[Federal Register: March 2, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 40)]
[Notices]
[Page 10085-10086]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02mr05-32]
[[Page 10085]]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-2004-0310, FRL-7879-9]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB;
Comment Request; EPA ICR No. 1759.04/OMB Control No. 2070-0148; Worker
Protection Standard Training and Notification
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 the following
Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Worker
Protection Standard Training and Notification, EPA ICR No. 1759.04; OMB
Control No. 2070-0148. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes
the nature of the information collection activity and its expected
burden and costs.
DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before April 1, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OPP-2004-
0310 to (1) EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail
to opp-docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: Public Information and Records
Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP),
Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 7502C, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB at: 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: Cameo Smoot, Field and External
Affairs Division (7506C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460;
telephone number: (703) 305-5454; fax number: (703) 305-5884; e-mail
address: smoot.cameo@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. The Federal Register document, required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d),
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on
September 30, 2004 (58431). EPA received no comments on this ICR during
the 60-day comment period.
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
No. OPP-2004-0310 which is available for public viewing at the Public
Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Rm. 119, Crystal Mall
2, 1801 Bell St., Arlington, VA. This docket facility is open
from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal
holidays. The docket telephone number is (703) 305-5805. An electronic
version of the public docket is available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET)
at http://www.epa.gov/edocket. Use EDOCKET to submit or view public
comments, access the index listing of the contents of the public
docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are
available electronically. Once in the system, select ``search,'' then
key in the docket ID number identified above.
Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB
within 30 days of this notice.Please note, EPA's policy is that public
comments, whether submitted electronically or on paper, will be made
available for public viewing in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and
without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI,
or other information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute.
When EPA identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will
provide a reference to that material in the version of the comment that
is placed in EDOCKET. The entire printed comment, including the
copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket. Although
identified as an item in the official docket, information claimed as
CBI, or whose disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not
included in the official public docket, and will not be available for
public viewing in EDOCKET. For further information about the electronic
docket, see EPA's Federal Register notice describing the electronic
docket at 67 FR 38102 (May 31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov/edocket
.
ICR Title: Worker Protection Standard Training and Notification
ICR Status: This is a request for extension of an existing approved
collection that is currently scheduled to expire on February 28, 2005.
EPA is asking OMB to approve this ICR for three years. Under 5 CFR
1320.12(b)(2), the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the
collection of information while the submission is pending at OMB.
Abstract: EPA is responsible for the regulation of pesticides under
the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The
Worker Protection Standard (WPS), codified at 40 CFR part 170,
established requirements to protect agricultural workers and pesticide
handlers from hazards of pesticides used on farms, on forests, in
nurseries, and in greenhouses. EPA regulations in 40 CFR part 170
contain the standard and workplace practices, which 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 interval);
basic safety training (and voluntary training verification) 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. The training verification program facilitates compliance
with the training requirements by providing a voluntary method for
employers to verify that the required safety information has been
provided to workers and handlers. Responses to all other aspects of
this information collection activity are mandatory. This renewal ICR
estimates the third party response burden from complying with the WPS
requirements. Information is exchanged between agricultural employers
and employees at farm, forest, nursery and greenhouse establishments to
ensure worker safety. No information is collected by the Agency under
this ICR.
Burden Statement: The annual ``respondent'' burden for this ICR is
estimated to be 2,293,364 hours. According to the Paperwork Reduction
Act, ``burden'' means the total time, effort, or financial resources
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or
provide information to or for a Federal agency. This total estimate
includes the third party WPS training and notification requirements
such as the provisions requiring employers to provide employees with
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 relief duplication
of training, provisions requiring handler notification to employers
regarding pesticide treatments (applications) and provision for
emergency information on pesticide
[[Page 10086]]
treatments, and provisions requiring employers to notify employees when
an exception/exemption to the WPS is being implemented. The 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 number for this information collection
appear at the beginning and the end of this document. In addition OMB
control numbers for EPA's regulations, after initial display in the
final rule, are listed in 40 CFR part 9.
The following is a summary of the burden estimates taken from the
ICR:
Respondents/affected entities: Agricultural workers, pesticide
handlers, employers in farms, nurseries, forestry, and greenhouse
establishments.
Estimated total number of potential respondents: 3,245,393.
Frequency of response: As needed.
Estimated total/average number of responses for each respondent: 3.
Estimated total annual burden hours: 2,293,364.
Estimated total annual labor costs: $109,436,947.
Changes in the ICR since the last approval: The total annual burden
associated with this ICR has decreased by 1,261 hours, from 2,294,625
hours in the previous ICR to 2,293,364 hours for this ICR. This change
reflects a slight program adjustment and is described in the ICR.
Dated: February 20, 2005.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 05-3997 Filed 3-1-05; 8:45 am]
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