In accordance with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is approved for three years. As terms of clearance, EPA is required to monitor the quality and rate of responses to this revised voluntary collection and, prior to a request for renewal, determine whether there is continued practical utility.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
04/30/2022
36 Months From Approved
04/30/2019
100
0
92
578
0
1,884
0
0
607
The Clean Water Act (CWA) section 101(a)(2) interim goal provides for the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and for recreation in and on the water. The EPA includes the safe consumption of fish and shellfish as part of this fundamental CWA goal. There is a continuing need to maintain the overall quality and availability of public information concerning fish advisories, which includes, but is not limited to, water quality standards, monitoring and assessment activities, and the issuance of advisories and bans related to fish and shellfish consumption. Primary responsibility for these activities lies with state and tribes. However, within a state there are often several agencies that share responsibility for the water quality and advisory activities, which has led to inconsistent reporting of advisories.
The nationwide collection of fish advisory information by EPA began in 1994 with a survey of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories (Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, a total of 56 potential respondents. In 2000, 36 tribal organizations were added to the survey. There are currently 44 tribes with tribal-adopted water quality standards in effect under the Clean Water Act. Over the 3-year period of this ICR (2019-2022), the EPA will collect data/information from potentially 44 tribal organizations, as well as the original 56 respondents.
Previous fish program surveys were voluntary surveys used to obtain both qualitative and quantitative advisory information on new advisories and fish tissue data. For this ICR, EPA is proposing only to request annually the fish tissue data that served as the basis for fish advisories issued by each state, territory, and tribal organization in recent years. The EPA is no longer requesting fish advisory information because this information is publicly available on state and tribal websites. For a list of state, territorial and tribal websites go to https://fishadvisoryonline.epa.gov/Contacts.aspx.
In early 2000s, the EPA began entering fish tissue data provided by the states into EPAâs National Listing of Fish Advisories (NLFA) database and currently has data for 48 states and the District of Columbia. These data, which serve as the basis for fish consumption advisories, are not currently provided by states on their websites. These data are useful for states, universities and others who are interested in which states are monitoring for various pollutants and the levels they are finding. These data are also useful for the EPA to plan more effective research and policies to reduce risks to consumers of locally caught, chemically contaminated fish.
To reduce operations and maintenance costs, the EPA is transitioning from the NLFA database by migrating the state/tribal fish tissue contaminant data in the NLFA to the Water Quality Exchange (WQX). During the transition, the EPA will work collaboratively with states, territories and tribes to ensure that data migrated are accurate, complete, standardized and consistent with how these jurisdictions report their data. The EPAâs focus moving forward will be to use the WQX as a place where states, territories, and tribes can voluntarily submit fish tissue data so that the data collected by the EPA and the states, territories and tribes can be accessed in one location through Water Quality Portal.
The EPA estimates that up to 100 requests will be sent to states, territories and tribes per year for fish tissue data. The actual cost for a respondent to complete the survey is anticipated to decrease because EPA will only be requesting fish tissue data. When the fish program data collection is implemented, the total annual respondent cost under this ICR is estimated to be $25,968.00 (5.78 hours per year at an average labor rate of $44.93 per hour per respondent for 100 respondents).
There is a 69 percent decrease to the respondent average annual burden hours from the currently approved ICR (from 1,884 to 578), and a 64 percent decrease to the respondent average annual cost from the currently approved ICR (from $73,116 to $25,968). The decrease is due to the EPA no longer requesting fish advisory information as well as revised hourly burden estimates.
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.
APPENDIX C - - Advisory Data Request Letter Revised.docx
1959ss06_Appendices.pdf
EPA's National Fish Program