[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 5, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24148-24149]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11273]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6336-1]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Ambient Air Quality Surveillance

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 document announces that the following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Ambient Air Quality 
Surveillance, OMB Number 2060-0084, EPA ICR 0940.16, expiration date 
June 30, 1999. The ICR describes the nature of the information 
collection and its expected burden and cost; where appropriate, it 
includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 4, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone at (202) 
260-2740, by E-Mail at Farmer.S[email protected] or download a copy 
of the ICR off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA 
ICR No. 0940.16.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Ambient Air Quality Surveillance, [OMB Number (2060-0084), 
EPA ICR # 0940.16] expiring June 30, 1999. 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 
(42 U.S.C. 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). 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 and the Association of

[[Page 24149]]

Local Air Pollution Control Officials. 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, 1993 for enhanced monitoring for ozone, and 
1997 for PM2.5. 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 document required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting 
comments on the collection of information was published on August 3, 
1998 (63 FR 41251); no comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 4,624 
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, Semi-Annually, Annually.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 2,404,606 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Capital, O&M Cost Burden: $73,643,000.
    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. 0940.16 and OMB Control No. 2060-0084 in any 
correspondence. Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
Office of Policy, Regulatory Information Division (2137), 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: April 29, 1999.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 99-11273 Filed 5-4-99; 8:45 am]
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