[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 245 (Thursday, December 22, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76047-76049]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-7694]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-SFUND-2005-0007, FRL-8013-7]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; EPA Worker Protection Standards 
for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (Renewal), EPA 
ICR Number 1426.07, OMB Control Number 2050-0105

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

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 EPA is planning to submit a 
continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request to renew an existing 
approved

[[Page 76048]]

collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on 12/31/2005. 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 January 23, 
2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number EPA-HQ-
SFUND-2005-0007, to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov 
(our preferred method), by e-mail to [email protected], or by 
mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of 
Solid Waste and Emergency Response, 5305T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB at: Office of Information and 
Regulation Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: 
Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sella M. Burchette, U.S. EPA, 
Environmental Response Team, MS 101, Building 18, Edison, NJ 08837; 
telephone number: 732-321-6726; fax number: 732-321-6724; 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 October 21, 2005 (70 FR 61284), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). No comments were received.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
number EPA-HQ-SFUND-2005-0007, which is available for public viewing at 
the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Superfund 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 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding 
legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading Room is (202) 566-
1744, and the telephone number for the Office of Solid Waste and 
Emergency Response Superfund Docket is (202) 566-0276. An electronic 
version of the public docket is available at http://www.regulations.gov. Use http://www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of 
the draft collection of information, 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 http://www.regulations.gov as EPA receives them 
and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, 
confidential business information (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 http://www.regulations.gov. 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 http://www.regulations.gov. For further information 
about the electronic docket go to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Title: EPA Worker Protection Standards for Hazardous Waste 
Operation and Emergency Response (Renewal).
    Abstract: Section 126(f) of the Superfund Amendments and 
Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) requires 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 engaged 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 existing mandatory record keeping 
collection of ongoing activities including monitoring of any potential 
employee exposure at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites, 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 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 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and are identified on 
the form and/or instrument, if applicable.
    Burden Statement: The annual recordkeeping burden for this 
collection will remain unchanged from previous estimates and is 
estimated to average 10.5 hours per site or event. Burden means to 
total time, effort, and 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 and local governments in the 
27 States and 2 territories that do not have OSHA-approved plans under 
section 18(b) of the OSH Act. The population affected by the EPA worker 
protection standards includes State and local governments with 
employees: (1) Engaged in routine hazardous waste operations at TSD 
facilities regulated under RCRA; (2) engaged in clean-ups at 
uncontrolled hazardous waste sites, including corrective actions at 
RCRA TSD facilities; and (3) engaged in emergency response without 
regard to location.
    Estimated number of respondents: Approximately 100 RCRA TSD 
facilities or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites and 23,900 State and 
local police departments, fire departments or hazardous materials 
teams.
    Frequency of Response: Continuous maintenance of records.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 255,427.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $3,529,000, which includes $0 annual 
capital/startup costs, $0 annual O&M costs and $3,529,000 annual labor 
costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There are no changes in the estimates 
currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens.


[[Page 76049]]


    Dated: December 14, 2005.
Oscar Morales,
 Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E5-7694 Filed 12-21-05; 8:45 am]
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