Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 22, 2000 / Notices 70365

permission to present a short statement

at the conference.

Written submissions.—As provided in

sections 201.8 and 207.15 of the

Commission’s rules, any person may

submit to the Commission on or before

December 7, 2000, a written brief

containing information and arguments

pertinent to the subject matter of the

investigations. Parties may file written

testimony in connection with their

presentation at the conference no later

than three days before the conference. If

briefs or written testimony contain BPI,

they must conform with the

requirements of sections 201.6, 207.3,

and 207.7 of the Commission’s rules.

The Commission’s rules do not

authorize filing of submissions with the

Secretary by facsimile or electronic

means.

In accordance with sections 201.16(c)

and 207.3 of the rules, each document

filed by a party to the investigations

must be served on all other parties to

the investigations (as identified by

either the public or BPI service list), and

a certificate of service must be timely

filed. The Secretary will not accept a

document for filing without a certificate

of service.

Authority: These investigations are being

conducted under authority of title VII of the

Tariff Act of 1930; this notice is published

pursuant to section 207.12 of the

Commission’s rules.

Issued: November 15, 2000.

By order of the Commission.

Donna R. Koehnke,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–29894 Filed 11–21–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7020–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Mine Safety and Health Administration

Proposed Information Collection

Request Submitted for Public

Comment and Recommendations:

Certificate of Electrical/Noise Training

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as

part of its continuing effort to reduce

paperwork and respondent burden

conducts a preclearance consultation

program to provide the general public

and Federal agencies with an

opportunity to comment on proposed

and/or continuing collections of

information in accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This

program helps to ensure that requested

data can be provided in the desired

format, reporting burden (time and

financial resources) is minimized,

collection instruments are clearly

understood, and the impact of collection

requirements on respondents can be

properly assessed.

DATES: Submit comments on or before

January 22, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Brenda

C. Teaster, Acting Chief, Records

Management Division, 4015 Wilson

Boulevard, Room 609A, Arlington, VA

22203–1984. Commenters are

encouraged to send their comments on

a computer disk, or via E-mail to

bteaster@msha.gov, along with an

original printed copy. Ms. Teaster can

be reached at (703) 235–1470 (voice) or

(703) 235–1563 (facsimile).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Brenda C. Teaster, Acting Chief, Records

Management Division, U.S. Department

of Labor, Mine Safety and Health

Administration, Room 709A, 4015

Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA

22203–1984. Ms. Teaster can be reached

at bteaster@msha.gov (Internet E-mail),

(703) 235–1470 (voice), or (703) 235–

1563 (facsimile).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

MSHA qualifies mine electricians and

certifies persons to take noise level

measurements in coal mines. MSHA

Form 5000–1 is used to report to MSHA

those miners who have satisfactorily

completed (1) a coal mine electrical

training program; or (2) a noise training

course. Based on the information

submitted on Form 5000–1, MSHA

issues certification cards that identify

these individuals as qualified to perform

certain tasks at the mine. Title 30 CFR

75.153(a)(2) and 77.103(a)(2) require

that a program be provided for the

qualification of certain experienced

personnel as mine electricians. Title 30

CFR 70.504 and 71.801 require that

mine operators measure the noise levels

to which each miner is exposed and that

these measurements be taken by a

person who has been certified by the

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine

Safety and Health as qualified. A

qualified person is one who has been

certified by MSHA as an instructor in

noise measurement training programs;

or has completed a noise training course

conducted by and approved by MSHA.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

Currently, the Mine Safety and Health

Administration (MSHA) is soliciting

comments concerning the proposed

extension of the information collection

related to the Certificate of Electrical/

Noise Training. MSHA is particularly

interested in comments which:

• 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;

• 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;

• Enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and

• 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 submissions

of responses.

A copy of the proposed information

collection request can be obtained by

contacting the employee listed below in

the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

section of this notice.

III. Current Actions

MSHA uses the information from

MSHA Form 5000–1 to issue

certification cards to those persons who

are qualified. MSHA inspectors may ask

to see the cards to determine

compliance with regulations during

routine inspections. Mine operators use

the cards to determine a person’s

qualifications to perform certain tasks

and when hiring new personnel. The

information is also used by MSHA to

determine mine operators’ compliance

with approved training plans, to

monitor safety training programs, and in

reporting to Congress.

Type of Review: Extension.

Agency: Mine Safety and Health

Administration.

Title: Certificate of Electrical/Noise

Training.

OMB Number: 1219–0001.

Agency Number: MSHA Form 5000–

1.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit institutions.

Total Respondents: 5,605.

Frequency: On occasion.

Total Responses: 5,605.

Average Time per Response: 4.59

hours.

Total Burden Hours: 25,710.

Total Burden Hour Cost: $795,009.

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup):

$0.

Total Burden Cost (operating/

maintaining): $1,349,004.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for Office of

70366 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 22, 2000 / Notices

Management and Budget approval of the

information collection request; they will

also become a matter of public record.

Dated: November 16, 2000.

Brenda C. Teaster,

Acting Chief, Records Management Division.

[FR Doc. 00–29844 Filed 11–21–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–43–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration

[Docket No. NRTL–3–90]

Southwest Research Institute,

Expansion of Recognition

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the

Agency’s final decision on the

application of Southwest Research

Institute (SwRI) for expansion of its

recognition as a Nationally Recognized

Testing Laboratory (NRTL) under 29

CFR 1910.7.

EFFECTIVE DATES: This recognition

becomes effective on November 22,

2000 and, unless modified in

accordance with 29 CFR 1910.7,

continues in effect while SwRI remains

recognized by OSHA as an NRTL.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bernard Pasquet, Office of Technical

Programs and Coordination Activities,

NRTL Program, Room N3653 at the

above address, or phone (202) 693–

2110.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Notice of Final Decision

The Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA) hereby gives

notice of the expansion of recognition of

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) as

a Nationally Recognized Testing

Laboratory (NRTL). SwRI’s expansion

request covers the use of an additional

test standard.

OSHA recognition of an NRTL

signifies that the organization has met

the legal requirements in Section 1910.7

of Title 29, Code of Federal Regulations

(29 CFR 1910.7). Recognition is an

acknowledgment that the organization

can perform independent safety testing

and certification of the specific products

covered within its scope of recognition

and is not a delegation or grant of

government authority. As a result of

recognition, OSHA can accept products

‘‘properly certified’’ by the NRTL.

OSHA processes applications related to

an NRTL’s recognition following

requirements in Appendix A to 29 CFR

1910.7. This appendix requires that the

Agency publish this public notice of its

final decision on an application.

When first recognized, OSHA

identified the Department of Fire

Technology as the SwRI unit to which

the recognition would apply. OSHA will

no longer identify solely this

department for purposes of recognition

since other organizational units of SwRI

participate in its NRTL-related

activities.

SwRI submitted a request, dated April

5, 2000 (see Exhibit 10), to expand its

recognition as an NRTL for one

additional test standard. The NRTL

included adequate information in

support of its request. In its cover letter,

SwRI stated that its Electromagnetic

Compatibility (EMCR) Section and its

Environmental Testing Section would

participate in testing products to the

requested test standard.

OSHA published the required notice

in the Federal Register (65 FR 46078,

07/26/2000) to announce the SwRI

expansion request. The notice included

a preliminary finding that SwRI could

meet the requirements for expansion of

its recognition, and OSHA invited

public comment on the application by

September 25, 2000. OSHA received no

comments concerning this application.

In processing SwRI’s request, OSHA

did perform an on-site review of SwRI’s

NRTL testing facilities. In a memo dated

June 12, 2000 (see Exhibit 11), NRTL

Program assessment staff recommended

the expansion of SwRI’s recognition to

include the additional test standard.

The most recent notices published by

OSHA for the SwRI recognition covered

the NRTL’s renewal and expansion of

recognition, which the Agency

announced on November 10, 1998 (63

FR 63086) and granted on March 9, 1999

(64 FR 11503).

You may obtain or review copies of

all public documents pertaining to the

application by contacting the Docket

Office, Occupational Safety and Health

Administration, U.S. Department of

Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,

Room N2625, Washington, D.C. 20210,

telephone: (202) 693–2350. You should

refer to Docket No. NRTL–3–90, the

permanent records of public

information on the SwRI recognition.

The current address of the SwRI

facility (site) that OSHA recognizes for

SwRI is: Southwest Research Institute,

6620 Culebra Road, Post Office Drawer

28510, San Antonio, Texas 78228.

Final Decision and Order

The NRTL Program staff has

examined the application and other

pertinent information. Based upon this

examination and the assessor’s

recommendation, OSHA finds that SwRI

has met the requirements of 29 CFR

1910.7 for expansion of its recognition

to include the additional test standard,

listed below, subject to the limitations

and conditions listed below. Pursuant to

the authority in 29 CFR 1910.7, OSHA

hereby expands the recognition of SwRI,

subject to these limitations and

conditions.

Limitations

OSHA hereby expands the recognition

of SwRI for testing and certification of

products to demonstrate conformance to

the following additional test standard:

UL 1950 Technology Equipment

Including Electrical Business

Equipment. OSHA has determined that

this test standard meets the

requirements for an appropriate test

standard, within the meaning of 29 CFR

1910.7(c).

The Agency’s recognition of SwRI, or

any NRTL, for a particular test standard

is always limited to equipment or

materials (products) for which OSHA

standards require third party testing and

certification before use in the

workplace. As a result, OSHA’s

recognition of an NRTL for a test

standard excludes any product(s),

falling within the scope of the test

standard, for which OSHA has no such

requirements.

The above test standard is approved

as an American National Standard by

the American National Standards

Institute (ANSI). However, for

convenience, we use the designation of

the standards developing organization

(e.g., UL 22) for the standard, as

opposed to the ANSI designation (e.g.,

ANSI/UL 22). Under our procedures, an

NRTL recognized for an ANSI approved

test standard may use either the latest

proprietary version of the test standard

or the latest ANSI version of that

standard, regardless of whether it is

currently recognized for the proprietary

or ANSI version. Contact ANSI or the

ANSI web site to find out whether or

not a standard is currently ANSI

approved.

The above standard had not been

withdrawn by the standards developing

organization (SDO) at the time of the

preparation of the notice of preliminary

finding.

Conditions

SwRI must also abide by the following

conditions of the recognition, in

addition to those already required by 29

CFR 1910.7:

OSHA must be allowed access to the

SwRI facilities and records for purposes

of ascertaining continuing compliance