[Federal Register: September 4, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 171)]
[Notices]
[Page 46291-46292]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04se01-63]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. ICR 1218-TWOW (2001)]
State Plans for the Development and Enforcement of Standards;
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Approval of Information-
Collection (Paperwork) Requirements; 29 CFR Parts 1902, 1952, 1953,
1954, 1955, 1956
ACTION: Notice of opportunity for public comment.
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SUMMARY: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
solicits public comment concerning its request for Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements
associated with its regulations regarding State Plans for the
development and enforcement of standards. Section 18 of the
Occupational Safety and Health Act offers an opportunity to the States
to assume responsibility for the development and enforcement of State
standards through the mechanism of an OSHA-approved State Plan. Absent
an approved plan States are precluded from enforcing occupational
safety and health standards with respect to an issue that is addressed
by OSHA. In order to obtain and maintain State Plan approval, a State
must submit various documents to OSHA describing its program operation
under 29 CFR Parts 1902, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, and 1956.
DATES: Submit written comments on or before November 5, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. ICR
1218-TWOW (2001), Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S.
Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20210. Telephone: (202) 693-2350. Commenters may
transmit written comments of 10 pages or less by facsimile to (202)
693-1648.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Price, Directorate of Federal-
State Operations, Office of State Programs, Occupational Safety and
Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3700, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, telephone; (202) 693-
2244, e-mail Diane.Price@osha.gov. A copy of the agency's Information
Collection Request (ICR) supporting the need for the information
collections specified in these regulations is available for inspection
and copying in the Docket Office, or by requesting a copy from Todd
Owen at (202) 693-2444. For electronic copies of the ICR contact OSHA
on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov/comp-links.html and select
``Information Collection Requests.''
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce
paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation
program to provide the general public with an opportunity to comment on
proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA 95) (44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A)). This program ensures that information is in the desired
format, has practical utility, reporting burden (time and cost) is
minimized, collection instruments are understandable, and OSHA's
estimate of the information collection burden is correct. Currently,
OSHA is soliciting comments concerning the information collection
requirements contained in the series of regulations establishing
requirements for the initial approval, continuing approval, final
approval, monitoring and evaluation of OSHA-approved State Plans:
29 CFR part 1902, State Plans for the Development and Enforcement of
State Standards;
29 CFR part 1952, Approved State Plans for Enforcement of State
Standards;
29 CFR part 1953, Changes to State Plans for the Development and
Enforcement of State Standards;
29 CFR part 1954, Procedures for the Evaluation and Monitoring of
Approved State Plans;
29 CFR part 1955, Procedures for Withdrawal of Approval of State Plans;
29 CFR part 1956, State Plans for the Development and Enforcement of
State Standards Applicable to State and Local Government Employees in
States without Approved Private Employee Plans
II. Special Issues for Comment
OSHA has a particular interest in comments on the following issues:
Whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of OSHA's functions, including
whether the information is useful;
The accuracy of OSHA's estimate of the burden (time and
cost) of the information collection requirements, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
The quality, utility, and clarity of the information
collected; and
Ways to minimize the burden on participating States, for
example, by using automated or other technological information
collection and transmission techniques.
III. Proposed Actions
OSHA is requesting OMB approval of the collection-of-information
requirements associated with its State Plan regulations. Specifically,
OSHA is requesting approval of a total burden-hour estimate of 9,874
hours affecting the 26 States that currently operate OSHA-approved
State plans:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated
Information collection requirement burden
hours
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State Plan Submission and Approval 29 CFR 1902, 1952, \1\ 0
Subparts A-C, 1952, Subpart A.............................
State Plan Changes 29 CFR 1953............................. 2,360
State Plan Monitoring Activities 29 CFR 1954............... 7,514
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Total.................................................. 9,874
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\1\ No State Plans currently pending; 2000 burden hours for active
collection.
The Agency will summarize the comments submitted in response to
this notice. OSHA will then include this summary in its request to OMB
to approve these information collection requirements.
Type of Review: New.
Agency: U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration.
Title: State Plans for the Development and Enforcement of
Standards.
OMB Number: 1218-0NEW.
Agency Number: Docket Number ICR-1218-TWOW (2001).
Affected Public: Designated State government agencies which have
submitted and obtained approval for State Plans for the development and
enforcement of occupational safety and health standards.
Number of Respondents: 26.
Frequency of Response: On occasion; quarterly; annually.
Average Time Per Response: Varies from 1 hour to respond to an
information survey to 80 hours to document State annual performance
goals.
Estimated total burden hours: 9,874.
Estimated Cost: 0. There are no capital or start-up costs.
IV. Authority and Signature
John L. Henshaw, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational
Safety and Health, directed the preparation of this notice. The
authority for this notice is
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the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506) and Secretary of
Labor's Order No. 3-2000 (65 FR 50017).
Signed at Washington, D.C., on August 28, 2001.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 01-22141 Filed 8-31-01; 8:45 am]
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