[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76035-76036]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-31096]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OEI-2012-0774; FRL-9764-3]
Office of Environmental Information; Announcement of Availability
and Comment Period for the Draft Quality Standard for Environmental
Data Collection, Production, and Use by Non-EPA (External)
Organizations and two associated QA Handbooks
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability & request for comment.
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SUMMARY: Notice of availability for a 30 day review and comment period
is hereby given for the draft Quality Standard for Environmental Data
Collection, Production, and Use by Non-EPA (External) Organizations and
two associated draft QA Handbooks; 1) draft Handbook for Preparing
Quality Management Plans (QMPs) and 2) draft Handbook for Preparing
Quality Assurance (QA) Project Plans (QAPPs).
The draft Quality Standard for Environmental Data Collection,
Production, and Use by Non-EPA (External) Organizations contains no new
requirements.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 25, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OEI-2012-0774 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: Announcement of Availability and Comment Period for
Draft Quality Standard For Environmental Data Collection, Production,
and Use By Non-EPA (External) Organizations Environmental Protection
Agency, Mail code: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.,Washington, DC
20460.
Hand Delivery: 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., EPA West
Building, Room 3334, Washington, DC 20460.
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-OEI-
2012-0774. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included
in the public docket without change and may be made available online 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. The
www.regulations.gov website is an ``anonymous access'' system, which
means 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 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, 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 EPA cannot read your
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for
clarification, 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 FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Warren; Environmental Protection
Agency; 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, MC 2811R; Washington, DC 20460;
Phone: 202 564-6876; Fax: 202 565 2441; Email: [email protected]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The draft Standard provides greater clarity
about QA requirements for environmental data projects; addresses
modeling activities, which were not specifically addressed in the
previous EPA Order (CIO
[[Page 76036]]
2105.0) \1\ and provides greater alignment with the EPA Quality Policy
(CIO 2106.0)\2\. The draft Quality Standard defines how EPA quality
requirements shall be applied to non-EPA organizations under authorized
agreements governed by Federal regulations; and defines the general
requirements an organization shall use to establish and maintain an
effective quality management system for environmental programs. Non-EPA
organizations will still be required to develop and submit a Quality
Management Plan to EPA for approval for environmental data operations
conducted on behalf of EPA and to use QAPPs or equivalent documents to
establish quality specifications in individual project activities that
collect, produce, and use environmental data.
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\1\ http://intranet.epa.gov/quality/documents/21050.pdf
\2\ http://intranet.epa.gov/quality/documents/21060.pdf
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The draft Quality Standard contains appendices which provide the
requirements for QMPs and the requirements for QA Project Plans. When
the standards are issued, EPA QA/R-2, EPA Requirements for Quality
Management Plans, March 2001 (Reissued May 2006) \3\ and EPA QA/R-5,
EPA Requirements for Quality Assurance Project Plans, March 2001
(Reissued May 2006) \4\ will be rescinded. Section 2.3.1 of the draft
Quality Standard describes how this will impact non-EPA organizations
with existing external agreements. Design of the draft Handbooks
provides assistance to users creating QMPs and QAPPs that address the
specifications listed in the draft Quality Standard.
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\3\ http://www.epa.gov/quality/qs-docs/r2-final.pdf
\4\ http://www.epa.gov/quality/qs-docs/r5-final.pdf
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EPA also plans to issue a Quality Standard for Environmental
Collection, Production and Use by EPA organizations. The content of
this standard is similar to the draft Quality Standard for External
Organizations. This draft Quality Standard is currently being reviewed
by EPA organizations. It is anticipated that both Quality Standards
will be issued simultaneously.
Dated: December 18, 2012.
Monica D. Jones,
Director, Quality Staff.
[FR Doc. 2012-31096 Filed 12-21-12; 4:15 pm]
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