[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 99 (Wednesday, May 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30300-30302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-12229]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0050, FRL-9816-7]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Implementation of Ambient Air Protocol Gas 
Verification Participation Survey; EPA ICR No. 2375.02

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that the EPA is planning 
to submit a request for a renewal Information Collection Request (ICR) 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Before submitting the ICR 
to the OMB for review and approval, the EPA is soliciting comments on 
specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described 
below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before July 22, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2010-0050, by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 202-566-9744
     Mail: Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0050, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Mail Code 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460. Please include a total of two copies.
     Hand Delivery: Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0050, 
Environmental Protection Agency, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution 
Avenue NW., Washington, DC. Such deliveries are only accepted during 
the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should 
be made for deliveries of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2010-0050. The EPA's policy is that all comments received will be 
included in the public docket without change and may be made available 
on-line at www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you 
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov 
or email. The www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' 
system, which means the EPA will not know your identity or contact 
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you 
send an email comment directly to the EPA without going through 
www.regulations.gov, your email address will be automatically captured 
and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket 
and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic 
comment, the EPA recommends that you include your name and other 
contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or 
CD-ROM you submit. If the EPA cannot read your comment due to technical 
difficulties

[[Page 30301]]

and cannot contact you for clarification, the EPA may not be able to 
consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special 
characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or 
viruses. For additional information about the EPA's public docket, 
visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, contact Mrs. 
Laurie Trinca, Air Quality Assessment Division, Office of Air Quality 
Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 
C304-06, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone: 919-541-0520; 
fax: 919-541-1903; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

How can I access the docket and/or submit comments?

    The EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket 
ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0050 which is available for on-line viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Air and Radiation 
Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 
Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room 
is open from 8:30 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 is 202-
566-1742.
    Use www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft collection of 
information, 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 ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number identified in this 
document.

What information is the EPA particularly interested in?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, the EPA specifically 
solicits comments and information to enable it to:
    (i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used;
    (iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and
    (iv) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses. In particular, the EPA is requesting comments 
from small businesses (especially those that employ less than 25) on 
examples of specific additional efforts that the EPA could make to 
reduce the paperwork burden for very small businesses affected by this 
collection.

What should I consider when I prepare my comments for the EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    (i) Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific 
examples.
    (ii) Describe any assumptions that you used.
    (iii) Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you 
used that support your views.
    (iv) If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    (v) Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    (vi) Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.
    (vii) To ensure proper receipt by the EPA, be sure to identify the 
docket ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the 
first page of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and 
Federal Register citation.

What information collection activity or ICR does this apply to?

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
state, local, and tribal governments that are currently operating and 
maintaining established ambient air quality networks.
    Title: Implementation of Ambient Air Protocol Gas Verification 
Participation Survey.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0050, OMB Control No. 
2060-0648.
    ICR status: This ICR is for a renewal information collection 
activity. 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 the 
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 reporting 
and recordkeeping activities associated with the 40 CFR part 58 
Appendix A, Ambient Air Quality Surveillance Quality Assurance 
Regulations. These data and information are collected by state, local, 
and tribal air quality management agencies and reported to the EPA.
    The EPA Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Program's quality assurance 
requirements in 40 CFR part 58, Appendix A, require: ``2.6 Gaseous and 
Flow Rate Audit Standards. Gaseous pollutant concentration standards 
(permeation devices or cylinders of compressed gas) used to obtain test 
concentrations for CO, SO2, NO, and NO2 must be 
traceable to either a National Institute of Standards and Technology 
(NIST) Traceable Reference Material (NTRM), NIST Standard Reference 
Materials (SRM), and Netherlands Measurement Institute (NMI) Primary 
Reference Materials (valid as covered by Joint Declaration of 
Equivalence) or a NIST-certified Gas Manufacturer's Internal Standard 
(GMIS), certified in accordance with one of the procedures given in 
reference 4 of this appendix. Vendors advertising certification with 
the procedures provided in reference 4 of this appendix and 
distributing gases as ``EPA Protocol Gas'' must participate in the EPA 
Protocol Gas Verification Program or not use ``EPA'' in any form of 
advertising.''
    These requirements give assurance to end users that all specialty 
gas producers selling EPA Protocol Gases are participants in a program 
that provides an independent assessment of the accuracy of their gases' 
certified concentrations. In 2010, the EPA developed an Ambient Air 
Protocol Gas Verification Program (AA-PGVP) that provides end users 
with information about participating producers and verification 
results.
    Each year, the EPA will attempt to compare gas cylinders from every 
specialty gas producer being used by ambient air monitoring 
organizations. The EPA's Regions 2 and 7 have agreed to provide 
analytical services for verification of 40 cylinders/lab or 80 
cylinders total/year. Cylinders will be

[[Page 30302]]

verified at a pre-determined time each quarter.
    In order to make the appropriate selection, the EPA needs to know 
what specialty gas producers are being used by the monitoring 
organizations. Therefore, the EPA needs to survey each primary quality 
assurance organization every year to collect information on specialty 
gas producers being used and whether the monitoring organization would 
like to participate in the verification for the upcoming calendar year.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 
minutes 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 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.
    The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this 
collection of information is estimated to average 20 minutes per 
response with a cost of $22.15 per year. The total number of 
respondents is assumed to be 211.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 211.
    Frequency of response: Annual.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 70.3.
    Estimated total annual costs: $4674.00.

What is the next step in the process for this ICR?

    The EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as 
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for 
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, the EPA 
will issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the 
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any 
questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the 
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: May 16, 2013.
Mary E. Henigin,
Acting Director, Air Quality Assessment Division.
[FR Doc. 2013-12229 Filed 5-21-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P