2013-12229. Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Implementation of Ambient Air Protocol Gas Verification Participation Survey; EPA ICR No. 2375.02

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

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 for a renewal Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 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 July 22, 2013.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0050, by one of the following methods:

• www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
• Email: [e-mail].
• Fax: [phone]
• Mail: Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0050, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460. Please include a total of two copies.
• Hand Delivery: Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0050, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC. 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-OAR-2010-0050. The EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the public docket without change and may be made available on-line 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 or email. The 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 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, 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 the EPA's public docket, visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/​epahome/​dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For further information, contact Mrs. Laurie Trinca, Air Quality Assessment Division, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code C304-06, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone: [phone]; fax: [phone]; email: [e-mail].

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-HQ-OAR-2010-0050 which is available for on-line viewing at www.regulations.gov,, or in person viewing at the Air and Radiation Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 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 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 the 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 small businesses (especially those that employ less than 25) 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:

(i) Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific examples.

(ii) Describe any assumptions that you used.

(iii) Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used that support your views.

(iv) If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you arrived at the estimate that you provide.

(v) Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.

(vi) Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified under DATES.

(vii) 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 state, local, and tribal governments that are currently operating and maintaining established ambient air quality networks.

Title: Implementation of Ambient Air Protocol Gas Verification Participation Survey.

ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0050, OMB Control No. 2060-0648.

ICR status: This ICR is for a renewal information collection activity. 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, 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 reporting and recordkeeping activities associated with the 40 CFR part 58 Appendix A, Ambient Air Quality Surveillance Quality Assurance Regulations. These data and information are collected by state, local, and tribal air quality management agencies and reported to the EPA.

The EPA Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Program's quality assurance requirements in 40 CFR part 58, Appendix A, require: “2.6 Gaseous and Flow Rate Audit Standards. Gaseous pollutant concentration standards (permeation devices or cylinders of compressed gas) used to obtain test concentrations for CO, SO₂, NO, and NO₂ must be traceable to either a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Traceable Reference Material (NTRM), NIST Standard Reference Materials (SRM), and Netherlands Measurement Institute (NMI) Primary Reference Materials (valid as covered by Joint Declaration of Equivalence) or a NIST-certified Gas Manufacturer's Internal Standard (GMIS), certified in accordance with one of the procedures given in reference 4 of this appendix. Vendors advertising certification with the procedures provided in reference 4 of this appendix and distributing gases as “EPA Protocol Gas” must participate in the EPA Protocol Gas Verification Program or not use “EPA” in any form of advertising.”

These requirements give assurance to end users that all specialty gas producers selling EPA Protocol Gases are participants in a program that provides an independent assessment of the accuracy of their gases' certified concentrations. In 2010, the EPA developed an Ambient Air Protocol Gas Verification Program (AA-PGVP) that provides end users with information about participating producers and verification results.

Each year, the EPA will attempt to compare gas cylinders from every specialty gas producer being used by ambient air monitoring organizations. The EPA's Regions 2 and 7 have agreed to provide analytical services for verification of 40 cylinders/lab or 80 cylinders total/year. Cylinders will be verified at a pre-determined time each quarter.

In order to make the appropriate selection, the EPA needs to know what specialty gas producers are being used by the monitoring organizations. Therefore, the EPA needs to survey each primary quality assurance organization every year to collect information on specialty gas producers being used and whether the monitoring organization would like to participate in the verification for the upcoming calendar year.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 minutes 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 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 annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 minutes per response with a cost of $22.15 per year. The total number of respondents is assumed to be 211.

The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the agency's estimate, which is only briefly summarized here:

Estimated total number of potential respondents: 211.

Frequency of response: Annual.

Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.

Estimated total annual burden hours: 70.3.

Estimated total annual costs: $4674.00.

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 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 OMB and the opportunity to submit additional comments to 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: May 16, 2013.

Mary E. Henigin,

Acting Director, Air Quality Assessment Division.