Water Quality Standards Regulation (Change)

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
0988j14.docx Justification for No Material/Nonsubstantive Change	2019-03-08
0988ss13-V3( 12-10-18).docx Supporting Statement A	2018-12-14

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
233420	Periodic Requests for WQS Program Information; States and Tribes	Unchanged
233419	Tribal Related Collections; Tribes and States	Unchanged
233418	Great Lakes WQS Requirements; States and Tribes	Unchanged
233416	Great Lakes WQS Requirements; Dischargers	Unchanged
233415	2015 WQS Program Revisions	Modified
233414	WQS Base Program; State and Tribes	Unchanged

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 2040-0049	ICR Reference No: 201903-2040-001
Status: Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201810-2040-001
Agency/Subagency: EPA/OW	Agency Tracking No: 0988.14
Title: Water Quality Standards Regulation (Change)
Type of Information Collection: No material or nonsubstantive change to a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 03/15/2019
	Date Received in OIRA: 03/08/2019
Terms of Clearance: In accordance with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is approved for three years. As terms of clearance and as required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), before the agency submits a renewal request for this collection it is required to consult with up to 9 members of the public and affected agencies concerned with this collection on matters including the accuracy of the burden estimate, ways to minimize the burden, and ways to improve the quality and utility of the collection.

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	12/31/2021	12/31/2021	12/31/2021
Responses	2,643	0	2,643
Time Burden (Hours)	507,887	0	507,887
Cost Burden (Dollars)	263,520	0	263,520

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Abstract: The Water Quality Standards (WQS) regulation establishes the framework for states and authorized tribes to adopt WQS for waters of the United States, and for the EPA to review and approve or disapprove the WQS. For the purposes of this ICR, the WQS regulation consists of 40 CFR part 131 (Water Quality Standards), and portions of part 132 (Water Quality Guidance for the Great Lakes System) that are related to WQS. This ICR is for information collections needed to implement the WQS regulation, required to obtain or retain benefits (e.g., relaxed regulatory requirements) under the WQS regulation, and to collect voluntary program information useful in administering WQS programs effectively and efficiently. This ICR renews the WQS Regulation ICR, OMB control no. 2040–0049, and consolidates the burden and costs associated with activities previously reported in two related ICRs: the WQS Regulatory Revisions ICR, OMB control no. 2040–0286; and the Revised Interpretation of Clean Water Act Tribal Provision ICR, OMB control no. 2040–0289. This ICR renewal and consolidation describes the estimated information collection burden for states, authorized tribes, tribes seeking authorization, and certain Great Lakes dischargers to: adopt, review, and revise WQS; comply with certain specific requirements of the regulation; submit tribal applications to be treated in a similar manner as a state (TAS); and request certain EPA dispute resolution assistance. This ICR also covers responses to periodic requests for voluntary WQS program information from, or voluntary participation in workgroups by, state and tribes to further cooperative federalism. The effect of this ICR renewal and consolidation is a reduction of the number of WQS-related ICRs from three to one. Upon approval, the overall estimated burden associated with this ICR is 505,387 hours, a decrease of 235,640 hours (31.8 percent) from the combined OMB-approved burdens of all three stand-alone ICRs.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 33 USC 1313c 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:
	83 FR 27981	06/15/2018
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	83 FR 51457	10/11/2018
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 6

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Periodic Requests for WQS Program Information; States and Tribes
2015 WQS Program Revisions
WQS Base Program; State and Tribes
Great Lakes WQS Requirements; Dischargers
Tribal Related Collections; Tribes and States
Great Lakes WQS Requirements; States and Tribes

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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	2,643	2,643	0	0	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	507,887	507,887	0	0	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	263,520	263,520	0	0	0	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: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement:

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $3,251,445

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

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     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: 03/08/2019

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