[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 7, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40898-40899]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-15344]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPT-2003-0073; FRL-7782-5]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Reporting and Recordkeeping for 
Asbestos Abatement Worker Protection; EPA ICR No. 1246.09, OMB No. 
2070-0072

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 an Information Collection 
Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing 
approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on July 31, 2004. 
Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor 
the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 
This ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its 
estimated burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before August 6, 
2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to both (1) EPA, referencing docket ID 
number OPPT-2003-0073, online at http://www.epa.gov/edocket (our 
preferred method), or by mailto:[email protected]. Mail to: Document 
Control Office (DCO), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), 
Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 7407T, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB at: Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 
Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20503 (reference OMB Control No. 2070-0072).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Cunningham, Acting Director, 
Environmental Assistance Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and 
Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 7408, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-
554-1404; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On January 12, 2004, EPA sought comments on this renewal ICR 
(69 FR 1738) pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments 
during the comment period.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. OPPT-2003-0073, which is available for public viewing at the OPPT 
Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public 
Reading Room is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the

[[Page 40899]]

Reading Room is 202-566-1744, and the telephone number for the 
Pollution Prevention and Toxics Docket is 202-566-0280. An electronic 
version of the public docket is available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) 
at http://www.epa.gov/edocket. Use EDOCKET to submit or view public 
comments, access the index listing of the contents of the public 
docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are 
available electronically. Once in the system, select ``search,'' then 
key in the docket ID number identified above.
    Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB 
within 30 days of this notice. EPA's policy is that public comments, 
whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available 
for public viewing in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and without change, 
unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other 
information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA 
identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide 
a reference to that material in the version of the comment that is 
placed in EDOCKET. The entire printed comment, including the 
copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket. Although 
identified as an item in the official docket, information claimed as 
CBI, or whose disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not 
included in the official public docket, and will not be available for 
public viewing in EDOCKET. For further information about the electronic 
docket, see EPA's Federal Register notice describing the electronic 
docket at 67 FR 38102 (May 31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov/edocket.
    ICR Title: Reporting and Recordkeeping for Asbestos Abatement 
Worker Protection.
    Abstract: EPA's asbestos worker protection rule is designed to 
provide occupational exposure protection to state and local government 
employees who are engaged in asbestos abatement activities in states 
that do not have state plans approved by the Occupational Safety and 
Health Administration (OSHA). The rule provides protection for public 
employees not covered by the OSHA standard from the adverse health 
effects associated with occupational exposure to asbestos.
    This rule requires state and local governments to monitor employee 
exposure to asbestos, take action to reduce exposure, monitor employee 
health, train employees about asbestos hazards, and provide employees 
with information about exposures to asbestos and the associated health 
effects. The rule also requires state and local governments to notify 
EPA before commencing any asbestos abatement project. State and local 
governments must maintain medical surveillance and monitoring records 
and training records on their employees, must establish a set of 
written procedures for respirator programs and must maintain procedures 
and records of respirator fit tests. EPA will use the information to 
monitor compliance with the asbestos worker protection rule.
    Responses to the collection of information are mandatory (see 40 
CFR part 763, subpart G). Respondents may claim all or part of a notice 
as CBI. EPA will disclose information that is covered by a CBI claim 
only to the extent permitted by, and in accordance with, the procedures 
in 40 CFR part 2.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not 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 in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal 
Register, are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and included on the related 
collection instrument or form, if applicable.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 0.33 
hour per response. Burden means the total time, effort or financial 
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain 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 to respond to a collection of 
information; search data sources; complete and review the collection of 
information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: State or local government agencies 
in states without an OSHA-approved State Asbestos Plan or State 
Asbestos Worker Protection Plan that have employees engaged in 
asbestos-related construction, custodial, and brake and clutch repair 
activities.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion; includes third-party 
notification requirement.
    Estimated No. of Respondents: 25,312.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 412,243 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Costs: $13,281,559.
    Changes in Burden Estimates: This request reflects a decrease of 
24,046 hours (from 436,289 hours to 412,243 hours) in the total 
estimated respondent burden from that currently in the OMB inventory. 
This decrease is due to a reduction in the number of supervisors at 
affected entities that need to read and interpret the regulation. In 
the previous ICR EPA anticipated that all supervisors undertook this 
activity. In the current ICR EPA expects that only new supervisors must 
do so. The change in burden represents an adjustment.

    Dated: June 28, 2004.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 04-15344 Filed 7-6-04; 8:45 am]
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