[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 22, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3311-3312]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-1280]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration


Washington State Standards; Notice of Approval

1. Background

    Part 1953 of Title 29, Code of Federal Regulations, prescribes 
procedures under Section 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 
of 1970 (hereinafter called the Act) by which the Regional 
Administrator for Occupational Safety and Health (hereinafter called 
Regional Administrator) under a delegation of authority from the 
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health 
(hereinafter called the Assistant Secretary) (29 CFR 1953.4) will 
review and approve standards promulgated pursuant to a State plan which 
has been approved in accordance with Section 18(c) of the Act and 29 
CFR Part 1902. On January 26, 1973, notice was published in the Federal 
Register (38 FR 2421) of the approval of the Washington plan and the 
adoption of Subpart F to Part 1952 containing the decision.
    The Washington plan provides for the adoption of State standards 
that are at least as effective as comparable Federal standards 
promulgated under Section 6 of the Act. Section 1953.20 provides that 
where any alteration in the Federal program could have an adverse 
impact on the at least as effective as status of the State program, a 
program change supplement to a State plan shall be required.
    By letter dated August 17, 1990, from Joseph A. Dear, Director, to 
James W. Lake, Regional Administrator, the State submitted on its own 
initiative amendments comparable to 29 CFR 1910.1045, Acrylonitrile. 
The State repealed WAC 296-62-07341 and re-issued the standard as WAC 
296-62-07336, adding four non-mandatory appendices identical to the 
Federal. The state amendments were adopted in Administrative Order 88-
04 on May 11, 1988, effective June 10, 1988. The re-numbered standard 
retained the substantive amendments to made to WAC 296-62-07341 in 
1986: fifteen day notification of a regulated area, twenty-four hour 
notification of an emergency release, weekly surveys, air supplied 
respirators, prohibition of the use of compressed air and dry sweeping, 
and provisions for lunchrooms. These substantive changes were adopted 
by the state in Administrative Order 86-28 on July 25, 1986, effective 
August 25, 1986. This standard was originally approved in the Federal 
Register (44 FR 65485) on November 13, 1979.
    Also by letter dated August 17, 1990, the State on its own 
initiative submitted amendments comparable to 29 CFR 1910.1044, 1, 2-
dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP). The state repealed WAC 296-62-07345 and 
re-issued the standard as WAC 296-62-07342, adding three non-mandatory 
appendices identical to the Federal. The state amendments were adopted 
in Administrative Order 88-04 on May 11, 1988, effective June 10, 1988. 
The re-numbered standard retained substantive amendments adopted in 
Administrative Order 86-28 on July 25, 1986. This standard was 
originally approved in the Federal Register (47 FR 26949) on June 22, 
1982.
    In response to Federal standards changes, and on its own 
initiative, the State submitted by letters from Mark O. Brown, 
Director, to James W. Lake, Regional Administrator, State standard 
amendments comparable to 29 CFR 1910.1027, 29 CFR 1915.1027 and 29 CFR 
1926.1127, and 29 CFR 1928.1027, Occupational Exposure to Cadmium. The 
Federal initiated standards and corrections were published in the 
Federal Register on September 14, 1992, final rule (57 FR 42102); and 
April 23, 1993, corrections (58 FR 21778). A State initiated change 
omitted the printing of the entire Appendix F, ``Nonmandatory Protocol 
for Biological Monitoring.'' Instead, Appendix F is available upon 
request. The changes and corrections were adopted in Administrative 
Order 93-01 on March 13, 1993, effective April 27, 1993; Administrative 
Order 93-06 on October 20, 1993, effective December 1, 1993; and 
Administrative Order 94-07 on July 20, 1994 effective September 20, 
1994.
    In response to Federal standard changes, and on its own initiative 
the state submitted by letter dated February 14, 1995 from Mark O. 
Brown, Director, to Richard Terrill, Acting Regional Administrator, 
state standard amendments comparable to 29 CFR 1910.146, Permit 
Required Confined Space. The Federal initiated standards and 
corrections were published in the Federal Register on January 14, 1993, 
Final Rule (58 FR 4462); June 29, 1993, Corrections (58 FR 34844); and 
May 19, 1994, Technical Amendments (59 FR 26114). The significant state 
initiated change expanded the scope and application of the OSHA General

[[Page 3312]]

Industry Permit Required Confined Space standard to cover employees in 
all industries. The changes, corrections and technical amendments were 
adopted in Administrative Order 94-14 on January 18, 1995, effective 
March 1, 1995.
    All of the administrative orders were adopted pursuant to RCW 
34.04.040(2), 49.17.040, 49.17.050, Public Meetings Act RCW 42.30, 
Administrative Procedures Act RCW 34.04, and the State Register Act RCW 
34.08.

2. Decision

    OSHA has determined that the State standard amendments for 
acrylonitrile, 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, and confined space are at 
least as effective as the comparable Federal standards, as required by 
Section 18(c)(2) of the Act. The acrylonitrile and DBCP amendments have 
been in effect since June 10, 1988, and the confined space amendments 
have been in effect since March 1, 1995. During this time OSHA has 
received no indication of significant objection to these different 
state standards either as to their effectiveness in comparison to the 
Federal standards or as to their conformance with product clause 
requirements of section 18(c)(2) of the Act. (A different state 
standard applicable to a product which is distributed or used in 
interstate commerce must be required by compelling local conditions and 
not unduly burden interstate commerce.) OSHA has also determined that 
the differences between the state and Federal amendments for cadmium 
are minimal and that the state amendments are thus substantially 
identical. OSHA therefore approves these amendments; however, the right 
to reconsider this approval is reserved should substantial objections 
be submitted to the Assistant Secretary.

3. Location of Supplement for Inspection and Copying

    A copy of the standards supplement, along with the approved plan, 
may be inspected and copied during normal business hours at the 
following locations: Office of the Regional Administrator, Occupational 
Safety and Health Administration, 1111 Third Avenue, Suite 715, 
Seattle, Washington 98101-3212; State of Washington Department of Labor 
and Industries, 7273 Linderson Way, S.W., Tumwater, Washington 98501; 
and the Office of State Programs, Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration, Room N-3476, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 
D.C. 20210. For electronic copies of this Federal Register notice, 
contact OSHA's Web Page at http://www.osha.gov/.

4. Public Participation

    Under 29 CFR 1953.2(c), the Assistant Secretary may prescribe 
alternative procedures to expedite the review process or for other good 
cause which may be consistent with applicable laws. The Assistant 
Secretary finds that good cause exists for not publishing the 
supplement to the Washington State Plan as a proposed change and making 
the Regional Administrator's approval effective upon publication for 
the following reasons:
    1. The standard amendments are as effective as the Federal 
standards which were promulgated in accordance with the Federal law 
including meeting requirements for public participation.
    2. The standard amendments were adopted in accordance with the 
procedural requirements of State law and further public participation 
would be repetitious.
    This decision is effective January 22, 1997.

(Sec. 18, Pub. L. 91-596, 84 STAT. 6108 [29 U.S.C. 667]).

    Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 26th day of November 1996 .
Carl A. Halgren,
Acting Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 97-1280 Filed 1-21-97; 8:45 am]
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