Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Ambient Air Quality Surveillance

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6133-6]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;

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 EPA is planning to submit the

following continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office

of Management and Budget (OMB): Ambient Air Quality Surveillance, OMB

Number (2060-0084), EPA ICR # 940.16 expires March 29, 1999. Before

submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting

comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collections as

described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 2, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Emissions,

Monitoring, and Analysis Division (MD-14), U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. Interested parties

may obtain a copy of the ICR without change from David Lutz, EPA,

Emissions, Monitoring, and Analysis Division, MD-14, Research Triangle

Park, NC 27711, telephone (919) 541-5476.

[[Page 41252]]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Lutz, Emissions, Monitoring, and

Analysis Division (MD-14), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, telephone (919) 541-5476, FAX (919)

541-1903.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are

those State and local air pollution control agencies which collect and

report ambient air quality data for the criteria pollutants to EPA.

Title: Ambient Air Quality Surveillance, (OMB Number (2060-0084),

EPA ICR # 940.16) expires March 29, 1999.

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 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.

The EPA would like to solicit comments 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

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.

Burden Statement: It is estimated that there are presently 136

State and local agencies which are currently required to submit the

ambient air quality data and quality assurance data to EPA on a

quarterly basis. The current annual burden for the collection and

reporting of ambient air quality data has been estimated on the

existing ICR to be (2,253,359) hours, which would average out to be

approximately (16,569) hours per respondent. As a part of this ICR

renewal, an evaluation will be made of the labor burden associated with

this activity.

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.

Dated: July 22, 1998

William F. Hunt, Jr.,

Director, Emissions, Monitoring, and Analysis Division.

[FR Doc. 98-20610 Filed 7-31-98; 8:45 am]

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