territories, and Tribal lands that
do not have primacy.
The North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS) code for
privately owned PWSs is 22131. The
NAICS codes for State agencies that
include drinking water programs are
92411 (Administration of Air and Water
Resources and Solid Waste Management
Programs) or 92312 (Administration of
Public Health Programs). Ancillary
systems (systems where providing water
is ancillary to a primary business, e.g.,
mobile home parks) cannot be
categorized in a single NAICS code. For
ancillary systems, the NAICS code is
that of the primary establishment or
industry.
Respondent’s obligation to respond:
This collection has both mandatory and
voluntary components. The mandatory
data collection is associated with the
regulatory requirements of the LCRR.
The authority for this collection is
derived from different parts of SDWA,
including the definition for a ‘‘primary
drinking water regulation’’ under
section 1401(1)(D) of SDWA, which
5 See EPA’s website at https://www.epa.gov/
ground-water-and-drinking-water/revised-lead-andcopper-rule for a downloadable, spreadsheet
version of the template that contains forms and
additional sheets for inventory tracking.
PO 00000
Frm 00027
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
47499
requires that a ‘‘primary drinking water
regulation means a regulation’’ that
‘‘contains criteria and procedures to
assure a supply of drinking water which
dependably complies with such
maximum contaminant levels [or
treatment techniques promulgated in
lieu of a maximum contaminant level];
including accepted methods for quality
control and testing procedures to
[e]nsure compliance with such levels
and to [e]nsure proper operation and
maintenance of the system . . .’’
Furthermore, section 1445(a)(1)(A) of
SDWA requires that ‘‘[e]very person
who is subject to any requirement of
this subchapter or who is a grantee,
shall establish and maintain such
records, make such reports, conduct
such monitoring, and provide such
information as the Administrator may
reasonably require by regulation to
assist the Administrator in establishing
regulations under this subchapter, in
determining whether such person has
acted or is acting in compliance with
this subchapter . . .’’ In addition,
section 1413(a)(3) of SDWA requires
primacy agencies to ‘‘keep such records
and make such reports . . . as the
Administrator may require by
regulation.’’
A portion of the estimated burden and
costs associated with this ICR come
from activities PWSs and primacy
agencies may implement based on the
non-binding recommendations,
provided in EPA’s SL Inventory
Guidance, on the development and
maintenance for the LCRR-required
initial LSL inventory and subsequent
updates to that inventory. Based on the
recommendations and best practices
included in the SL Inventory Guidance,
EPA anticipates that PWSs that choose
to implement some or all of the
recommendations and best practices
may achieve benefits, such as having a
more accurate service line inventory
that helps facilitate LCRR compliance,
improving LSLR program efficiency and
transparency, providing greater public
health protection, potentially assisting
in obtaining external funds for
inventory development and LSLR,
improving asset management, and
providing potential cost savings. A more
robust inventory that uses these
recommendations may provide primacy
agencies with more accurate
information for oversight and reporting.
Estimated number of respondents:
The total number of respondents for this
ICR is 67,712. Fifty-six of these
respondents are primacy agencies and
the remaining 67,656 respondents are
water systems.
Frequency of response: The estimated
total net average annual number of
E:\FR\FM\24JYN1.SGM
24JYN1
47500
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 140 / Monday, July 24, 2023 / Notices
responses is 56,055,890 (55,356,286
system responses plus 699,604 primacy
agency responses).
Total estimated burden: The total net
annual respondent burden associated
with this ICR is estimated to be
9,660,286 hours (per year). Burden is
defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
Total estimated cost: The total net
annual costs are estimated to be
$641,162,423 per year.
Changes in Estimates: There is an
increase between 25,592,837 and
25,809,781 hours 6 in the total estimated
respondent burden compared with the
ICR currently approved by OMB. This
increase is primarily due to the differing
ICR burden estimation windows. The
previous ICR covered the first three
years after the promulgation of the
LCRR when PWSs and primacy agencies
should be engaged in the regulatory
startup/implementation activities
identified in the original ‘‘Information
Collection Request for Lead and Copper
Rule Revisions (LCRR)’’ or the currently
approved ICR. These activities include
reading and understanding the LCRR,
assigning personnel and resources for
rule implementation, attending training
and receiving technical assistance from
the State, developing initial LSL
inventories and submitting
demonstrations that systems only have
non-lead service lines (where
applicable), and conferring with
primacy agencies on initial planning for
LSLR and preparing an LSLR plan when
LSLs are present. During this same
period, primacy agencies should be
conducing startup activities that include
adopting the rule and developing a
program to implement it, modifying
their data systems, providing system
staff with training and technical
assistance, providing internal staff with
training for implementation, assisting
with initial LSL inventories and
reviewing initial inventories, reviewing
demonstrations of only non-lead service
lines from systems, and conferring with
systems on initial planning for LSLR
and reviewing the LSLR plan. This
proposed ICR covers these same
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
6 The currently approved ICR provided a total
burden range of 3,171,076 to 3,388,020 hours. The
current analysis provides only a single high-end
estimate of 28,980,857 hours.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:56 Jul 21, 2023
Jkt 259001
activities from the currently approved
ICR in the first year of this ICR renewal
period (2024), but in the next two years
(2025 and 2026) of the ICR, both
systems and primacy agencies must
work to implement a number of ongoing
and additional regulatory requirements
including ongoing rule implementation
and administration, lead and copper tap
monitoring, corrosion control treatment,
find-and-fix, water quality parameter
monitoring, source water monitoring,
LSL inventory updates, LSL
replacement, small system POU
treatment as a compliance alternative,
lead public education and outreach,
public notification, and lead in drinking
water testing programs at schools and
child care facilities. During this same
period, the burden and cost to primacy
agencies stems from their review and
oversite activities associated with this
larger set of the PWS requirements for
2025 and 2026. A relatively small
increase in burden is associated with
systems and primacy agencies
voluntarily following recommendations
associated with EPA’s SL Inventory
Guidance. Approximately 3 million
hours of the total burden increase is
attributable to inventory guidance
activities not already covered by the
original LCRR impact analysis.
Jennifer McLain,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking
Water.
[FR Doc. 2023–15616 Filed 7–21–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE
CORPORATION
[OMB No. 3064–0176; –0184]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection
Renewal; Comment Request
Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation (FDIC).
ACTION: Notice and request for comment.
AGENCY:
The FDIC, as part of its
obligations under the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, invites the
general public and other Federal
agencies to take this opportunity to
comment on the request to renew the
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00028
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
existing information collections
described below (OMB Control No.
3064–0176; –0184). The notices of the
proposed renewal for these information
collections were previously published
in the Federal Register on June 1, 2023,
allowing for a 60-day comment period.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before August 23, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties are
invited to submit written comments to
the FDIC by any of the following
methods:
• Agency Website: https://
www.fdic.gov/resources/regulations/
federal-register-publications/.
• Email: comments@fdic.gov. Include
the name and number of the collection
in the subject line of the message.
• Mail: Manny Cabeza (202–898–
3767), Regulatory Counsel, MB–3128,
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,
550 17th Street NW, Washington, DC
20429.
• Hand Delivery: Comments may be
hand-delivered to the guard station at
the rear of the 17th Street NW building
(located on F Street NW), on business
days between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
PRAMain. 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:
Manny Cabeza, Regulatory Counsel,
202–898–3767, mcabeza@fdic.gov, MB–
3128, Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation, 550 17th Street NW,
Washington, DC 20429.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposal to renew the following
currently approved collection of
information:
1. Title: Reverse Mortgage Products.
OMB Number: 3064–0176.
Forms: None.
Affected Public: Insured state
nonmember banks and state savings
associations making reverse mortgage.
Burden Estimate:
E:\FR\FM\24JYN1.SGM
24JYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 140 (Monday, July 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47496-47500]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-15616]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OW-2017-0300; FRL-11162-01-OW]
Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request;
Information Collection Request for Lead and Copper Rule Revisions
(LCRR)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to
submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Information
Collection
[[Page 47497]]
Request for Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR)'' (EPA ICR No.
2606.03, OMB Control No. 2040-0297) to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act . 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 LCRR ICR with additional
information on the potential burden that may result from respondents
(public water systems, primacy agencies, and EPA) consulting EPA's
recommendations in ``Guidance for Developing and Maintaining a Service
Line Inventory'' (August 2022, EPA 816-B-22-001) (referred to as
Service Line (SL) Inventory Guidance) when seeking to comply with the
requirements of the LCRR. 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. While this ICR covers
a period of time following the LCRR compliance date, October 16, 2024,
EPA intends to revise many parts of the LCRR through the Lead and
Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) prior to that compliance date. EPA
intends to promulgate LCRI by October 16, 2024. EPA intends to issue an
ICR that would revise the information collection to reflect the
requirements under LCRI when it proposes and promulgates the LCRI.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before September 22, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2017-0300, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by
email to [email protected], 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: Amina Grant, Standards and Risk
Management Division, Office of Water, Environmental Protection Agency,
Mail Code 4607M, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460;
telephone number: 202-564-7683; email address: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents that 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
www.regulations.gov, Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2017-0300, 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
https://www.epa.gov/dockets.
Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq, 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 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. EPA is also requesting comment on the
potential burden and costs associated with the non-binding voluntary
recommendations in EPA's ``Guidance for Developing and Maintaining a
Service Line Inventory,'' or SL Inventory Guidance, and the inventory
templates provided in Appendix A of the guidance document. In addition,
EPA is requesting comment on the recommendations in the SL Inventory
Guidance about how to implement the LCRR requirement that public water
systems (PWS) internally track address the locations of each service
line. 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: On January 15, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) published in the Federal Register (FR) the ``National
Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Lead and Copper Rule Revisions''
(LCRR) (86 FR 4198). In a subsequent action on June 16, 2021, EPA
published the ``National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Lead and
Copper Rule Revisions; Delay of Effective and Compliance Dates'' (86 FR
31939), which set the new effective date for the LCRR as December 16,
2021, and the compliance date as October 16, 2024. Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) approved the initial ``Information Collection Request
for Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR)'' on July 25, 2022, and set
the renewal date as December 31, 2023. Therefore, this ICR renewal
characterizes the incremental impacts of the LCRR in terms of the
burden and costs for the three years after December 31, 2023 (January
1, 2024, through December 31, 2026). Also, this ICR modifies the
extension to the ICR titled, ``Disinfectants/Disinfection Byproducts,
Chemical, and Radionuclides Rules'' (80 FR 78224, December 16, 2015,
OMB control number 2040-0204), which estimates the burden and costs
associated with the previous Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) as well as
other rules.
In addition to the renewal of the ``Information Collection Request
for Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR),'' this ICR includes
information on the potential burden that may result from respondents
(public water systems, primacy agencies, and EPA) that choose to follow
recommendations included in EPA's ``Guidance for Developing and
Maintaining a Service Line Inventory'' (August 2022, EPA 816-B-22-001)
when seeking to comply with the inventory requirements of the LCRR over
the same three-year period of January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026.
While this ICR covers a period of time following the LCRR compliance
date, EPA intends to revise the LCRR prior to the compliance date. EPA
intends to promulgate the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) by
October 16, 2024 and revise many rule areas of the LCRR. The following
summary of the LCRR and the estimated burden and costs associated with
this ICR renewal for the LCRR describe what would happen without
promulgation of the LCRI and is provided for the reader to understand
the information that would be collected if the LCRI is not promulgated.
However, EPA intends to promulgate the LCRI. At that time, EPA also
intends to issue a new ICR that would describe and assess the revised
burden and costs to reflect the LCRI when EPA proposes and promulgates
the LCRI.
The LCRR revised the previous version of this National Primary
Drinking Water Regulation and requires community and non-transient non-
[[Page 47498]]
community water systems to optimize corrosion control and, under
specified conditions, install source water treatment, conduct public
education, and replace lead service lines (LSLs) in the distribution
system. The LCRR also expands public education requirements for lead,
requires greater public access to information on lead, and further
emphasizes lead reduction for sensitive subpopulations by requiring
additional lead in drinking water testing at schools and child care
facilities. The LCRR is designed to identify and reduce lead exposure
at systems with elevated lead concentrations in their drinking water by
establishing a lead trigger level (TL) of 0.010 milligrams per liter
(mg/L) in addition to the lead action level (AL) of 0.015 mg/L that was
established under the previous rule (a system's lead concentration is
measured as the 90th percentile water lead level derived from a set of
samples collected at consumers taps during each monitoring period). See
the LCRR final rule Federal Register for detailed information on the
specific regulatory requirements (86 FR 4198, January 15, 2021).
Water systems required to comply with the regulation include
Federal, State, Tribal, and local governmental entities as well as
private entities. States (and Tribes) that have been granted primary
enforcement authority (i.e., primacy) for the LCR are responsible for
overseeing rule implementation by systems within their jurisdiction. In
instances where a State or Tribe does not have primacy, the EPA Region
is the primacy agency. Systems demonstrate compliance through reporting
the analytical results of collected samples, LSL statistics (both the
number of LSLs present in a system and the number of LSLs replaced
following a TLE or ALE), and other information to the primacy agency.
Systems use this data to demonstrate compliance, assess treatment
options, operate and maintain installed treatment, and communicate
water quality information to consumers served by the system. Primacy
agencies use the data to determine compliance, designate treatment to
be installed, and set enforceable operating parameters. Primacy
agencies are also required to report a subset of the data to EPA, which
uses this information to protect public health by ensuring compliance
with the LCR, measuring progress toward meeting the LCR's goals, and
evaluating the appropriateness of State and Tribal implementation
activities. The information reported by primacy agencies to EPA can be
found in the Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS).
In 2024, the first year of the LCRR ICR renewal period, which
includes the October 16, 2024 LCRR compliance date, PWSs should still
be engaged in the regulatory startup activities identified in the
original ``Information Collection Request for Lead and Copper Rule
Revisions (LCRR).'' These activities include reading and understanding
the LCRR, assigning personnel and resources for rule implementation,
attending training and receiving technical assistance from the State,
developing initial LSL inventories and submitting demonstrations for
systems that do not have lead, galvanized requiring replacement (GRR),
and unknown service lines, and conferring with primacy agencies on
initial planning for lead service line replacement (LSLR) and
preparation of an LSLR plan when lead, GRR, and unknown service lines
are present. During this same period, primacy agencies will conduct
startup activities that include adopting the rule and developing a
program to implement it, modifying their data systems, providing system
staff with training and technical assistance, providing internal staff
with training for implementation, assisting with initial LSL
inventories and reviewing initial inventories, reviewing demonstrations
of no LSLs, GRRs, and unknown lines from systems, and conferring with
systems on initial planning for LSLR and reviewing the LSLR plan.
Following the LCRR compliance date, both systems and primacy
agencies must work to implement several ongoing and additional
regulatory requirements. The resultant ICR related burden and costs
associated with these implementation activities are estimated in years
2025 and 2026 of this ICR renewal. The LCRR ICR water system activities
occurring in years 2025 and 2026 include ongoing rule implementation
and administration, lead and copper tap monitoring, corrosion control
treatment (CCT), find-and-fix, water quality parameter monitoring,
source water monitoring, LSL inventory updates, LSLR, small system
point-of-use (POU) treatment as a compliance alternative,\1\ lead
public education and outreach, public notification, and lead in
drinking water testing programs at schools and child care
facilities.\2\ During this same period, the burden and cost to primacy
agencies stems from their review and oversight of the activities
associated with each of the PWS requirements outlined above as well as
training staff and managing data systems. See the LCRR final rule
Federal Register publication for detailed information on the specific
regulatory requirements to occur in the years 2024, 2025, and 2026 (86
FR 4198, January 15, 2021). However, note that EPA intends to revise
many of the parts of LCRR through LCRI prior to the October 16, 2024,
compliance date, including a future ICR associated with the LCRI.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The replacement of lead bearing plumbing compliance option
for small system flexibility is not costed out in this ICR or the
Economic Analysis for the Final Lead and Copper Rule Revisions. EPA
lacks the system characteristic data that would allow the Agency to
determine a small system's cost for replacement of lead-bearing
plumbing materials because of the significant variability among
systems and the plumbing materials in the buildings they serve. EPA
assumes a system would only select the replacement of lead-bearing
plumbing materials compliance option if it cost less than the three
other alternative compliance options (LSLR, CCT, and POU).
\2\ Note the degree of burden and cost associated with the
majority of these activities is dependent on sampled water lead
levels at individual systems.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this ICR, EPA is also assessing the potential burden and cost to
public water systems, primacy agencies, and EPA that choose to follow
the non-binding recommendations made by EPA in its ``Guidance for
Developing and Maintaining a Service Line Inventory'' (August 2022, EPA
816-B-22-001), when seeking to comply with the inventory requirements
of the LCRR over the same three-year period (January 1, 2024 through
December 31, 2026).\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The SL Inventory Guidance document is not a regulation
itself nor does it change or substitute for the relevant provisions
and requirements in the Safe Drinking Water Act and LCRR. Thus, it
does not impose legally binding requirements on EPA, primacy
agencies, or the regulated community. The document does not confer
legal rights or impose legal obligations on EPA, primacy agencies,
the regulated community, or any member of the public.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The purpose of the SL Inventory Guidance is to assist water systems
as they develop and maintain their service line inventories and to
provide primacy agencies with needed information for oversight and
reporting to EPA. The guidance covers the lifecycle of the inventory,
including inventory creation, material investigations, system
reporting, primacy agency review, public accessibility of service line
information, and service line consumer notification. In addition, the
guidance provides best practices, case studies, and templates related
to topics, such as the classification of service line materials; best
practices for service line material investigations; inventory form and
format; inventory accessibility; tools to support inventory development
and data tracking; and ways to prioritize service line investigations.
More specifically, in this ICR, EPA assessed the potential
incremental
[[Page 47499]]
burden and cost associated with the general recommendations for PWSs
to: create an initial inventory that is as thorough as possible;
provide, in the publicly accessible inventory, location identifiers for
all service lines that are sufficiently detailed to allow the
identification of a specific service line; expand inventories to
include service line subclassifications, other plumbing components such
as lead connectors, and other details such as source of information,
pipe diameter, and installation date; conduct interviews with
experienced staff and plumbers to help focus the inventory effort and
locate system records; interview neighboring water systems about
regional construction practices; consider inventory practices as
something that can be worked into the day-to-day activities of the
system rather than treated as an independent effort; consider
developing or modifying SOPs to document how they will collect service
line information during normal operations and update their inventories;
partner with plumbers and other third parties to obtain information on
service line materials; document the records they reviewed (including
information from past reviews) as a best practice and include the
source of the material classification in their inventory; and continue
to gather information on service line materials after the lines have
been classified and assess the accuracy of historical records.
The ICR also assesses the potential burden and cost impacts of the
SL Inventory Guidance recommendations associated with the LCRR
requirement to update the inventory.\4\ The guidance recommends that
PWSs begin engaging customers and conducting proactive, on-site service
line material investigations as soon as possible to improve their
inventory, verify existing records, and reduce the number of unknowns.
The service line investigative techniques discussed in the SL Inventory
Guidance include visual observation, water quality sampling, predictive
modeling, and excavation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ The LCRR requires submission of the updated version of the
inventory on the same schedule as a system's tap sampling
monitoring, but no more frequently than annually (40 CFR
141.90(e)(3)).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A third category of potential burden and costs that could result
from PWSs choosing to implement the guidance recommendations are those
associated with public accessibility of the inventory. In the guidance,
EPA recommends that systems select the best method for sharing the
inventory data with the public given their data sharing infrastructure,
technological capabilities, and staff limitations. Online systems could
share data in the form of interactive maps or downloadable spreadsheets
on the system's website or through other cloud-based sharing apps or
FTP/SFTP servers. For PWSs that do not have an online system to
disseminate inventory data, EPA recommends that these PWSs consider
developing such a system. Alternatively, in the guidance, EPA suggests
that information can be shared in a tabular data format in preexisting
utility mailings or newsletters.
Appendix A of the SL Inventory Guidance also provides templates to
assist primacy agencies and PWSs to standardize and potentially
simplify the inventory development and update process.\5\ For detailed
information on the SL Inventory Guidance recommendations and templates,
see https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/revised-lead-and-copper-rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ See EPA's website at https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/revised-lead-and-copper-rule for a downloadable,
spreadsheet version of the template that contains forms and
additional sheets for inventory tracking.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form Numbers: None.
Respondents/affected entities: Data associated with this ICR are
collected and maintained by PWS and State, Territorial, Tribal, and
Federal governments. Respondents include:
Owners/operators of PWSs, who must report to their primacy
agency.
Primacy agencies, and the EPA Regions that act as primacy
agencies for States, Territories, and Tribal lands that do not have
primacy.
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for
privately owned PWSs is 22131. The NAICS codes for State agencies that
include drinking water programs are 92411 (Administration of Air and
Water Resources and Solid Waste Management Programs) or 92312
(Administration of Public Health Programs). Ancillary systems (systems
where providing water is ancillary to a primary business, e.g., mobile
home parks) cannot be categorized in a single NAICS code. For ancillary
systems, the NAICS code is that of the primary establishment or
industry.
Respondent's obligation to respond: This collection has both
mandatory and voluntary components. The mandatory data collection is
associated with the regulatory requirements of the LCRR. The authority
for this collection is derived from different parts of SDWA, including
the definition for a ``primary drinking water regulation'' under
section 1401(1)(D) of SDWA, which requires that a ``primary drinking
water regulation means a regulation'' that ``contains criteria and
procedures to assure a supply of drinking water which dependably
complies with such maximum contaminant levels [or treatment techniques
promulgated in lieu of a maximum contaminant level]; including accepted
methods for quality control and testing procedures to [e]nsure
compliance with such levels and to [e]nsure proper operation and
maintenance of the system . . .'' Furthermore, section 1445(a)(1)(A) of
SDWA requires that ``[e]very person who is subject to any requirement
of this subchapter or who is a grantee, shall establish and maintain
such records, make such reports, conduct such monitoring, and provide
such information as the Administrator may reasonably require by
regulation to assist the Administrator in establishing regulations
under this subchapter, in determining whether such person has acted or
is acting in compliance with this subchapter . . .'' In addition,
section 1413(a)(3) of SDWA requires primacy agencies to ``keep such
records and make such reports . . . as the Administrator may require by
regulation.''
A portion of the estimated burden and costs associated with this
ICR come from activities PWSs and primacy agencies may implement based
on the non-binding recommendations, provided in EPA's SL Inventory
Guidance, on the development and maintenance for the LCRR-required
initial LSL inventory and subsequent updates to that inventory. Based
on the recommendations and best practices included in the SL Inventory
Guidance, EPA anticipates that PWSs that choose to implement some or
all of the recommendations and best practices may achieve benefits,
such as having a more accurate service line inventory that helps
facilitate LCRR compliance, improving LSLR program efficiency and
transparency, providing greater public health protection, potentially
assisting in obtaining external funds for inventory development and
LSLR, improving asset management, and providing potential cost savings.
A more robust inventory that uses these recommendations may provide
primacy agencies with more accurate information for oversight and
reporting.
Estimated number of respondents: The total number of respondents
for this ICR is 67,712. Fifty-six of these respondents are primacy
agencies and the remaining 67,656 respondents are water systems.
Frequency of response: The estimated total net average annual
number of
[[Page 47500]]
responses is 56,055,890 (55,356,286 system responses plus 699,604
primacy agency responses).
Total estimated burden: The total net annual respondent burden
associated with this ICR is estimated to be 9,660,286 hours (per year).
Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
Total estimated cost: The total net annual costs are estimated to
be $641,162,423 per year.
Changes in Estimates: There is an increase between 25,592,837 and
25,809,781 hours \6\ in the total estimated respondent burden compared
with the ICR currently approved by OMB. This increase is primarily due
to the differing ICR burden estimation windows. The previous ICR
covered the first three years after the promulgation of the LCRR when
PWSs and primacy agencies should be engaged in the regulatory startup/
implementation activities identified in the original ``Information
Collection Request for Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR)'' or the
currently approved ICR. These activities include reading and
understanding the LCRR, assigning personnel and resources for rule
implementation, attending training and receiving technical assistance
from the State, developing initial LSL inventories and submitting
demonstrations that systems only have non-lead service lines (where
applicable), and conferring with primacy agencies on initial planning
for LSLR and preparing an LSLR plan when LSLs are present. During this
same period, primacy agencies should be conducing startup activities
that include adopting the rule and developing a program to implement
it, modifying their data systems, providing system staff with training
and technical assistance, providing internal staff with training for
implementation, assisting with initial LSL inventories and reviewing
initial inventories, reviewing demonstrations of only non-lead service
lines from systems, and conferring with systems on initial planning for
LSLR and reviewing the LSLR plan. This proposed ICR covers these same
activities from the currently approved ICR in the first year of this
ICR renewal period (2024), but in the next two years (2025 and 2026) of
the ICR, both systems and primacy agencies must work to implement a
number of ongoing and additional regulatory requirements including
ongoing rule implementation and administration, lead and copper tap
monitoring, corrosion control treatment, find-and-fix, water quality
parameter monitoring, source water monitoring, LSL inventory updates,
LSL replacement, small system POU treatment as a compliance
alternative, lead public education and outreach, public notification,
and lead in drinking water testing programs at schools and child care
facilities. During this same period, the burden and cost to primacy
agencies stems from their review and oversite activities associated
with this larger set of the PWS requirements for 2025 and 2026. A
relatively small increase in burden is associated with systems and
primacy agencies voluntarily following recommendations associated with
EPA's SL Inventory Guidance. Approximately 3 million hours of the total
burden increase is attributable to inventory guidance activities not
already covered by the original LCRR impact analysis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ The currently approved ICR provided a total burden range of
3,171,076 to 3,388,020 hours. The current analysis provides only a
single high-end estimate of 28,980,857 hours.
Jennifer McLain,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 2023-15616 Filed 7-21-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
