2013-27435. Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Implementation of Ambient Air Protocol Gas Verification Program (Renewal)

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), Implementation of Ambient Air Protocol Gas Verification Program (Renewal) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through December 31, 2013. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (78 FR 30300) on May 22, 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 December 18, 2013.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0050, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by email to [e-mail], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB via email to [e-mail]. Address comments to OMB Desk Officer for EPA.

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:

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:

Supporting documents, which explain in detail the information that 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, WJC West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For further information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/​dockets.

ICR Information: EPA ICR Number 2375.02; OMB Control Number 2060-0648.

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, EPA developed an Ambient Air Protocol Gas Verification Program that provides end users with information about participating producers and verification results. Each year, EPA will attempt to compare gas cylinders from every specialty gas producer being used by ambient air monitoring organizations. Cylinders will be verified at a pre-determined time each quarter. In order to make the appropriate selection, EPA needs to know what specialty gas producers are being used by the monitoring organizations. Therefore, EPA needs information from each primary quality assurance organization every year on specialty gas producers being used and whether the monitoring organization would like to participate in the verification for the upcoming calendar year.

Form Numbers: None.

Respondents/affected entities: State, local, and Tribal air quality management agencies.

Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory under 40 CFR part 58.

Estimated number of respondents: 211 (total).

Frequency of response: Yearly.

Total estimated burden: 70 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).

Total estimated cost: $4,674 (per year). There are no annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.

Changes in the Estimates: There is no change in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB.

John Moses,

Director, Collection Strategies Division.