Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 45 / Friday, March 7, 1997 / Notices 10557

receipt of actual notice, whichever

occurs first. All such comments shall be

filed with the Office of Hearings and

Appeals, Department of Energy,

Washington, D.C. 20585–0107.

Dated: February 27, 1997.

George B. Breznay,

Director, Office of Hearings and Appeals.

LIST OF CASES RECEIVED BY THE OFFICE OF HEARINGS AND APPEALS

[Week of January 6 through January 10, 1997]

Date Name and location of applicant Case No. Type of submission

1/10/97 ...... Energy Market & Policy

Analysis, Inc., Reston, VA.

VFA–0259 Appeal of an Information Request Denial. If Granted: The December 5, 1996 Freedom of Information Request Denial issued by the Office of Executive Secretariat

would be rescinded, and Energy Market & Policy Analysis, Inc. would receive access to certain DOE information.

1/10/97 ...... Marine Drilling Companies,

Sugar Land, TX.

RR272–

273

Request for Modification/Rescission in the Crude Oil Refund Proceeding. If Granted:

The November 6, 1996 Dismissal, Case No. RF272–95276, issued to Marine Drilling Companies would be modified regarding the firm’s Application for Refund submitted in the Crude Oil refund proceeding.

[FR Doc. 97–5638 Filed 3–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 1

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[OPP–00472; FRL–5591–8]

Pesticides Worker Protection

Standards; Request for Comments on

Renewal of Agency Information

Collection Activities

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice announces that

the following Information Collection

Request (ICR) is coming up for renewal.

This ICR, entitled ‘‘Pesticides Worker

Protection Standard Training and

Notification,’’ EPA ICR No. 1759.02,

OMB No. 2070-0148, will expire on May

31, 1997. Before submitting the renewal

packages to the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB), EPA is soliciting

comments on specific aspects of the

collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before May 6, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments

identified by the docket control number

OPP–00472 and the appropriate ICR

number by mail to: Public Response

Section, Field Operations Division

(7506C), Office of Pesticide Programs,

Environmental Protection Agency, 401

M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460. In

person, bring comments directly to the

OPP docket which is located in Rm.

1132 of Crystal Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson

Davis Highway, Arlington, VA. Copies

of the complete ICR and accompanying

appendices may be obtained from the

OPP docket at the above address or by

contacting the person whose name

appears under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT.

Comments and data may also be

submitted electronically by sending

electronic mail (e-mail) to: oppdocket@epamail.epa.gov. Electronic

comments must be submitted as an

ASCII file avoiding the use of special

characters and any form or encryption.

Comments and data will also be

accepted on disks in WordPerfect 5.1

file format or ASCII file format. All

comments and data in electronic form

must be identified by the docket control

number ‘‘OPP–00472’’ and the

appropriate ICR number. No

Confidential Business Information (CBI)

should be submitted through e-mail.

Electronic comments on this document

may be filed online at many Federal

Depository Libraries. Additional

information on electronic submissions

can be found in Unit III. of this

document.

Information submitted as a comment

concerning this document may be

claimed confidential by marking any

part or all of that information as CBI.

Information so marked will not be

disclosed except in accordance with

procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.

A copy of the comment that does not

contain CBI must be submitted for

inclusion in the public record.

Information not marked confidential

may be disclosed publicly by EPA

without prior notice. All written

comments will be available for public

inspection in Rm. 1132 at the Virginia

address given above from 8:30 a.m. to 4

p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding

legal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ellen Kramer, Policy and Special

Projects Staff, Office of Pesticide

Programs, Environmental Protection

Agency, Mail Code (7501C), 401 M St.,

SW., Washington, DC 20460, Telephone:

(703) 305–6475, e-mail:

kramer.ellen@epamail.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Availability: Electronic

copies of this document and the ICR are

available from the EPA home page at the

Environmental Sub-Set entry for this

document under ‘‘Regulations’’ (http://

www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/).

I. Information Collection Requests

EPA is seeking comments on the

following Information Collection

Request (ICR).

Title: Pesticides Worker Protection

Standard Training and Notification (40

CFR Parts 156 and 170).

ICR Numbers: EPA No. 1759.02 and

OMB No. 2070-0148.

Expiration Date: Current OMB

approval expires on May 31, 1997.

Affected Entities: Parties affected by

this information collection are

agricultural employers, including

employers in farms as well as nursery,

forestry, and greenhouse establishments.

Abstract: EPA is responsible for the

regulation of pesticides under the

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and

Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The Worker

Protection Standard (WPS) for

agricultural pesticides, 40 CFR part 170

and 40 CFR part 156, subpart K,

includes requirements for protection of

agricultural workers and pesticide

handlers from hazards of pesticides

used on farms, on forests, in nurseries,

and in greenhouses. 40 CFR part 170

contains the standard and workplace

practices and 40 CFR part 156

prescribes the statements that must be

placed on the pesticide label and in

pesticide labeling. The WPS workplace

practices are designed to reduce or

eliminate 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 period); basic safety
10558 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 45 / Friday, March 7, 1997 / Notices

training and distribution 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 exposure; and

provisions for emergency assistance.

Prior to September 1995, the WPS

information collection activities were

covered under OMB ICR No. 2070–0060.

In September 1995, however, OMB

approved an ICR that consolidated all

the WPS information collection

activities under a new ICR (EPA No.

1759; OMB No. 2070–0148). The

information collection activity

associated with the pesticides WPS

includes a voluntary program to verify

that training has been provided; the

WPS provisions for display of basic

pesticide safety information and

pesticide-specific treatment

(application) information at a central

location on the agricultural

establishment; the provisions requiring

that employers provide employees with

pesticide-specific treatment

(application) information in the form of

oral or written (posted) notification; the

provisions that require the actual

training for which the verification

program was established or that basic

pesticide safety information be provided

to employees who have not completed

the full WPS pesticide safety training

and before they enter a treated area; the

provisions requiring that pesticide

handler employers provide pesticidespecific information to agricultural

employers prior to treatment, that

pesticide handler employers provide

notification to handler employees

regarding the safe operation and repair

of equipment to be used in handling

activities, and that pesticide handler

employers provide emergency

information on pesticide treatments to

employees believed to be poisoned or

those treating them; and the provisions

requiring that employers provide

employees with notification when

exceptions/exemptions to the early

entry restrictions are being

implemented. (The major WPS labeling

program was a one-time collection and

is completed. Registrants of EPAregistered products may request that the

Agency amend their previously

approved label. Future requests from

registrants for label amendments are

covered as part of routine label

amendments under a separate ICR

approved by OMB under 2070–0060

(EPA ICR No. 277)).

The WPS requires that agricultural

employers assure that agricultural

workers and pesticide handlers are

trained in basic pesticide safety

practices to reduce the risk of pesticide

poisoning and other injuries. The EPA

Training Verification Program is

intended to achieve this by requiring the

issuance of safety information to

workers and handlers. Upon the

completion of the training, the WPS

provides for the issuance of ‘‘EPAApproved Worker Protection Standard

Training Certificates’’ to workers and

handlers to allow employers to verify

that workers and handlers have received

WPS safety training. The initial burden

for this collection activity (24,990

burden hours) is predicted to taper off

to a much lower annual burden.

Burden Statement: The annual

respondent burden for providing the

notifications associated with this

activity is estimated to total 3,443,705

hours, including all third party WPS

training and notification requirements,

such as provisions requiring employers

to provide employees pesticide-specific

treatment (application) information in

the form of oral or written notification,

provisions requiring that employers

assure that employees receive basic

pesticide safety information or training,

a voluntary program to verify training

and relieve duplication of training,

provisions requiring handler

notification to employers regarding

pesticide treatments (applications) and

provision for emergency information on

pesticide treatments, and provisions

requiring employers to notify employees

when an exception/exemption to the

WPS is being implemented.

II. Request for Comments

The Agency would appreciate any

comments or information that could be

used to:

(i) Evaluate whether the proposed

collections of information described

above are necessary for the proper

performance of the functions of the

Agency, including whether the

information will have practical utility.

(ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the

Agency’s estimates of the burdens of the

proposed collections of information.

(iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected.

(iv) Minimize the burden of the

collections of information on those who

are to respond, including through the

use of appropriate automated or

electronic collection technologies or

other forms of information technology,

e.g., permitting electronic submission of

responses.

The Agency is particularly interested

in comments and information about the

burden estimates, including examples

that could be used to reflect the burdens

imposed. Send comments regarding

these matters, or any other aspect of

these information collections, including

suggestions for reducing the burdens, to

the docket under ADDRESSES listed

above.

III. Public Record

A record has been established for this

action under docket control number

‘‘OPP-00472’’ (including comments and

data submitted electronically as

described below). A public version of

this record, including printed, paper

versions of electronic comments, which

does not include any information

claimed as CBI, is available for

inspection from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, excluding legal

holidays. The public record is located in

Rm. 1132 of the Public Response and

Program Resources Branch, Field

Operations Division (7506C), Office of

Pesticide Programs, Environmental

Protection Agency, Crystal Mall #2,

1921 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, VA.

Electronic comments can be sent

directly to EPA at:

opp-docket@epamail.epa.gov

Electronic comments must be

submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the

use of special characters and any form

of encryption.

The official record for this action, as

well as the public version, as described

above will be kept in paper form.

Accordingly, EPA will transfer all

comments received electronically into

printed, paper form as they are received

and will place the paper copies in the

official record which will also include

all comments submitted directly in

writing. The official record is the paper

record maintained at the address in

ADDRESSES at the beginning of this

document.

List of Subjects

Environmental protection,

Information collection requests,

Pesticides, and Worker protection

standards.

Dated: February 28, 1997.

Lynn R. Goldman,

Assistant Administrator for Prevention,

Pesticides and Toxic Substances.

[FR Doc. 97–5682 Filed 3–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–F

[ER–FRL–5478–1]

Environmental Impact Statements;

Notice of Availability

Responsible Agency: Office of Federal

Activities, General Information (202)

564–7167 OR (202) 564–7153.

Weekly receipt of Environmental

Impact Statements Filed February 24,