Water System Restructuring Assessment Rule

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY <CFR>40 CFR Part 142</CFR> <DEPDOC>[EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0678; FRL 7487-02-OW]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2040-AF96</RIN> <SUBJECT>Water System Restructuring Assessment Rule</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Proposed rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the agency) is proposing a regulatory framework for states and public water systems (PWSs) to identify and assess restructuring alternatives to ensure that every community receives safe, affordable, and reliable drinking water. The proposed regulations would: establish a new mandatory restructuring assessment authority for states; require states with primary enforcement authority (primacy) to develop mandatory restructuring assessment programs and submit primacy revisions for EPA review and approval; establish requirements for states and PWSs that implement system-specific mandatory restructuring assessments; and establish eligibility requirements and limitations for restructuring incentives under state-approved restructuring plans. This proposed rulemaking is required under amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). By taking this action, the EPA intends to strengthen the ongoing efforts of states and PWSs to protect public health. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Comments must be received on or before July 29, 2024. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), comments on the information collection provisions are best assured of consideration if the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) receives a copy of your comments on or before July 1, 2024. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> You may send comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0678, by any of the following methods: • <E T="03">Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov</E> (our preferred method). Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. • <E T="03">Email: ow-docket@epa.gov.</E> Include Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0678 in the subject line of the message. • <E T="03">Mail:</E> U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center, Office of Water Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460. • <E T="03">Hand Delivery/Courier</E> (by scheduled appointment only): EPA Docket Center, WJC West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004. The Docket Center's hours of operations are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except Federal Holidays). <E T="03">Instructions:</E> All submissions received must include the Docket ID No. for this rulemaking. Comments received may be posted without change to <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov,</E> including any personal information provided. For detailed instructions on sending comments and additional information on the rulemaking process, see the “Public Participation” heading of the <E T="02">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION</E> section of this document. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Will Bowman, Drinking Water Capacity & Compliance Assistance Division, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (MC-4606M) Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-3782; email address: <E T="03">bowman.will@epa.gov.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <E T="03">Preamble acronyms and abbreviations.</E> Throughout this document the use of “we,” “us,” or “our” is intended to refer to EPA. We use acronyms in this preamble. For reference purposes, EPA defines the following acronyms here: <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">AMWA Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ASDWA Association of State Drinking Water Administrators</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">AWWA American Water Works Association</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CBI Confidential Business Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CFR Code of Federal Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">DWSRF Drinking Water State Revolving Fund</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">E.O. Executive Order</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FR Federal Register</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ICR Information Collection Request</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NPDWR National Primary Drinking Water Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NRWA National Rural Water Association</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">OMB Office of Management and Budget</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PRA Paperwork Reduction Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PWS Public Water System</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PWSS Public Water System Supervision</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RCAP Rural Community Assistance Partnership</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RFA Regulatory Flexibility Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RTCR Revised Total Coliform Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">SBREFA Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">SDWA Safe Drinking Water Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">SDWIS Safe Drinking Water Information System</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">TMF Technical, Managerial and Financial</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">UMRA Unfunded Mandates Reform Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">U.S.C. United States Code</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">WSRAR Water System Restructuring Assessment Rule</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Public Participation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. General Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Applicability of This Action</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Summary of Proposed Action</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Agency Authority for This Action</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Incremental Costs and Benefits of This Action</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Stakeholder Engagement</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Purpose of the Proposed Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Scope of the Proposed Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Guiding Principles for Water System Restructuring</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Proposed Water System Restructuring Assessment Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. General</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Definitions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Mandatory Restructuring Assessments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Restructuring Plans</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Enforcement Relief Under Approved Restructuring Plans</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Protection of Non-Responsible Water Systems Under Approved Restructuring Plans</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Financial Assistance for Restructuring Activities</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Violations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. Effective Date</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. State Implementation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Revisions to Primacy Requirements</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. State Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. Economic Impact Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Annualized and Present Value Cost Estimates</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Accounting for Uncertainty in the Cost Estimates</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Non-Quantified Benefits of the Proposed WSRAR</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review, as Amended by Executive Order 14094: Modernizing Regulatory Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Executive Order 13211: Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution or Use</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">J. Executive Order 12988: Federal Actions To Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations and Executive Order 14096: Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VIII. References</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Public Participation</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">A. Written Comments</HD> Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0678 at <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov</E> (our preferred method), or the other methods identified in the <E T="02">ADDRESSES</E> section of this document. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or removed from the docket. The EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. The EPA generally will not consider comments or comment contents located outside of the primary submission ( <E T="03">i.e.,</E> on the web, cloud, or other file sharing system). Please visit <E T="03">https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets</E> for additional submission methods, the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective comments. <HD SOURCE="HD1">II. General Information</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">A. Applicability of This Action</HD> This proposed rulemaking would apply to all states with primary enforcement responsibility, to a PWS that is the subject of a mandatory restructuring assessment where the state has mandated such assessment, and to a PWS that submit ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 206k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━