[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 13, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 5549]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-3197]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5421-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection request 
(ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature 
of the information collection and its expected cost and burden; where 
appropriate, it includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 14, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY CALL: Sandy Farmer at EPA, (202) 260-
2740, and refer to EPA ICR No. 940.13.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Ambient Air Quality Surveillance, (OMB Number 2060-0084; EPA 
ICR # 940.13). This is a request for extension of a currently approved 
collection.
    Abstract: The general authority for the collection of ambient air 
quality data is contained in sections 110 and 319 of the Clean Air Act 
(Act) (42 USC 1857). Section 110 makes it clear that State-generated 
air quality data are central to the air quality management process 
through a system of State implementation plans (SIP's). Section 319 was 
added via the 1977 Amendments to the Act and spells out the key 
elements of an acceptable monitoring and reporting scheme. To a large 
extent, the requirements of section 319 had already been anticipated in 
the detailed strategy document prepared by EPA's Standing Air 
Monitoring Work Group (SAMWG). The regulatory provisions to implement 
these recommendations were developed through close consultation with 
the State and local agency representatives serving on SAMWG and through 
reviews by ad-hoc panels from the State and Territorial Air Pollution 
Program Administrators (STAPPA) and the Association of Local Air 
Pollution Control Officials (ALAPCO). These modifications to the 
previous regulations were issued as final rules on May 10, 1979 (44 FR 
27558) and are contained in 40 CFR Part 58.
    Major amendments, which affect the hourly burdens, were made in 
1983 for lead, 1987 for PM-10, and 1993 for the enhanced monitoring for 
ozone. The specific required activities for the burden include 
establishing and operating ambient air monitors and samplers, 
conducting sample analyses for all pollutants for which a National 
Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) has been established, preparing, 
editing and quality assuring the data, and submitting the ambient air 
quality data and quality assurance data to EPA.
    Some of the major uses of the data are for judging attainment of 
the NAAQS, evaluating progress in achieving/maintaining the NAAQS or 
State/local standards, developing or revising SIP's, evaluating control 
strategies, developing or revising national control policies, providing 
data for model development and validation, supporting enforcement 
actions, documenting episodes and initiating episode controls, 
documenting population exposure, and providing information to the 
public and other interested parties.
    An Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's 
regulations are listed in 40 CFR Part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter 15. The 
Federal Register notice required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting 
comments on this collection of information was published on October 25, 
1995.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 
13,910 hours per response. Burden means the total time, effort, or 
financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, 
or disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This 
includes the time needed to review instructions; develop, acquire, 
install, and utilize technology and systems for the purposes of 
collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and 
maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; 
adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable 
instructions and requirements; train personnel to be able to respond to 
a collection of information; search data sources; complete and review 
the collection of information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the 
information.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: State and Local Air Pollution 
Control Agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 130.
    Frequency of Response: Quarterly.
    Estimated Total Burden: 1,808,355 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $100,901,490.
    Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the 
accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods 
for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques to the following addresses. Please 
refer to EPA ICR No. 940.13, and OMB Control No. 2060-0084 in any 
correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE Regulatory 
Information (2136), 401 M Street SW., Washington, DC 20460

      and

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: February 7, 1996.
Joseph Retzer,
Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 96-3197 Filed 2-12-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P