Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Implementation of the Ambient Air Protocol Gas Verification Program

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), “Implementation of Ambient Air Protocol Gas Verification Program” (EPA ICR No. 2375.03, OMB Control No. 2060-0648) 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.). Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR. 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:

Comments must be submitted on or before January 3, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0050 online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.

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: 919-541-0520; fax: 919-541-1903; email: 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, WJC 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.

Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA is soliciting 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. 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. At that time, EPA will issue another Federal Register notice to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB.

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 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, 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 Start Printed Page 30302verified 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.

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

Estimated number of respondents: 211 (total).

Frequency of response: Annual.

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

Total estimated cost: $4674 (per year).

Changes in Estimates: The renewal ICR will address all changes in the total estimated respondent burden since the last renewal.