Discharge Monitoring Report-Quality Assurance (DMR-QA) participation is mandatory for major and selected minor permit holders under the Clean Water Act's National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), Section 308. The DMR-QA study is designed to evaluate the entire process used by permittees to routinely report monitoring results in Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs). The study addresses the analytic ability of the laboratories that perform chemical, microbiological and whole effluent toxicity (WET) analyses required in the NPDES permits and the ability to properly report these results in the DMRs. Under DMR-QA, the permit holder is responsible for obtaining un-graded results of analyses of test samples performed by in-house and/or contract laboratories, and submitting these results to the appropriate federal or state NPDES regulatory authority and the commercial proficiency testing (PT) provider that supplies the test samples. Permit holders are responsible for submitting corrective action reports to the appropriate regulatory authority.
Participation in the DMR-QA PE study has decreased from an estimated average of 7,516 to 6,589 since the last renewal of this ICR. This is due to EPA granting a waiver to four additional states, allowing them to employ their state laboratory certification program as an adequate substitute for the federal DMR-QA program.
Labor and Operation & Maintenance costs were updated since the previous renewal of this ICR. Operation & Maintenance costs reflect the costs of obtaining PE samples from the PT Providers. The estimated average cost of obtaining PE samples increased from $165 per respondent (permittee) to $190 per respondent.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Form EPA 6400-01 (OMB 2 Private Sector
0234ss10.doc
Private Sector