Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 232 / Friday, December 1, 2000 / Notices 75317

• The quality, utility, and clarity of

the information collected; and

• Ways to minimize the burden on

employers who must comply; for

example, by using automated or other

technological information transmission

and collection techniques.

DATE: Submit written comments on or

before January 30, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments

to the Docket Office, Docket No. ICR–

1218–0238(2000), Occupational Safety

and Health Administration, U.S.

Department of Labor, Room N–2625,

200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202)

693–2350. Commenters may transmit

written comments of 10 pages or less in

length by facsimile to (202) 693–1648.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Theda Kenney, Directorate of Safety

Standards Programs, Occupational

Safety and Health Administration, U.S.

Department of Labor, Room N–3609,

200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202)

693–2222. A copy of the Agency’s

Information collection Request (ICR)

supporting the need for the information

collection requirement contained in

paragraph (e)(3) of the standard is

available for inspection and copying in

the Docket Office, or mailed on request

by telephoning Theda Kenney at (202)

693–2222 or Barbara Bielaski at (202)

693–2444. For electronic copies of the

ICR, contact OSHA on the Internet at

http://www.osha.gov/comp-links.html,

and click on ‘‘Information Collection

Requests.’’

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

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

government agencies with an

opportunity to comment on proposed

and continuing information collection

requirements in accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(PRA–95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This

program ensures that information is in

the desired format, reporting burden

(time and costs) is minimal, collection

instruments are clearly understood, and

OSHA’s estimate of the information

collection burden is correct. The

Occupational Safety and Health Act of

1970 (the Act) authorizes information

collection by employers as necessary or

appropriate for enforcement of the Act

or for developing information regarding

the causes and prevention of

occupational injuries, illnesses, and

accidents. (29 U.S.C. 657.)

Paragraph (e)(3) of the standard on

Portable Fire Extinguishers (29 CFR

1910.157) specifies that employers must

subject each portable fire extinguisher to

an annual maintenance inspection and

record the date of the inspection. In

addition, this provision requires

employers to retain the inspection

record for one year after the last entry

or for the life of the shell, whichever is

less, and to make the record available to

OSHA on request. This recordkeeping

requirement assures employees and

Agency compliance officers that

portable fire extinguishers located in the

workplace will operate normally in case

of fire; in addition, this requirement

provides evidence to OSHA compliance

officers during an inspection that the

employer performed the required

maintenance checks on the portable fire

extinguishers.

II. Proposed Actions

OSHA proposes to increase the

existing burden hour estimate, and to

extend OMB’s approval, of the

collection-of-information requirement

specified by paragraph (e)(3) of its

standard on Portable Fire Extinguishers

(29 CFR 1910.157). In this regard, the

Agency is increasing the burden hours

associated with the collection of

information requirement by 2,250 hours

(from the current total of 63,750 burden

hours to a new total of 66,000 burden

hours). This adjustment resulted from

an increase in the estimated number of

employers (and, therefore, the number

of portable fire extinguishers) covered

by the requirement. An adjustment also

occurred in the cost of servicing

portable fire extinguishers under

contract; accordingly, the contractservicing cost increased from the

current estimate of $9,180,000 to a new

estimate of $19,008,000. OSHA will

summarize the comments submitted in

response to this notice, and will include

this summary in the request to OMB to

extend the approval of the information

collection requirement contained in the

standard on Portable Fire Extinguishers.

Type of Review: Extension of

currently approved information

collection requirement.

Title: Portable Fire Extinguishers (29

CFR 1910.157).

OMB Number: 1218–0238.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit; not-for-profit institutions; Federal

government; state, local or tribal

governments

Number of Respondents: 132,000.

Frequency: Annually.

Average Time per Response: 30

minutes (0.50 hour).

Estimated Total Burden Hours:

66,000.

Estimated Cost (Operation and

Maintenance): $19,008,000.

III. Authority and Signature

Charles N. Jeffress, Assistant Secretary

of Labor for Occupational Safety and

Health, directed the preparation of this

notice. The authority for this notice is

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(44 U.S.C. 3506), Secretary of Labor’s

Order No. 3–2000 (65 FR 50017).

Signed at Washington, DC on November

21, 2000.

Charles N. Jeffress,

Assistant Secretary of Labor.

[FR Doc. 00–30644 Filed 11–30–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–26–U

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration

[Docket No. ICR–1218–0237(2000)]

Standard on Additional Requirements

for Special Dipping and Coating

Operations; Extension of the Office of

Management and Budget’s (OMB)

Approval of an Information Collection

(Paperwork) Request

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION: Notice of an opportunity for

public comment.

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments

concerning the proposed extension of

the information collection requirement

contained in paragraph (g)(4) of the

standard on Additional Requirements

for Special Dipping and Coating

Operations, 29 CFR 1910.126.

Request for Comment: The Agency

seeks comments on the following issues:

• Whether the information collection

requirement is necessary for the proper

performance of the Agency’s functions,

including whether the information is

useful;

• The accuracy of the Agency’s

estimate of the burden (time and costs)

of the information collection

requirement, including the validity of

the methodology and assumptions used;

• The quality, utility, and clarity of

the information collected; and

• Ways to minimize the burden on

employers who must comply; for

example, by using automated or other

technological information transmission

and collection techniques.

DATES: Submit written comments on or

before January 30, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments

to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No.

ICR–1218–0237(2000), Occupational

75318 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 232 / Friday, December 1, 2000 / Notices

1These discussions indicate that employers are

replacing electrostatic-detearing equipment with

newer technology; therefore, no need exists for

additional signs.

Safety and Health Administration, U.S.

Department of Labor, Room N–2625,

200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202)

693–2350. Commenters may transmit

written comments of 10 pages or less in

length by facsimile to (202) 693–1648.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Theda Kenney, Directorate of Safety

Standards Programs, Occupational

Safety and Health Administration, U.S.

Department of Labor, Room N–3609,

200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202)

693–2222. A copy of the Agency’s

Information collection Request (ICR)

supporting the need for the information

collection requirement contained in the

standard is available for inspection and

copying in the Docket Office, or mailed

on request by telephoning Theda

Kenney at (202) 693–2222 or Barbara

Bielaski at (202) 693–2444. For

electronic copies of the ICR, contact

OSHA on the Internet at http://

www.osha.gov/comp-links.html, and

click on ‘‘Information collection

Requests.’’

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

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

government agencies with an

opportunity to comment on proposed

and continuing information collection

requirements in accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(PRA–95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This

program ensures that information is in

the desired format, reporting burden

(time and costs) is minimal, collection

instruments are clearly understood, and

OSHA’s estimate of the information

collection burden is correct. The

Occupational Safety and Health Act of

1970 (the Act) authorizes information

collection by employers as necessary or

appropriate for enforcement of the Act

or for developing information regarding

the causes and prevention of

occupational injuries, illnesses, and

accidents. (29 U.S.C. 657.)

Paragraph (g)(4) of the standard on

Additional Requirements for Special

Dipping and Coating Operations, 29

CFR 1910.126, requires employers to

post a conspicuous sign near each piece

of electrostatic-detearing equipment that

notifies employees of the minimum safe

distance they must maintain between

goods undergoing electrostatic detearing

and the electrodes or conductors of the

equipment used in the process. Doing so

reduces the likelihood of igniting the

explosive chemicals used in

electrostatic-detearing operations.

II. Proposed Actions

OSHA proposes to retain its earlier

estimate of zero burden hours for the

information collection requirement

specified by 29 CFR 1910.126(g)(4).

Based on past discussions with

organizations dealing with dip tanks,

OSHA determined that employers

affected by this provision previously

collected the necessary information and

provided the required signs for the 12 or

fewer pieces of this equipment still in

use.1 Therefore, assuming that the signs

are permanent fixtures that will remain

indefinitely with each piece of

equipment, the Agency concludes that

this paperwork requirement currently

imposes no burden hours or cost on the

employers who operate this equipment.

OSHA will summarize the comments

submitted in response to this notice,

and will include this summary in the

request to OMB to extend the approval

of this information collection

requirement.

Type of Review: Extension of

currently approved information

collection requirement.

Title: Additional Requirements for

Special Dipping and Coating

Operations. (29 CFR 1910.126).

OMB Number: 1218–0237.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit; not-for-profit institutions; Federal

government; state, local or tribal

governments.

Number of Respondents: 0.

Frequency: Continuous.

Average Time per Response: 0.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 0.

III. Authority and Signature

Charles N. Jeffress, Assistant Secretary

of Labor for Occupational Safety and

Health, directed the preparation of this

notice. The authority for this notice is

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(44 U.S.C. 3506), Secretary of Labor’s

Order No. 3–2000 (65 FR 50017).

Signed at Washington, DC, on November

21, 2000.

Charles N. Jeffress,

Assistant Secretary of Labor.

[FR Doc. 00–30645 Filed 11–30–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–26–P

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Special Emphasis Panel in Biological

Sciences; Notice of Meeting

In accordance with the Federal

Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–

463, as amended), the National Science

Foundation announces the following

meeting:

Name: Special Emphasis Panel in

Biological Sciences (1754).

Date/Time: January 10–12, 2001, 8 a.m.–5

p.m. daily.

Place: Room 340, NSF, 4201 Wilson

Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.

Type of Meeting: Closed.

Contact Person: Ms. Carter Kimsey,

Program Director, Postdoctoral Research

Fellowship in Microbial Biology Program,

Division of Biological Infrastructure, Room

615, NSF, 4210 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington,

VA 22230, (703) 292–8470.

Purpose of Meeting: To provide advice and

recommendations concerning proposals

submitted to the NSF for financial support.

Agenda: To review and evaluate

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in

Microbial Biology Program proposals as part

of the selection process for awards.

Reason for Closing: The proposals being

reviewed include information of a

proprietary or confidential nature, including

technical information; financial data, such as

salaries; and personal information

concerning individuals associated with the

proposals. These matters are exempt under 5

U.S.C. 552b(c), (4) and (6) of the Government

Sunshine Act.

Dated: November 27, 2000.

Karen J. York,

Committee Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–30578 Filed 11–30–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7555–01–M

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Notice of Meetings

In accordance with the Federal

Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–

463, as amended), the National Science

Foundation announces the following

meetings:

Name: Special Emphasis Panel in Physics

(1208).

Date/Time: December 7–8, 2000; 8 a.m.–

5:30 p.m.

Contact Person: Dr. Eugene Loh, Program

Director for Elementary Particle Physics,

Division of Physics, 4201 Wilson Boulevard,

Room 1015, Arlington, VA 22230. Telephone:

(703) 292–7379.

Purpose of Meeting: To provide advice and

recommendations concerning proposals

submitted to the Elementary Particle Physics

Program for financial support.

Name: Special Emphasis Panel in

Astronomical Sciences (1186).

Date/Time: December 7–8, 2000; 8:30 a.m.–

5:30 p.m.