Coke Oven Emissions Standard; Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirements

AGENCY:

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); Labor.

ACTION:

Notice of an opportunity for public comment.

SUMMARY:

OSHA solicits comments concerning the proposed reduction in, and extension of, the information collection requirements contained in the Coke Oven Standard (29 CFR 1910.1029).

REQUEST FOR COMMENT:

The Agency is particularly interested in comments on the following issues:

• Whether the information collection requirements are necessary for the proper performance of the Agency's functions, including whether the information is useful;
• The accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden (time and costs) 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 employers who must comply; for example, by using automated, electronic, mechanical, and other technological information collection and transmission techniques.

DATES:

Submit written comments on or before March 27, 2000.

ADDRESSES:

Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. ICR-1218-0128(2000), 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 in length by facsimile to (202) 693-1648.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Todd Owen, Directorate of Policy, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3641, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693-2444. A copy of the Agency's Information Collection request (ICR) supporting the need for the information collection requirements in the Coke oven emissions standard is available for inspection and copying in the Docket Office, or you may request a mailed copy by telephoning Todd R. Owen at (202) 693-2444. For electronic copies of the ICR on the Coke Oven Emissions Standard, contact OSHA on the Internet at http://www.osha-slc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing information collection requirements 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, reporting burden (time and costs) is minimal, collection instruments clearly understood, and OSHA's estimate of the information burden is correct. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the Act) authorizes information collection by employers as necessary or appropriate for enforcement of the Act or for developing information regarding the causes and prevention of occupational injuries, illnesses, and accidents (29 U.S.C. 657).

The information collection requirements in the Coke Oven Emissions Standard provide protection for employees from the adverse health effects associated with exposure to coke oven emissions. In this regard, the Coke Oven Emissions Standard requires employers to monitor employees' exposure to coke oven emissions, monitor employee health, and provide employees with information about their exposures and the health effects of exposure to coke oven emissions.

II. Proposed Action

OSHA proposes to extend the OMB approval for the collection of information (paperwork) contained in the Coke Oven Emissions Standard (29 CFR 1910.1029). OSHA will summarize the comments submitted in response to this notice, and will include this summary in the request to OMB to extend the approval of the information collection requirements contained in the Coke Oven Emissions Standard.

Type of Review: Extension of currently-approved information collection requirements.

Title: Coke Oven Emissions Standard.

OMB Number: 1218-0128.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Federal government; state, local or tribal government.

Number of Respondents: 14.

Frequency: On occasion.

Total Responses: 83,111.

Average Time per Response: Time per response ranges from 5 minutes to maintain records to 4 hours to complete a medical examination.

Estimated Time Burden Hours: 60,664.

Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $1,365,825.

III. Authority and Signature

Charles N. Jeffress, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, directed the preparation of this notice. The authority for this notice is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506) and Secretary of Labor's Order No 6-96 (62 FR 111).