Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Ambient Air Quality Surveillance, 60020-60021 [2011-24981]

Agencies

• ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 188 (Wednesday, September 28, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60020-60021]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-24981]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0091, FRL-9472-8]


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 (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that the EPA is planning 
to submit a request to renew an existing approved Information 
Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 
This ICR is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2012. 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 November 28, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID number OAR-
2002-0091, by one of the following methods:
     https://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: a-and-r-docket@epa.gov.
     Fax: (202) 566-1741.
     Mail: Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center 
(EPA/DC), Air and Radiation Docket, Mail Code 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2002-0091. The EPA's policy is that all comments received will be 
included in the public docket without change and may be made available 
online at https://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 https://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The https://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 https://www.regulations.gov, your e-mail 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 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 
EPA's public docket, visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at https://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laurie Trinca, Air Quality Assessment 
Division, Environmental Protection Agency; telephone number: (919) 541-
0520; fax number: (919) 541-1903; e-mail address: 
trinca.laurie@epa.gov.

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-OAR-2002-0091, which is available for online viewing at 
https://www.regulations.gov, or in-person viewing at the Air and 
Radiation Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 
B102, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460. The EPA/DC 
Public Reading Room is open from 8 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 https://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 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 very small businesses (those that employ less than 25 people) 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:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific 
examples.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.
    7. 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 
those state,

[[Page 60021]]

local air pollution control agencies, and tribal entities which collect 
and report ambient air quality data for the criteria pollutants to the 
EPA as well as other supporting measurements.
    Title: Ambient Air Quality Surveillance
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 0940-25, OMB Control No. 2060-0084.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on April 30, 
2012. 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, and 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 and other 
supporting measurements reporting and recordkeeping activities 
associated with the 40 CFR part 58 Ambient Air Quality Surveillance 
rule. These data and information are collected by various state and 
local air quality management agencies and reported to the Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards within the Office of Air and Radiation, 
U.S. EPA.
    This ICR reflects revisions of the previous ICR update of 2009, and 
it covers the period of 2012-2014. The number of monitoring stations, 
sampling parameters, and frequency of data collection and submittal is 
expected to remain stable for 2012-2014.
    The data collected through this information collection consist of 
ambient air concentration measurements for the seven air pollutants 
with national ambient air quality standards (i.e., ozone, sulfur 
dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, lead, carbon monoxide, and particulate 
matter (PM2.5 and PM10)), ozone precursors, 
meteorological variables at a select number of sites and other 
supporting measurements. Accompanying the pollutant concentration data 
are quality assurance/quality control data and air monitoring network 
design information.
    The U.S. EPA and others (e.g., state and local air quality 
management agencies, tribal entities, environmental groups, academic 
institutions, industrial groups) use the ambient air quality data for 
many purposes. Some of the more prominent uses include informing the 
public and other interested parties of an area's air quality, judging 
an area's (e.g., county, city, neighborhood) air quality in comparison 
with the established health or welfare standards (including both 
national and local standards), evaluating an air quality management 
agency's progress in achieving or maintaining air pollutant levels 
below the national and local standards, developing and revising State 
Implementation Plans (SIPs) in accordance with 40 CFR part 51, 
evaluating air pollutant control strategies, developing or revising 
national control policies, providing data for air quality model 
development and validation, supporting enforcement actions, documenting 
episodes and initiating episode controls, air quality trends 
assessment, and air pollution research.
    The state and local agencies and tribal entities with 
responsibility for reporting ambient air quality data and information 
as requested in this ICR submit these data electronically to the U.S. 
EPA's Air Quality System (AQS) database. Quality assurance/quality 
control records and monitoring network documentation are also 
maintained, by each state and local agency, in AQS electronic format 
where possible.
    Although the state and local air pollution control agencies and 
tribal entities are responsible for the operation of the air monitoring 
networks, the EPA funds a portion of the total costs through federal 
grants. These grants generally require an appropriate level of 
contribution, or ``match,'' from the state/local agencies or tribal 
entities. The costs shown in this renewal are the total costs incurred 
for the monitoring program regardless of the source of the funding. 
This practice of using the total cost is consistent with prior ICR 
submittals and renewals.
    This Information Collection is estimated to involve 168 respondents 
for a total cost of approximately $195,490,206 (total capital, and 
labor and non-labor operation and maintenance) plus a total burden of 
2,105,714 hours. The labor cost associated with the hours is 
$125,341,493. Included in the total are other costs of non-labor 
operations and maintenance of $12,347,105 and equipment and contract 
costs of $57,801,607. In addition to the costs at the state and local 
air pollution control agencies and tribal entities, there is a burden 
to the EPA of 135,793 hours and $13,204,166.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 
12,534 hours per respondent. 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 ICR provides a detailed explanation of the agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 168.
    Frequency of response: Data submissions are required quarterly, but 
may occur more frequently.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 2,105,714 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $195,490,206. This includes an 
estimated labor burden cost of $125,341,493 and an estimated cost of 
$57,801,607 for equipment and contract costs.

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 the 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 the OMB and 
the opportunity to submit additional comments to the 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: September 22, 2011.
Mary E. Henigin,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2011-24981 Filed 9-27-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P