[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 241 (Wednesday, December 16, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78226-78227]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-31539]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-SFUND-2005-0007; FRL-9937-24-OEI]


Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; EPA Worker Protection Standards for 
Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), ``EPA Worker Protection Standards 
for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (Renewal)'' (EPA 
ICR No. 1426.11, OMB Control No. 2050-0105) to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the 
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This is a proposed 
extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through December 31, 
2015. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal 
Register 80 FR 60144 on October 5, 2015 during a 60-day comment period. 
This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A 
fuller description of the ICR is given below, including its estimated 
burden and cost to the public. 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.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before January 15, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
SFUND-2005-0007, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), by email to [email protected], or by mail to: 
EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB via email 
to [email protected]. Address comments to OMB Desk Officer 
for EPA.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Sella M. Burchette, U.S. 
Environmental Response Team, MS 101, Building 205, Edison, NJ 08837, 
telephone number: 732-321-6726; fax number: 732-321-6724; email 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents which explain in detail 
the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the 
public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at 
www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone 
number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    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, as cited in 40 CFR 311, 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 on 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.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: State and local employees engaged in 
hazardous waste operations and emergency response in the 27 States that 
do not have Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) approved 
State plans.
    Respondent's Obligation to respond: Mandatory. Section (e) and by 
statue in Section (f)[8] of OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.120.
    Estimated number of respondents: 23,900.
    Frequency of response: Once, Annual, On occasion.
    Total estimated burden: 255,477 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b)
    Total estimated cost: $4,668,688 (per year), includes $0 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: There is no change of the hours in the total 
estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by 
OMB. This is due to the program maturing and stabilizing. The cost

[[Page 78227]]

increased by $1,143,100, which is due to increased labor rates.

Courtney Kerwin,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2015-31539 Filed 12-15-15; 8:45 am]
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