[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 16, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14390-14392]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5976]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0896; FRL-8864-2]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

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, 
entitled: Worker Protection Standard Training and Notification and 
identified by EPA ICR No. 1759.06 and OMB Control No. 2070-0148, is 
scheduled to expire on November 30, 2011. Before submitting the ICR to 
OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific 
aspects of the proposed information collection.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 16, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0896, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) Regulatory Public 
Docket (7502P), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
     Delivery: OPP Regulatory Public Docket (7502P), 
Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. S-4400, One

[[Page 14391]]

Potomac Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. 
Deliveries are only accepted during the Docket Facility's normal hours 
of operation (8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding 
legal holidays). Special arrangements should be made for deliveries of 
boxed information. The Docket Facility telephone number is (703) 305-
5805.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-
2010-0896. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the docket without change and may be made available on-line at 
http://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 regulations.gov or e-
mail. The 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 regulations.gov, 
your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part 
of the comment that is placed in the 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.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the docket index 
available at http://www.regulations.gov. Although listed in the index, 
some information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other 
material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the Internet 
and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly 
available docket materials are available either in the electronic 
docket at http://www.regulations.gov, or, if only available in hard 
copy, at the OPP Regulatory Public Docket in Rm. S-4400, One Potomac 
Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. The hours of 
operation of this Docket Facility are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The Docket Facility telephone 
number is (703) 305-5805.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lily G. Negash, Field and External 
Affairs Division (7506P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 347-8515; fax number: (703) 305-5884; e-
mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. What information is EPA particularly interested in?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of PRA, EPA specifically solicits 
comments and information to enable it to:
    1. 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.
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimates of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used.
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected.
    4. 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.

II. What should I consider when I prepare my comments for EPA?

    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. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.
    6. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    7. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.
    8. 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.

III. What information collection activity or ICR does this action apply 
to?

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this ICR are 
agricultural employers, including employers in farms as well as 
nursery, forestry, and greenhouse establishments.
    Title: Worker Protection Standard Training and Notification.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1759.06, OMB Control No. 2070-0148.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on November 
30, 2011. 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 Code of Federal Regulations (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 
for certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: EPA is responsible for the regulation of pesticides under 
the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). 
Codified under 40 CFR part 170, the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) 
establishes requirements to protect agricultural workers and pesticide 
handlers from hazards of pesticides used on farms, on forests, in 
nurseries, and in greenhouses.
    The regulations contain the standard and workplace practices, which 
are designed to reduce or eliminate worker exposure to pesticides and 
establish procedures for responding to exposure-related emergencies. 
The practices include prohibitions against applying pesticides in a way 
that would cause exposure to workers and others; a waiting period 
before workers can return to areas treated with pesticides (restricted 
entry interval); basic safety training (and voluntary training 
verification) and posting of information about pesticide hazards, as 
well as pesticide application information; arrangements for the supply 
of soap, water, and towels in case of pesticide

[[Page 14392]]

exposure; and provisions for emergency assistance. The training 
verification program facilitates compliance with the training 
requirements by providing a voluntary method for employers to verify 
that the required safety information has been provided to workers and 
handlers.
    Information is exchanged between agricultural employers and 
employees at farm, forest, nursery, and greenhouse establishments to 
ensure worker safety. No information is collected by the Agency under 
this ICR.
    Burden statement: The total annual public reporting and 
recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to 
average 1,776,131 hours, with the incremental burden of the various 
activities ranging from 2 minutes per respondent to provide initial 
basic safety information to 45 minutes per respondent for handler 
training. 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 
which have subsequently changed; 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 this estimate, which is 
only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 309,085.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 
Varies by type of response under the same respondent category.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 1,776,131 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $82,462,645. This includes an 
estimated burden cost of $0 and an estimated cost of $0 for capital 
investment or maintenance and operational costs.

IV. Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

    There is no change in the number of hours in the total estimated 
respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently 
approved by OMB.

V. What is the next step in the process for this ICR?

    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. 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 person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: March 7, 2011.
Stephen A. Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2011-5976 Filed 3-15-11; 8:45 am]
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