[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 16, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14390-14392]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5976]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0896; FRL-8864-2]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
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 EPA is planning to
submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection
Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR,
entitled: Worker Protection Standard Training and Notification and
identified by EPA ICR No. 1759.06 and OMB Control No. 2070-0148, is
scheduled to expire on November 30, 2011. Before submitting the ICR to
OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific
aspects of the proposed information collection.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 16, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0896, by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) Regulatory Public
Docket (7502P), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
Delivery: OPP Regulatory Public Docket (7502P),
Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. S-4400, One
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Potomac Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA.
Deliveries are only accepted during the Docket Facility's normal hours
of operation (8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding
legal holidays). Special arrangements should be made for deliveries of
boxed information. The Docket Facility telephone number is (703) 305-
5805.
Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-
2010-0896. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included
in the docket without change and may be made available on-line at
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through regulations.gov or e-
mail. The regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system,
which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information
unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-
mail comment directly to EPA without going through regulations.gov,
your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part
of the comment that is placed in the docket and made available on the
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you
include your name and other contact information in the body of your
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses.
Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the docket index
available at http://www.regulations.gov. Although listed in the index,
some information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other
material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the Internet
and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly
available docket materials are available either in the electronic
docket at http://www.regulations.gov, or, if only available in hard
copy, at the OPP Regulatory Public Docket in Rm. S-4400, One Potomac
Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. The hours of
operation of this Docket Facility are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The Docket Facility telephone
number is (703) 305-5805.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lily G. Negash, Field and External
Affairs Division (7506P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 347-8515; fax number: (703) 305-5884; e-
mail address: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. What information is EPA particularly interested in?
Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of PRA, EPA specifically solicits
comments and information to enable it to:
1. 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.
2. Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimates of the burden of
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used.
3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected.
4. 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
submission of responses. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.
II. What should I consider when I prepare my comments for EPA?
You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your
comments:
1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific
examples.
2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used
that support your views.
4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
5. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.
6. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
7. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified
under DATES.
8. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal
Register citation.
III. What information collection activity or ICR does this action apply
to?
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this ICR are
agricultural employers, including employers in farms as well as
nursery, forestry, and greenhouse establishments.
Title: Worker Protection Standard Training and Notification.
ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1759.06, OMB Control No. 2070-0148.
ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on November
30, 2011. 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 Code of Federal Regulations (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
for certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
Abstract: EPA is responsible for the regulation of pesticides under
the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
Codified under 40 CFR part 170, the Worker Protection Standard (WPS)
establishes requirements to protect agricultural workers and pesticide
handlers from hazards of pesticides used on farms, on forests, in
nurseries, and in greenhouses.
The regulations contain the standard and workplace practices, which
are designed to reduce or eliminate worker 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
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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.
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 total annual public reporting and
recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to
average 1,776,131 hours, with the incremental burden of the various
activities ranging from 2 minutes per respondent to provide initial
basic safety information to 45 minutes per respondent for handler
training. 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 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.
The ICR provides a detailed explanation of this estimate, which is
only briefly summarized here:
Estimated total number of potential respondents: 309,085.
Frequency of response: On occasion.
Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent:
Varies by type of response under the same respondent category.
Estimated total annual burden hours: 1,776,131 hours.
Estimated total annual costs: $82,462,645. This includes an
estimated burden cost of $0 and an estimated cost of $0 for capital
investment or maintenance and operational costs.
IV. Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?
There is no change in the number of hours in the total estimated
respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently
approved by OMB.
V. What is the next step in the process for this ICR?
EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. EPA will issue another
Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce
the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit
additional comments to OMB. If you have any questions about this ICR or
the approval process, please contact the person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Dated: March 7, 2011.
Stephen A. Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2011-5976 Filed 3-15-11; 8:45 am]
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