Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0091-0016
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency InformationCollection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Ambient Air Quality Surveillance
Posted Date: 2013-04-29T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 82 (Monday, April 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25078-25079]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10009]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0091; FRL 9530-8]

Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; Ambient Air Quality Surveillance (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Nitrogen Oxides Ambient Air 
Monitoring (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 2358.04, OMB Control No. 2060-0638) 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). 
This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved 
through April 30, 2013. This ICR is being submitted to OMB concurrently 
with the renewal for the ``Ambient Air Quality Surveillance'' ICR (EPA 
ICR Number 0940.27, OMB Control Number 2060-0084). The

[[Page 25079]]

renewal for the Ambient Air Quality Surveillance ICR will incorporates 
the requirements and burden currently approved under the Nitrogen 
Oxides Ambient Monitoring ICR (OMB 2060-0638, EPA ICR Number 
2358.03) and the Sulfur Dioxides Ambient Monitoring ICR (OMB 
2060-0642, EPA ICR Number 2370.02). Public comments were previously 
requested via the Federal Register (78 FR 12052) on February 21, 2013 
during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 
days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given 
below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. 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.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before May 29, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID number EPA-HQ-
OAR-2002-0091, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), by Email to a-and-r-docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: 
EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Air and Radiation 
Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 
20460, and (2) OMB by mail to: Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer 
for EPA, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laurie Trinca, Air Quality Analysis 
Division (C304-06), Environmental Protection Agency; telephone number 
(919) 541-0520; fax number: 919-541-1903; email address: 
trinca.laurie@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents which explain in detail 
the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the 
public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at 
www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, EPA West, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone 
number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Abstract: This Information Collection Request (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 Tribal 
entities and reported to the Office of Air Quality Planning and 
Standards within the Office of Air and Radiation, U.S. EPA.
    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, PM2.5 and 
PM-10), 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, including 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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: State and local air pollution 
agencies and Tribal entities.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 142.
    Frequency of Response: Quarterly, but may occur more frequently.
    Total Estimated Annual Hour Burden: 49,474 hours. Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
    Total Estimated Annual Cost: $3,261,007. This includes an estimated 
labor cost of $2,737,485 and an estimated cost of $523,522 for 
operations and maintenance and capital costs.

John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2013-10009 Filed 4-26-13; 8:45 am]
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