Document ID: EPA-HQ-SFUND-2005-0007-0012
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: EPA Worker Protection Standards for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response
Posted Date: 2012-08-29T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 29, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52322-52323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-21267]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-SFUND-2005-0007; FRL-9522-2]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; EPA Worker Protection Standards 
for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an 
existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, 
describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated 
burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before September 28, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
SFUND-2005-0007, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), by email to superfund.docket@epa.gov or by mail to: 
EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail 
to: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sella M. Burchette, U.S. Environmental 
Response Team, MS 101, Building 205, Edison, NJ 08837, telephone 
number: 721-321-6726; fax number: 732-321-6724; email address: 
burchette.sella@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On May 25, 2012 (77 FR 31352), EPA sought comments on this ICR 
pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received several comments that were 
not related to this ICR. Any additional comments on this ICR should be 
submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-SFUND-2005-0007 which is

[[Page 52323]]

available for online viewing at www.regulations.gov, or in person 
viewing at the Superfund Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA 
West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC 
Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading 
Room is 202-566-1744, and the telephone number for the Superfund Docket 
is 202-566-0276.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at 
www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those 
documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the 
system, select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number 
identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public 
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made 
available for public viewing at www.regulations.gov as EPA receives 
them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted 
material, confidential business information (CBI), or other information 
whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For further 
information about the electronic docket, go to www.regulations.gov.
    Title: EPA Worker Protection Standards for Hazardous Waste 
Operations and Emergency Response (Renewal).
    ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 1426.10, OMB Control No. 2050-0105.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on 08/31/12. Under OMB 
regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the 
collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB.'' An 
Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to 
respond to, a collection of information, unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's regulations 
in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when 
approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed either by 
publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such 
as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The 
display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is 
consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: Section 126(f) of the Superfund Amendments and 
Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) requires EPA to set worker 
protection standards for State and local employees engaged in hazardous 
waste operations and emergency response in the 27 States that do not 
have Occupational Safety and Health Administration approved State 
plans. The EPA coverage, required to be identical to the Occupational 
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards, extends to three 
categories of employees: Those engaged in clean-ups at uncontrolled 
hazardous waste sites, including corrective actions at Treatment, 
Storage and Disposal (TSD) facilities regulated under the Resource 
Conservation and recovery Act (RCRA); employees working at routine 
hazardous waste operations at RCRA TSD facilities, and employees 
involved in emergency response operations without regard to location. 
This ICR renews existing mandatory record keeping collection of ongoing 
activities including monitoring of any potential employee exposure at 
uncontrolled hazardous waste sites, maintaining records of employee 
training, refresher training, medical exams and reviewing emergency 
response plans.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection is estimated to average 10.69 hours per 
response. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources 
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide 
information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed 
to review instructions; develop, acquire, install, and utilize 
technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and 
verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and 
disclosing and providing information; adjust the existing ways to 
comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements 
which have subsequently changed; train personnel to be able to respond 
to a collection of information; search data sources; complete and 
review the collection of information; and transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: State and local employees engaged in 
hazardous waste operations and emergency response in the 27 States that 
do not have OSHA approved State plans.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 23,900.
    Frequency of Response: Annually.
    Estimated Total Average Number of Responses for Each Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 255,477 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $3,525,588, includes $0 annualized 
capital or O&M costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 56,203 hours in 
the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. This is due to an adjustment accounting for 
improved computer programs for recordkeeping.

John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-21267 Filed 8-28-12; 8:45 am]
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