OIRA is not
approving the ICR at this time. In determining the final list of
contaminants for which testing is required and which tier of
testing is required for each,the agency should ensure that it
complies with all applicable requiremetns of the PRA and its
implementing regulations, including the requirements that the data
reported have practical utility and that the rule reduce to the
extent practicable and appropriate the burden on persons who shall
provide information to or for the agency. We note with approval
that testing costs for small entities will be paid by the
agency.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
01/31/2014
36 Months From Approved
01/31/2014
1,694
0
1,694
9,761
0
9,761
2,863,520
0
2,863,520
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as
amended in 1996, directs EPA to establish criteria for a program to
monitor not more than 30 unregulated contaminants every five years.
EPA published the first group of contaminants in the Unregulated
Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (i.e., UCMR 1), which established
a revised approach for UCMR implementation, in the Federal Register
dated September 17, 1999, (64 FR 50556). EPA published the second
group of contaminants in UCMR 2, in the Federal Register dated
January 4, 2007, (72 FR 367). This regulation met the SDWA
requirement by identifying 25 new priority contaminants to be
monitored during the UCMR 2 cycle of 2007-2011. Under UCMR 2,
Assessment Monitoring uses more common analytical method
technologies used by drinking water laboratories. All public water
systems (PWSs) serving more than 10,000 people, and 800
representative PWSs serving fewer than 10,001 people are required
to monitor for the 10 "List 1" contaminants during a 12-month
period between January 2008-December 2010. Screening Survey
monitoring uses more specialized analytical method technologies not
as widely used by drinking water laboratories. All PWSs serving
more than 100,000 people, 320 representative PWSs serving
10,001-100,000 people, and 480 representative PWSs serving fewer
than 10,001 people are required to monitor for the 15 "List 2"
contaminants during a 12-month period between January 2008-December
2010.
This ICR The reasons that
respondents to UCMR 3 will incur a different burden than those
responding to UCMR 2 include: -UCMR 3 establishes a new list of 30
priority contaminants, including 28 chemicals using six
EPA-developed analytical methods, and four equivalent consensus
organization-developed methods, and two viruses using one
analytical method. The cost for sample analysis is different than
for UCMR 2. EPA plans to have laboratories under EPA contract to
conduct sample analysis for the two viruses using one analytical
method (see Exhibit 1 in section 4(b)(i), Part A of this ICR
document). -UCMR 3 does not exclude systems that purchase all of
their water from monitoring. Because of this change, more large and
very large systems are expected to monitor for UCMR 3 than for UCMR
2 (see Exhibit 8 in section 6(a)(i), Part A of this ICR document).
-Samples for the four metals and chlorate (under Assessment
Monitoring) for all systems will be collected at the DSMRT in
addition to the required EPTDS locations (see explanation in
section 4(b)(ii), Part A of this ICR document). -UCMR 3 includes
monitoring for Pre-Screen Testing instead of a Screening Survey
(see section 1(b) for a description of Pre-Screen Testing). -TNCWSs
are no longer excluded from UCMR monitoring, and may be selected to
conduct Pre-Screen Testing (see section 1(b) for a description of
Pre-Screen Testing).
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.
2192ss04.doc
Public Water Systems