Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 202 / Monday, October 20, 1997 / Notices 54471

Title: Respiratory Protection (29 CFR

part 1910.134).

OMB Number: 1218–0099 (extension).

Frequency: On occasion.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit; Federal Government; State, Local

or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 130,000.

Estimated Time Per Respondent: Time

per response ranges from 5 minutes to

mark emergency-use respirator storage

compartments to 8 hours to develop a

written respiratory protection program.

Total Burden Hours: 1,166,092.

Total Annualized capital/startup

costs: 0.

Total annual costs (operating/

maintaining systems or purchasing

services): 0.

Description: The purpose of this

standard and its information collection

is designed to provide protection for

employees from workplace atmospheric

contamination. The standard requires

employers to develop a written

respiratory protection program, to

inspect and certify emergency-use

respirators, and mark emergency-use

respirator storage compartments.

Theresa M. O’Malley,

Departmental Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–27735 Filed 10–17–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–30–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration

New Mexico State Standards; Notice of

Approval

1. Background. Part 1953 of Title 29,

Code of Federal Regulations, prescribes

procedures under Section 18 of the

Occupational Safety and Health Act of

1970 (hereinafter called the Act), by

which the Regional Administrator for

Occupational Safety and Health

(hereinafter called Regional

Administrator), under a delegation of

authority from the Assistant Secretary of

Labor for Occupational Safety and

Health (hereinafter called the Assistant

Secretary) (29 CFR 1953.4), will review

and approve standards promulgated

pursuant to a State Plan, which has been

approved in accordance with Section

18(c) of the Act and 29 CFR Part 1902.

On December 10, 1975, notice was

published in the Federal Register (40

FR 57455) of the approval of the New

Mexico State Plan and the adoption of

Subpart DD to Part 1952 containing the

decision.

The New Mexico State Plan provides

for the adoption of Federal standards as

State standards after:

1. Notice of public hearing published

in a newspaper of general circulation in

the State at least sixty (60) days prior to

the date of such hearing.

2. Public hearing conducted by the

Environmental Improvement Board.

3. Filing of adopted regulations,

amendments, or revocations under the

State Rules Act.

The New Mexico State Plan provides

for the adoption of State standards

which are at least as effective as

comparable Federal standards

promulgated under Section 6 of the Act.

By letter dated August 12, 1997, from

Sam A. Rogers, Bureau Chief, to Emzell

Blanton, Jr., Regional Administrator,

and incorporated as part of the plan, the

State submitted State standards

identical to Federal standards as follow:

Amendment to 1910, Subpart B,

Adoption and Extension of Established

Federal Standards (61 FR 56831–56855,

dated 11/4/96), and Amendment to

1926.55, Appendix A, Gases, Vapors,

Fumes, Dust, and Mist (61 FR 56856,

dated 11/4/96).

These standards, contained in New

Mexico Occupational Health and Safety

Regulations 11 NMAC 5.1 and 11

NMAC 5.2, were promulgated on

August 8, 1997, in accordance with

applicable State law.

The subject standards became

effective September 15, 1997, pursuant

to New Mexico State Law, Sections 50–

9–1 through 50–9–25.

2. Decision. OSHA has determined

that the State standards at 11 NMAC 5.1,

and 11 NMAC 5.2 are identical to the

comparable Federal standards, and

therefore approves the standards.

3. Location of Supplement for

Inspection and Copying. A copy of the

standards supplement, along with the

approved plan, may be inspected and

copied during normal business hours at

the following locations: Office of the

Regional Administrator, U.S.

Department of Labor-OSHA, 525 Griffin

Street, Room 602, Dallas, Texas 75202;

Office of the Secretary, Environment

Department, 1190 St. Francis Drive,

Room 2200-North, Santa Fe, New

Mexico 87503; and the Office of State

Programs, 200 Constitution Avenue,

N.W., Room N3700, Washington, D.C.

20210.

4. Public participation. Under 29 CFR

1953.2(c), the Assistant Secretary may

prescribe alternative procedures to

expedite the review process or for other

good cause which may be consistent

with applicable laws. The Assistant

Secretary finds that good cause exists

for not publishing the supplements to

the New Mexico State Plan as proposed

changes, and making the Regional

Administrator’s approval effective upon

publication for the following reason.

The standards were adopted in

accordance with the procedural

requirements of State law, which

included public comment, and further

public participation would be

repetitious.

The decision is effective September 8,

1997.

(Sec. 18, Pub. L. 91–596, 84 Stat. 1608 (29

U.S.C. 667)).

Signed at Dallas, Texas, this eighth day of

September 1997.

Emzell Blanton, Jr.,

Regional Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–27653 Filed 10–17–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–26–P

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Pension and Welfare Benefits

Administration

[Application No. D–10412, et al.]

Proposed Exemptions; Metropolitan

Life Insurance Company

AGENCY: Pension and Welfare Benefits

Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Notice of proposed exemptions.

SUMMARY: This document contains

notices of pendency before the

Department of Labor (the Department) of

proposed exemptions from certain of the

prohibited transaction restrictions of the

Employee Retirement Income Security

Act of 1974 (the Act) and/or the Internal

Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code).

Written Comments and Hearing

Requests

All interested persons are invited to

submit written comments or request for

a hearing on the pending exemptions,

unless otherwise stated in the Notice of

Proposed Exemption, within 45 days

from the date of publication of this

Federal Register Notice. Comments and

requests for a hearing should state: (1)

The name, address, and telephone

number of the person making the

comment or request, and (2) the nature

of the person’s interest in the exemption

and the manner in which the person

would be adversely affected by the

exemption. A request for a hearing must

also state the issues to be addressed and

include a general description of the

evidence to be presented at the hearing.

ADDRESSES: All written comments and

request for a hearing (at least three

copies) should be sent to the Pension

and Welfare Benefits Administration,

Office of Exemption Determinations,

Room N–5649, U.S. Department of