[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 13, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 5549]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-3197]
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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]
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