[Federal Register: August 27, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 166)]
[Notices]
[Page 52663-52664]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27au04-31]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[ORD-2004-0013, FRL-7807-5]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Application for Reference or Equivalent Method
Determination, EPA ICR Number 0559.08, OMB Control Number 2080.0005
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.), this notice announces that EPA is planning to submit a
continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request to renew an existing
approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on February 28,
2005. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is
soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information
collection as described below.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 26, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number ORD-2004-
0013, to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail to
the Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket,
oei.docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental
Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Information Docket (28221T),
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth T. Hunike, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Human Exposure and Atmospheric
Sciences Division, Process Modeling Research Branch, Mail Drop D205-03,
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: (919) 541-3737;
facsimile number: (919) 541-1153; e-mail: Hunike.Elizabeth@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this
ICR under Docket ID number ORD-2004-0013, which is available for public
viewing at the Office of Environmental Information Docket in the EPA
Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave.,
NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center 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 Office of Environmental Information
Docket is (202) 566-1752. An electronic version of the public docket is
available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) at http://www.epa.gov/edocket.
Use EDOCKET to obtain a copy of the draft collection of information,
submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the
contents of the public 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 above.
Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA within
60 days of this notice. EPA's policy is that public comments, whether
submitted electronically or on paper, will be made available for public
viewing in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and without change, unless the
comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose
public disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a
comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference
to that material in the version of the comment that is placed in
EDOCKET. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted
material, will be available in the public docket. Although identified
as an item in the official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose
disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the
official public docket, and will not be available for public viewing in
EDOCKET. For further information about the electronic docket, see EPA's
Federal Register notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102
(May 31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov/edocket.
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
primarily manufacturers and vendors of ambient air quality monitoring
instruments that are used by state and local air quality monitoring
agencies in their federally required air surveillance monitoring
networks, and agents acting for such instrument manufacturers or
vendors. Other entities potentially affected may include state or local
air monitoring agencies, other users of ambient air quality monitoring
instruments, or any other applicant for a reference or equivalent
method determination.
Title: Application for Reference and Equivalent Method
Determination (OMB Control No. 2080-0005; EPA ICR No. 0559.08; expiring
February 28, 2005).
Abstract: To determine compliance with the national ambient air
quality standards (NAAQS), State air monitoring agencies are required
to use, in their air quality monitoring networks,
[[Page 52664]]
air monitoring methods that have been formally designated by the EPA as
either reference or equivalent methods under EPA regulations at 40 CFR
Part 53. A manufacturer or seller of an air monitoring method (e.g., an
air monitoring sampler or analyzer) that seeks to obtain such EPA
designation of one of its products must carry out prescribed tests of
the method. The test results and other information must then be
submitted to the EPA in the form of an application for a reference or
equivalent method determination in accordance with 40 CFR Part 53. The
EPA uses this information, under the provisions of Part 53, to
determine whether the particular method should be designated as either
a reference or equivalent method. After a method is designated, the
applicant must also maintain records of the names and mailing addresses
of all ultimate purchasers of all analyzers or samplers sold as
designated methods under the method designation. If the method
designated is a method for fine particulate matter (PM2.5),
the applicant must also submit a checklist signed by an ISO-certified
auditor to indicate that the samplers or analyzers sold as part of the
designated method are manufactured in an ISO 9001-registered facility.
Also, an applicant must submit a minor application to seek approval for
any proposed modifications to previously designated methods.
A response to this collection of information is voluntary, but it
is required to obtain the benefit of EPA designation under 40 CFR Part
53. Submission of some information that is claimed by the applicant to
be confidential business information may be necessary to make a
reference or equivalent method determination. The confidentiality of
any submitted information identified as confidential business
information by the applicant will be protected in full accordance with
40 CFR Part 53.15 and all applicable provisions of 40 CFR Part 2.
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 EPA's
regulations are listed in 40 CFR Part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter 15.
The EPA would like to solicit comments 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 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.
Burden Statement: 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; 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 approximately 4,720
hours, with a cost of approximately $93,000. These estimates are based
on a projected receipt of 5 major applications per year with a weighted
average burden of 860 hours per application, and an estimated 14 minor
applications per year with a weighted average burden of 30 hours each.
However, it should be noted that actual applications range widely in
content and extent. Accordingly, the individual respondent burden for a
particular application response may differ substantially from these
weighted average burden estimates. The weighted average cost burden
estimate includes start up costs, the total cost of capital equipment
annualized over its expected useful life, operation and maintenance,
and purchase of services.
Dated: August 16, 2004.
Gary J. Foley,
Director, National Exposure Research Laboratory.
[FR Doc. 04-19613 Filed 8-26-04; 8:45 am]
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