[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 3, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5931-5932]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-2244]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-SFUND-2005-0007, FRL-8770-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; EPA Worker Protection Standards for Hazardous Waste 
Operations and Emergency Response (Renewal); EPA ICR Number 1426.08, 
OMB Control Number 2050-0105

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to 
submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection 
Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is 
scheduled to expire on March 31, 2009. Before submitting the ICR to OMB 
for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects 
of the proposed information collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 6, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
SFUND-2005-0007 by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: (202) 566-9744.
     Mail: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, 
Mailcode: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-SFUND-
2005-0007. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov or e-mail. 
The www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, 
which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information 
unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-
mail comment directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov 
your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part 
of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available 
on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends 
that you include your name and other contact information in the body of 
your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read 
your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket visit the EPA Docket Center 
homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sella M. Burchette, U.S. Environmental 
Response Team, MS 101, Building 18, Edison, NJ 08837, telephone number: 
721-321-6726; fax number: 732-321-6724; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-SFUND-2005-0007 established a public docket for each of the 
ICRs identified in this document (see the Docket ID numbers for each 
ICR that are provided in the text, which is available for online 
viewing at www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Superfund 
Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC). The EPA/DC 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 Superfund Docket is 202-566-
0276.
    Use 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 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 in this 
document.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA specifically 
solicits comments and information to enable it to:
    (i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (ii) evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden 
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used;
    (iii) enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and
    (iv) minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from 
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of 
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork 
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.
    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific 
examples.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.

[[Page 5932]]

    6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.
    7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page 
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
those 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 (OSHA) approved State plans.
    Title: EPA Worker Protection Standards for Hazardous Waste 
Operation and Emergency Response (Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1426.08, OMB Control No. 2050-0105.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on 03/31/09. 
This is a request renewal of a currently approved collection. 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 when approved, 
are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed either by publication in the 
Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such as on the related 
collection instrument or form, if applicable. The display of OMB 
control numbers in certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR 
part 9.
    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.
    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, 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.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 24,000.
    Frequency of response: Annually.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 255,427 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $3,528,888, which is entirely for 
labor. There are no capital investment or maintenance and operational 
costs.
    These burden estimates reflect what is currently approved by OMB, 
without change. EPA will provide revised burden estimates when the 
second comment period for this ICR is opened. However, as the universe 
and regulations have not changed, EPA does not anticipate any 
substantive changes to the burden figures.
    EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as 
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for 
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, EPA will 
issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the 
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any 
questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the 
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: January 22, 2009.
James E. Woolford,
Director, Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation.
 [FR Doc. E9-2244 Filed 2-2-09; 8:45 am]
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