[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 245 (Tuesday, December 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70769-70770]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-33844]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6206-8


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; EPA Worker Protection Standard for Hazardous 
Waste Operations and Emergency Response

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 document announces that the Information Collection 
Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: EPA Worker 
Protection Standard for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency 
Response, EPA ICR 1426.05, OMB Control #2050-0105, expiration January 
31, 1999. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection 
and its expected cost and burden; where appropriate, it includes actual 
data collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 21, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone 
at (202) 260-2740, by E-mail at [email protected], or download off 
the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No. 
1426.05.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: EPA Worker Protection Standard for Hazardous Waste 
Operations and Emergency Response, OMB Control #2050-0105, EPA ICR 
#1426.05, expiration January 31, 1999. This is a request for an 
extension of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Section 126(f) of the Superfund Amendments and 
Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) require EPA to set worker protection 
standards for State and local employees engaged in hazardous waste 
operations and emergency response in the 27 States that do not have 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration approved State plans. The 
EPA coverage, required to be identical to the OSHA standards, extends 
to three categories of employees: those in clean-ups at uncontrolled 
hazardous waste sites, including corrective actions at Treatment, 
Storage and Disposal (TSD) facilities regulated under the Resource 
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); employees working at routine 
hazardous waste operations at RCRA TSD facilities; and employees 
involved in emergency response operations without regard to location. 
This ICR renews the existing mandatory recordkeeping collection of 
ongoing activities including monitoring of any potential employee 
exposure at uncontrolled hazardous waste site, maintaining records of 
employee training, refresher training, medical exams, and reviewing 
emergency response plans. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a 
person is 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 displayed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter 
15. The Federal Register document required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), 
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on 
August 7, 1998 (63 FR 42396). No comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection is estimated to average 10.64 hours per 
response. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources 
expended by persons to generate, maintain, 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

[[Page 70770]]

to respond to a collection of information; search data sources; and 
complete and review the collection of information; and transmit or 
otherwise disclose the information.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: State and local employers of persons 
engaged in hazardous waste operations and emergency response in states 
without an OSHA approved State plan.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 24,000.
    Frequency of Response: On-going records maintenance.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 255,427 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: 0.
    Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the 
accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods 
for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques to the following addresses. Please 
refer to EPA ICR No. 1426.05 and OMB Control No. 2050-0105 in any 
correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Regulatory 
Information Division (2137), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460;

and

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW, 
Washington, D.C. 20503.

    Dated: December 16, 1998.
Joseph Retzer,
Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 98-33844 Filed 12-21-98; 8:45 am]
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