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

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