[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 86 (Thursday, May 4, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26361-26362]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-6751]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0091; FRL-8166-1]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Ambient Air Quality Surveillance 
(Renewal), EPA ICR Number 0940.18, OMB Control Number 2060-0084

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an 
existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, 
describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated 
burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before June 5, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID number EPA-HQ-
OAR-2002-0091, to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), by E-mail to: [email protected], or by mail to: 
EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Environmental Protection Agency, Air and 
Radiation Docket, Mail Code 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail to: Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: 
Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Lutz, Air Quality Analysis 
Division (C304-06), Environmental Protection Agency; telephone number 
(919) 541-5476; fax number: (919) 541-1903; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On January 4, 2006, (71 FR 333), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments during the 
comment period. Any additional comments on this ICR should be submitted 
to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-OAR-2002-0091, which is available for online viewing at http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Air and Radiation 
Docket and Information Center in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA 
West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The 
EPA/DC Public Reading Room is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the 
Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Air 
and Radiation Docket and Information Center is (202) 566-1742.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://www.regulations.gov to submit or view public comments, access the index 
listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those documents in 
the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the 
system, select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number 
identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public 
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made 
available for public viewing at http://www.regulations.gov as EPA 
receives them and without change, unless the comment contains 
copyrighted material, Confidential Business Information (CBI), or other 
information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For 
further information about the electronic docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Ambient Air Quality Surveillance (Renewal).
    ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 0941.18, OMB Control No. 2060-0084.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2006. Under 
OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the 
collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 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 
in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when 
approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed either by 
publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such 
as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The 
display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is 
consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: This ICR includes ambient air monitoring data and other 
supporting measurements reporting and recordkeeping activities 
associated with the 40 CFR part 58 Ambient Air Quality Surveillance 
rule. These data and information are collected by various State and 
local air quality management agencies, and Tribal entities and reported 
to the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards within the Office 
of Air and Radiation, U.S. EPA.
    This ICR reflects revisions of the previous ICR update of 2002, and 
it covers the period of 2007-2009. The number of monitoring stations, 
sampling parameters and frequency of data collection and submittal is 
expected to remain stable for 2007-2009.
    The data collected through this information collection consist of 
ambient air concentration measurements for the seven air pollutants 
with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (i.e., ozone, sulfur 
dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, lead, carbon monoxide, PM2.5 and 
PM-10), ozone precursors, meteorological variables at a select number 
of sites and other supporting measurements. Accompanying the pollutant 
concentration data are quality assurance/quality control data and air 
monitoring network design information.
    The U.S. EPA and others (e.g., State and local air quality 
management agencies, tribal entities, environmental groups, academic 
institutions, industrial groups) use the ambient air quality data for 
many purposes. Some of the more prominent uses include informing the 
public and other interested parties of an area's air quality, judging 
an area's (e.g., county, city, neighborhood) air quality in comparison 
with the established health or welfare standards (including both 
national and local standards), evaluating an air quality management 
agency's progress in achieving or maintaining air pollutant levels 
below the national and local standards, developing and revising State 
Implementation Plans (SIPs) in accordance with 40 CFR part 51, 
evaluating air pollutant control strategies, developing or revising 
national control policies, providing data for air quality model 
development and validation, supporting enforcement actions, documenting 
episodes and initiating episode controls, air quality trends 
assessment, and air pollution research.
    The State and local agencies and tribal entities with 
responsibility for reporting ambient air quality data and information 
as requested in this ICR submit these data electronically to the U.S. 
EPA's Air Quality System (AQS) database. Quality assurance/quality 
control records and monitoring network documentation are also 
maintained by

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each State and local agency, in AQS electronic format where possible.
    Although the State and local air pollution control agencies and 
tribal entities are responsible for the operation of the air monitoring 
networks, the EPA funds a portion of the total costs through Federal 
grants. These grants generally require an appropriate level of 
contribution, or ``match,'' from the State/local agencies or tribal 
entities. The costs shown in this renewal are the total costs incurred 
for the monitoring program regardless of the source of the funding. 
This practice of using the total cost is consistent with prior ICR 
submittals and renewals.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 3,134 
hours per response, and 12,534 hours per respondent. 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 which have 
subsequently changed; 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 
agencies and Tribal entities.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 168.
    Frequency of Response: Data submissions are required quarterly, but 
may occur more frequently.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 2,105,714 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $173,153,415, which includes 
$51,197,172 annualized capital/startup costs, $10,936,320 annual O&M 
costs, and $111,019,923 annual labor costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 298,892 hours in 
the total estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in 
the ICR currently approved by OMB. This decrease reflects EPA's 
consolidation of monitors into fewer sites, termination of unnecessary 
monitors, and more efficient procedures for measuring and reporting 
data.

    Dated: April 24, 2006.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E6-6751 Filed 5-3-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P