Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, Wood PreservativesSubmission of Information Regarding Arsenic Exposure Levels in Wood Treatment Plants

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 106 (Thursday, June 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 29863]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14060]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6353-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request, Wood Preservatives--Submission of Information 
Regarding Arsenic Exposure Levels in Wood Treatment Plants

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (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: Wood Preservatives--
Submission of Information Regarding Arsenic Exposure Levels in Wood 
Treatment Plants, OMB control number 2070-0081, Expiration date: July 
31, 1999. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection 
and its expected burden and cost; where appropriate, it includes the 
actual data collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before July 6, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone at (202) 
260-2740, by E-Mail at Farmer.Sandy@epamail.epa.gov or download a copy 
of the ICR off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA 
ICR No. 1289.05.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Wood Preservatives--Submission of 
Information Regarding Arsenic Exposure Levels in Wood Treatment Plants, 
(OMB Control No. 2070-0081; EPA ICR No. 1289.05.) Expiring 07/31/99. 
This is a request for an extension of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: This data collection program, in which participation is 
voluntary, is designed to provide certification and supporting test 
data to determine whether wood preserving facilities are protecting 
their workers from unsafe exposure to airborne inorganic arsenic. If 
air monitoring tests indicate that levels of airborne arsenic are safe 
and the facility submits the appropriate test data and certification, 
the facility can voluntarily exempt itself from the requirement to use 
personal respirators while pressure treating lumber. The requirement to 
wear respirators is considered the most burdensome requirement of the 
pesticide labels, which must be followed once a pesticide, in this case 
a wood treating formulation, is registered under the Federal 
Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Since the 
submission to EPA does not contain confidential business information it 
will not be treated as such. 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 are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 
48 CFR Chapter 15. The Federal Register Notice required under 5 CFR 
1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this collection of information was 
published on January 5, 1999 (64 FR 509). No comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and record keeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 5.1 
hours per response. 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; 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: Participating facilities are those 
that use formulations of inorganic arsenic to treat wood.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 250.
    Frequency of Response: Annual.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1284.
    Estimated Total Annualized Capital and O&M Cost Burden: 0.
    Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the 
accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods 
for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques to the following addresses. Please 
refer to EPA ICR No. 1289.05 and OMB Control No. 2070-0081 in any 
correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of 
Policy, Regulatory Information Division (2137), 401 M Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20460;

        and

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: May 27, 1999.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 99-14060 Filed 6-2-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P