In accordance
with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is approved for three
years.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
03/31/2019
36 Months From Approved
03/31/2016
2,154
0
4,211
17,902
0
40,667
6,546,967
0
13,093,934
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as
amended in 1996, requires EPA to establish criteria for a program
to monitor not more than 30 unregulated contaminants every five
years. Information collected under the program supports Agency
decision making regarding whether or not to regulate particular
contaminants in drinking water. EPA published the first group of
contaminants in UCMR 1 in the Federal Register on September 17,
1999 (64 FR 50556), and the second group of contaminants in UCMR 2
in the Federal Register on January 4, 2007. UCMR 3 addresses the
third group of 30 contaminants and was published in the Federal
Register on May 2, 2012. UCMR 3 "Assessment Monitoring" began in
January 2013 and continues through December 2015 for all large
systems (those systems serving 10,001 to 100,000 people) and very
large systems (those systems serving more than 100,000 people), and
for a nationally representative sample of 800 small public water
systems (PWSs) (those serving 10,000 or fewer people). The
"Screening Survey" began in January 2013 and continues through
December 2015 for all very large systems, 320 randomly-selected
large systems, and 480 randomly selected small systems. "Pre-Screen
Testing" began in January 2013 and continues through December 2015
for a sample of 800 very small (systems serving 1,000 or fewer
people) undisinfected ground water systems. This request renews the
currently approved UCMR 3 ICR, (OMB Control No. 2040-0270), which
covered the period 2012-2014. This ICR renewal accounts for
activities conducted during 2015-2017. The complete 5-year UCMR 3
period of 2012-2016 overlaps with the applicable ICR period only
during 2015 and 2016. With respect to this ICR renewal, PWSs will
only be involved in active monitoring during 2015 (i.e., one-third
of this ICR period).
There is a decrease of 22,765
hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the
existing ICR. This decrease is an adjustment to estimates due to
the reduced number of PWSs that have to monitor during the ICR
period of 2015-2017.
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.