Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review

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