Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 81 / Thursday, April 26, 2001 / Notices 21017

• 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 may be viewed on the

Internet by accessing the MSHA Home

Page (http://www.msha.gov) and

selecting ‘‘Statutory and Regulatory

Information’’ then ‘‘Paperwork

Reduction Act Submissions (http://

www.msha.gov/regspwork.htm)’’, or by

contacting the employee listed above in

the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

section of this notice for a hard copy.

III. Current Actions

MSHA is required to conduct

inspections of hazardous conditions

whenever and however complaints are

made by miners or miners’

representatives to the Agency. This is a

mandatory Agency response dictated by

the provisions of section 103(g) of the

Act and implemented through the

provisions of part 43 CFR Title 30.

MSHA has minimized the paper work

burden by providing alternative toll free

telephone extensions and internet email procedures so that hazardous

complaints may be made verbally and

anonymously. These complaints are

reduced to written form by MSHA for

presentation to the operator or

independent contractor. MSHA’s

effectiveness in enforcing the safety and

health standards and ability to provide

timely response to hazardous conditions

requires immediate and confidential

investigation of safety complaints. Such

response is essential to retaining the

confidence of the miners and to

encouraging compliance with the health

and safety standards between inspection

events.

Type of Review: Extension.

Agency: Mine Safety and Health

Administration.

Title: Hazardous Conditions

Complaints.

OMB Number: 1219–0014.

Record keeping: None.

Affected Public: Businesses or other

for profit.

Cite/Reference/Form/etc.: 30 CFR 43.4

and 43.7.

Total Respondents: 651.

Frequency: On occasion.

Total Responses: 651.

Average Time per Response: 12

minutes.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 130

hours.

Estimated Total Burden Cost: $0.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for Office of

Management and Budget approval of the

information collection request; they will

also become a matter of public record.

Dated: April 19, 2001.

Brenda C. Teaster,

Acting Chief, Records Management Division.

[FR Doc. 01–10417 Filed 4–25–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–43–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Mine Safety and Health Administration

Proposed Information Collection

Request Submitted for Public

Comment and Recommendations;

Mine Ventilation System Plan

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

June 25, 2001.

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. Mrs. Teaster can be

reached at bteaster@msha.gov (Internet

E-mail), (703) 235–1470 (voice), or (703)

235–1563 (facsimile).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

Underground mines present harsh

and hostile working environments. The

ventilation system is the most vital life

support system in underground mining

and a properly operating ventilation

system is essential for maintaining a

safe and healthful working

environment. Lack of adequate

ventilation in underground mines has

resulted in fatalities from asphyxiation

and explosions.

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 Mine Ventilation System

Plan. 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.

III. Current Action

A well planned mine ventilation

system is necessary to assure a fresh air

supply to miners at all working places,

to control the amounts of harmful

airborne contaminants in the mine

atmosphere, and to dilute possible

accumulation of explosive gases.

The standard requires that mine

operators prepare a written plan of the

mine’s ventilation system and to update

the plan annually. The purposes are to

insure that each operator routinely

plans, reviews, and updates the plan; to

insure the availability of accurate and

correct information; and to provide

MSHA with the opportunity to alert the

mine operator to potential hazards.

Type of Review: Extension.

Agency: Mine Safety and Health

Administration.

Title: Mine Ventilation System Plan.

OMB Number: 1219–0016.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.

Frequency: Annually.

Cite/Reference/Form/etc/: 30 CFR

57.8520.

Total Respondents: 284.

Total Responses: 284.

Average Time per Response: 24 hours.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 6,816

hours.

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup):

$0.

Total Burden Cost (operating/

maintaining): $0.

21018 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 81 / Thursday, April 26, 2001 / Notices

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for Office of

Management and Budget approval of the

information collection request; they will

also become a matter of public record.

Dated: April 19, 2001.

Brenda C. Teaster,

Acting Director, Records Management

Division.

[FR Doc. 01–10418 Filed 4–25–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–43–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Mine Safety and Health Administration

Proposed Information Collection

Request Submitted for Public

Comment and Recommendations;

Record of Individual Exposure to

Radon Daughters

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

June 25, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Brenda

C. Teaster, Acting Chief, Records

Management Division, 4015 Wilson

Boulevard, Room 709A, Arlington, VA

22203–1984. Commenters are

encouraged to send their comments on

a computer disk, or via Internet 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’s primary goal is the

protection of America’s most precious

resource, the miner. To achieve this

goal, this agency has to keep

information regarding the hazards faced

and the progress made within the

industry to develop and maintain a safe

and healthy work environment. Records

concerning the health and welfare of

miners are especially important, given

that the nature of the exposure could

result in medical complications later in

the miner’s life. To this end, the record

keeping of Radon Daughters is essential

information. Each year the industry

records and reports the exposure levels

that its workforce has faced during the

past 12 months. This information is

archived and stored for retrieval by the

exposed party, or legal representative,

should a medical release be deemed

necessary. This reporting of the

exposure numbers also serves to inform

MSHA of the industry expansion or

decrease as well as health threats

incurred.

During the past calendar year MSHA

has received a decreased number of

industry responses. These responses

indicated that a decreasing number of

miners are being employed and exposed

within this industry grouping.

Concurrently, the United States

economy is calling for production rates

that are lower than those in recent years.

The decrease in production has resulted

in a smaller number of employees being

exposed to Radon Daughters. Regardless

of the number of miners exposed,

MSHA needs to keep the recording

requirements for Radon Daughters to

ensure that the records regarding the

miners’ level of exposure today is

available to them tomorrow and

throughout their lifetimes.

II. Desired Focus

Currently, the Mine Safety and Health

Administration (MSHA) is soliciting

comments concerning the proposed

extension of the information collection

related to the Record of Individual

Exposure to Radon Daughters. 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 may be

viewed on the Internet by accessing the

MSHA Home Page (http://

www.msha.gov) and selecting ‘‘Statutory

and Regulatory Information’’ then

‘‘Paperwork Reduction Act submission

(http://www.msha.gov/regspwork.htm)’’,

or by contacting the employee listed

above in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT section of this notice for a hard

copy.

III. Current Actions

This information collection needs to

be extended to provide miners

protection from radon daughter

exposure.

Type of Review: Extension.

Agency: Mine Safety and Health

Administration.

Title: Record of Individual Exposure

to Radon Daughters.

OMB Number: 1219–0003.

Agency Number: MSHA 4000–9.

Recordkeeping: 2 years.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.

Cite/reference Total

respondents

Frequency

(weeks)

Total

responses

Average

time per

response

(hours)

Burden

Sampling .................................................................................................. 2 50 100 5.00 500

Recording Results .................................................................................... 2 50 100 1.50 150

Calculating Reporting ............................................................................... 2 50 100 1.25 125