[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 153 (Thursday, August 9, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44875-44877]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-15610]


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NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION


Records Schedules; Availability and Request for Comments

AGENCY: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of proposed records schedules; request 
for comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) 
publishes notice at least once monthly of certain Federal agency 
requests for records disposition authority (records schedules). Once 
approved by NARA, records schedules provide mandatory instructions on 
what happens to records when no longer needed for current Government 
business. They authorize the preservation of records of continuing 
value in the National Archives of the United States and the 
destruction, after a specified period, of records lacking 
administrative, legal, research, or other value. Notice is published 
for records schedules in which agencies propose to destroy records not 
previously authorized for disposal or reduce the retention period of 
records already authorized for disposal. NARA invites public comments 
on such records schedules, as required by 44 U.S.C. 3303a(a).

DATES: Requests for copies must be received in writing on or before 
September 10, 2007 (Note that the new time period for requesting copies 
has changed from 45 to 30 days after publication). Once the appraisal 
of the records is completed, NARA will send a copy of the schedule. 
NARA staff usually prepare appraisal memorandums that contain 
additional information concerning the records covered by a proposed 
schedule. These, too, may be requested and will be provided once the 
appraisal is completed. Requesters will be given 30 days to submit 
comments.

ADDRESSES: You may request a copy of any records schedule identified in 
this notice by contacting the Life Cycle Management Division (NWML) 
using one of the following means:
    Mail: NARA (NWML), 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001.
    E-mail: [email protected].
    FAX: 301-837-3698.
    Requesters must cite the control number, which appears in 
parentheses after the name of the agency which submitted the schedule, 
and must provide a mailing address. Those who desire appraisal reports 
should so indicate in their request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laurence Brewer, Director, Life Cycle 
Management Division (NWML), National Archives and Records 
Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001. 
Telephone: 301-837-1539. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Each year Federal agencies create billions 
of records on paper, film, magnetic tape, and other media. To control 
this accumulation, agency records managers prepare schedules proposing 
retention periods for records and submit these schedules for NARA's 
approval, using the Standard Form (SF) 115, Request for Records 
Disposition Authority. These schedules provide for the timely transfer 
into the National Archives of historically valuable records and 
authorize the disposal of all other records after the agency no longer 
needs them to conduct its business. Some schedules are comprehensive 
and cover all the records of an agency or one of its major 
subdivisions. Most schedules, however, cover records of only one office 
or program or a few series of records. Many of these update previously 
approved schedules, and some include records proposed as permanent.
    No Federal records are authorized for destruction without the 
approval of the Archivist of the United States. This approval is 
granted only after a thorough consideration of their administrative use 
by the agency of origin, the rights of the Government and of private 
persons directly affected by the Government's activities, and whether 
or not they have historical or other value.
    Besides identifying the Federal agencies and any subdivisions 
requesting disposition authority, this public notice lists the 
organizational unit(s) accumulating the records or indicates agency-
wide applicability in the case of schedules that cover records that may 
be accumulated throughout an agency. This notice provides the control 
number assigned to each schedule, the total number of schedule items, 
and the number of temporary items (the records proposed for 
destruction). It also includes a brief description of the temporary 
records. The records schedule itself contains a full description of the 
records at the file unit level as well as their disposition. If NARA 
staff has prepared an appraisal memorandum for the schedule, it too 
includes information about the records. Further information about the 
disposition process is available on request.

[[Page 44876]]

    Schedules Pending (Note that the new time period for requesting 
copies has changed from 45 to 30 days after publication):
    1. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, 
Education, and Extension Service (N1-540-07-3, 18 items, 18 temporary 
items). Records of the Office of Extramural Program Policy and 
Oversight, including audit, investigation, review, and reporting 
records; rulemaking records, opinions, and commentaries; policies, 
procedures, terms and conditions, memoranda of understanding, 
agreements, and requests for proposals relating to the awarding of 
grants; internal administrative policies and procedures; and working 
files. This schedule authorizes the agency to apply the proposed 
disposition instructions to any recordkeeping medium.
    2. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service 
(N1-462-05-7, 9 items, 9 temporary items). Records of the 
Environmental, Health and Safety Branch relating to emergency planning 
records. Included are emergency occupant plans, lockout and tagout 
procedures, health hazard reports, air contaminants monitoring exposure 
reports, industrial hygiene surveys, hearing conservation and hazard 
communication programs records, log reports on unsafe and unhealthful 
working conditions, and safety and workplace inspections.
    3. Department of State, Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations 
(N1-59-07-7, 1 item, 1 temporary item). Background information files 
used to analyze and monitor operations and prepare final internal 
review reports.
    4. Department of State, Office of Civil Rights (N1-59-07-10, 3 
items, 3 temporary items). Photographs, audio tapes, and video tapes 
relating to notables, and fragmentary textual files.
    5. Environmental Protection Agency (N1-412-06-12, 2 items, 2 
temporary items). This schedule authorizes the agency to apply the 
existing disposition instructions to records series regardless of the 
recordkeeping medium. Included are site-specific grants and other 
program support agreements to which the agency is a party and which 
support the Superfund program. Paper recordkeeping copies of these 
files were previously approved for disposal.
    6. Environmental Protection Agency (N1-412-06-15, 5 items, 5 
temporary items). This schedule authorizes the agency to apply the 
existing disposition instructions to records series regardless of the 
recordkeeping medium. Included are records created by laboratories 
relating to chemical analysis services performed to support Superfund 
remedial and removal site-specific activities. Paper recordkeeping 
copies of these files were previously approved for disposal.
    7. Environmental Protection Agency (N1-412-06-17, 3 items, 3 
temporary items). This schedule authorizes the agency to apply the 
existing disposition instructions to records series regardless of the 
recordkeeping medium. Included are Superfund site-specific contract 
management files, including correspondence and related records 
pertaining to requests for proposals, procurement award and 
administration, receipt, inspection and payment of contracts, and other 
contract matters. Paper recordkeeping copies of these files were 
previously approved for disposal.
    8. Environmental Protection Agency (N1-412-06-18, 1 item, 1 
temporary item). This schedule authorizes the agency to apply the 
existing disposition instructions to records series regardless of the 
recordkeeping medium. Included are site-specific records relating to 
activities undertaken to secure response costs from responsible parties 
at Superfund remedial and removal sites and oil spills. Records include 
compilations of documentation that describe technical aspects of the 
response action and cost accounting information necessary to document 
the costs incurred to implement the response action. Paper 
recordkeeping copies of these files were previously approved for 
disposal.
    9. Environmental Protection Agency (N1-412-06-19, 2 items, 1 
temporary item). This schedule authorizes the agency to apply the 
existing disposition instructions to records series regardless of the 
recordkeeping medium. Included are Superfund site-specific case files, 
covering such actions as injunctive relief, natural resource damage 
actions, remedial investigation/feasibility study special notices, 
administrative and judicial cost recovery settlements, administrative 
orders, and other matters. Paper recordkeeping copies of these files 
were previously approved for disposal. Proposed for permanent retention 
are landmark cases, including cases resulting in a legal precedent that 
establishes or affirms agency policy with respect to environmental 
actions of national importance, for which paper recordkeeping copies 
previously were approved as permanent.
    10. Environmental Protection Agency (N1-412-07-25, 4 items, 2 
temporary items). This schedule authorizes the agency to apply the 
proposed disposition instructions to any recordkeeping medium. Included 
are Superfund and Brownfields site assessment files, comprising site-
specific records, including site discovery, preliminary assessment, 
site investigation and hazard ranking system package documents and 
other records, related to sites investigated for listing on the 
National Priorities List and the Brownfields program. Proposed for 
permanent retention are files for sites placed on the National 
Priorities List and for sites warranting a removal action, for which 
paper recordkeeping copies previously were approved as permanent.
    11. National Archives and Records Administration, Government-wide 
(N1-GRS-07-1, 3 items, 3 temporary items). Addition to the General 
Records Schedules covering records relating to the planning, 
implementation, operation, audit or monitoring, reorganization or 
termination, and transaction interoperability of a public key 
infrastructure (PKI) system.
    12. National Archives and Records Administration, Government-wide 
(N1-GRS-07-4, 11 items, 7 temporary items). Revision to General Records 
Schedule 20, Items 2, 3, and 11. The schedule revises Item 2a to 
provide disposal authority for non-electronic documents that are used 
to create electronic records, and also records not created solely for 
that purpose, such as reports, correspondence, memorandums, and other 
records that are scanned into an electronic recordkeeping system. 
Proposed revised Item 3 provides coverage for electronic records that 
replace temporary hard copy records covered by previously approved 
schedules that do not explicitly exclude electronic records. Revised 
GRS 20, Item 11, provides disposition instruction for documentation 
associated with electronic records. Proposed for permanent retention 
are hardcopy documents that NARA has specifically designated as 
permanent records that must be transferred to NARA in hard copy format, 
even if records have been copies/converted to an electronic format; 
hardcopy records previously approved as permanent that are converted to 
electronic records where the electronic records do not meet NARA's 
transfer standards for permanent electronic records in effect at the 
time of conversion; electronic records that replace hard copy records 
approved as permanent in a previously approved schedule; and 
documentation relating to electronic records that are scheduled for 
permanent retention in the GRS or in a NARA-approved agency schedule.
    13. Social Security Administration, Office of Disability and Income 
Security

[[Page 44877]]

Programs (N1-47-07-1, 1 item, 1 temporary item). Eligibility records 
accumulated after a determination for Medicare benefits has been made. 
This schedule authorizes the agency to apply the proposed disposition 
instructions to any recordkeeping medium.

    Dated: August 1, 2007.
Michael J. Kurtz,
Assistant Archivist for Records Services--Washington, DC.
[FR Doc. E7-15610 Filed 8-8-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7515-01-P