[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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