The United States Environmental
Protection Agency (USEPA) promulgated the Air Emissions Reporting
Requirements (AERR) on December 17, 2008 (FR Vol 73, No. 243,
76539). The AERR consolidated and streamlined previous requirements
of several older rules for State, Territorial, and local air
pollution control agencies to report air emissions to the USEPA
annually. The AERR has an approved ICR in place (ICR Number
2170.03). This supporting statement and ICR are being submitted to
renew USEPA's authority to collect air emissions-related
information from State and local agencies for the three-year cycle
that will include emissions reporting for inventory years 2012,
2013, and 2014, which are due to be reported on December 31 of the
year following each inventory year. Under the final AERR ICR, 55
State and Territorial air quality agencies, including the District
of Columbia (DC), and an estimated 49 local air quality agencies,
must annually submit emissions data for point sources emitting
specified levels of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO),
sulfur dioxide (SO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
particulate matter less than or equal to 10 micrometers in diameter
(PM10), particulate matter less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers in
diameter (PM2.5), and ammonia (NH3). Every 3 years, States1 are
required to submit a point source inventory, as well as a statewide
stationary nonpoint, onroad mobile, and nonroad mobile source
inventory for all criteria pollutants and their precursors. The
emissions data submitted for the annual and 3-year cycle
inventories are used by EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards (OAQPS) to assist in developing ambient air quality
emission standards, performing regional modeling, and preparing
national trends assessments and other special analyses and
reports.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.