(a) An SPM is defined as any monitor included in an agency's monitoring network that the agency has designated as a special purpose monitor in its annual monitoring network plan and in AQS, and which the agency does not count when showing compliance with the minimum requirements of this subpart for the number and siting of monitors of various types. Any SPM operated by an air monitoring agency must be included in the periodic assessments and annual monitoring network plan required by § 58.10. The plan shall include a statement of purposes for each SPM monitor and evidence that operation of each monitor meets the requirements of appendix A or an approved alternative as provided by § 58.11(a)(2) where applicable. The monitoring agency may designate a monitor as an SPM after January 1, 2007 only if it is a new monitor, i.e., a SLAMS monitor that is not included in the currently applicable monitoring plan or, for a monitor included in the monitoring plan prior to January 1, 2007, if the Regional Administrator has approved the discontinuation of the monitor as a SLAMS site.

(b) Any SPM data collected by an air monitoring agency using a Federal reference method (FRM) or Federal equivalent method (FEM) must meet the requirements of §§ 58.11 and 58.12 and appendix A to this part or an approved alternative to appendix A. Compliance with appendix E to this part is optional but encouraged except when the monitoring agency's data objectives are inconsistent with the requirements in appendix E. Data collected at an SPM using a FRM or FEM meeting the requirements of appendix A must be submitted to AQS according to the requirements of § 58.16. Data collected by other SPMs may be submitted. The monitoring agency must also submit to AQS an indication of whether each SPM reporting data to AQS monitor meets the requirements of appendices A and E.

(c) All data from an SPM using an FRM or FEM which has operated for more than 24 months are eligible for comparison to the relevant NAAQS, subject to the conditions of §§ 58.11(e) and 58.30, unless the air monitoring agency demonstrates that the data came from a particular period during which the requirements of appendix A, appendix C, or appendix E to this part were not met, subject to review and EPA Regional Office approval as part of the annual monitoring network plan described in § 58.10.

(d) If an SPM using an FRM or FEM is discontinued within 24 months of start-up, the Administrator will not base a NAAQS violation determination for the PM2.5 or ozone NAAQS solely on data from the SPM.

(e) If an SPM using an FRM or FEM is discontinued within 24 months of start-up, the Administrator will not designate an area as nonattainment for the CO, SO2, NO2, or 24-hour PM10 NAAQS solely on the basis of data from the SPM. Such data are eligible for use in determinations of whether a nonattainment area has attained one of these NAAQS.

(f) Prior approval from EPA is not required for discontinuance of an SPM.