TITLE 40 - PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT

CHAPTER I - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

SUBCHAPTER C - AIR PROGRAMS

PART 58 - AMBIENT AIR QUALITY SURVEILLANCE

subpart a - GENERAL PROVISIONS

58.2 - Purpose.

  (a) This part contains criteria and requirements for ambient air quality monitoring and requirements for reporting ambient air quality data and information. The monitoring criteria pertain to the following areas: (1) Quality assurance procedures for monitor operation and data handling.

  (2) Methodology used in monitoring stations.

  (3) Operating schedule.

  (4) Siting parameters for instruments or instrument probes.

  (b) The requirements pertaining to provisions for an air quality surveillance system in the State Implementation Plan are contained in this part.

  (c) This part also acts to establish a national ambient air quality monitoring network for the purpose of providing timely air quality data upon which to base national assessments and policy decisions. This network will be operated by the States and will consist of certain selected stations from the States' SLAMS networks. These selected stations will remain as SLAMS and will continue to meet any applicable requirements on SLAMS. The stations, however, will also be designated as National Air Monitoring Stations (NAMS) and will be subject to additional data reporting and monitoring methodology requirements as contained in subpart D of this part.

  (d) This section also acts to establish a Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations (PAMS) network as a subset of the State's SLAMS network for the purpose of enhanced monitoring in O3 nonattainment areas listed as serious, severe, or extreme. The PAMS network will be subject to the data reporting and monitoring methodology requirements as contained in subpart E of this part.

  (e) Requirements for the daily reporting of an index of ambient air quality, to insure that the population of major urban areas are informed daily of local air quality conditions, are also included in this part.

[44 FR 27571, May 10, 1979, as amended at 58 FR 8467, Feb. 12, 1993]