Performance Evaluation Studies on Wastewater Laboratories (Renewal)

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
Form EPA 6400-01 (OMB 2 Private Sector Form and Instruction	Modified
Form EPA 6400-01 (OMB 2 State Agencies Form and Instruction	Modified
0234ss10.doc Supporting Statement A	2010-10-08

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
41809	Private Sector Form and Instruction	Modified
180159	State Agencies Form and Instruction	Modified

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 2080-0021	ICR Reference No: 201010-2080-001
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 200705-2080-001
Agency/Subagency: EPA/ORD	Agency Tracking No: 0234.10
Title: Performance Evaluation Studies on Wastewater Laboratories (Renewal)
Type of Information Collection: Extension without change of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 01/06/2011
	Date Received in OIRA: 10/20/2010
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	01/31/2014	36 Months From Approved	01/31/2011
Responses	6,589	0	7,516
Time Burden (Hours)	41,511	0	47,351
Cost Burden (Dollars)	1,251,910	0	1,240,140

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Abstract: 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.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 33 USC 1251 Name of Law: Clean Water Act
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	75 FR 34111	06/16/2010
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	75 FR 64725	10/20/2010
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 2

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
State Agencies	EPA 6400-01 (OMB 2080-0021), EPA 6400-01 (OMB 2080-0021)	NPDES Permittee Data Report Form ,   NPDES Permittee Data Report Form
Private Sector	EPA 6400-01 (OMB 2080-0021), EPA 6400-01 (OMB 2080-0021)	NPDES Permittee Data Report Form ,   NPDES Permittee Data Report Form

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	6,589	7,516	0	-927	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	41,511	47,351	0	-5,840	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	1,251,910	1,240,140	0	-152,955	164,725	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Reduction Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Short Statement: 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.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $11,000

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

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Common Form ICR:  No

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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:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(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;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

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.

Certification Date: 10/20/2010

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