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News Release USDL 97-332
Wednesday, September 24, 1997
Contact: Frank Kane (202) 219-8151

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today approved a request from the State of Oregon that federal OSHA enforce private-sector workplace safety and health on certain Indian lands.

OSHA will assume enforcement authority in Oregon over all private-sector establishments, including tribal and Indian-owned enterprises, within the Umatilla Indian reservation and on lands outside the reservation held in trust by the federal government for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla. The Oregon state occupational safety and health plan (OR-OSHA) will continue to provide consultation, training and technical services to these employers and employees. The state will also retain enforcement jurisdiction over public-sector (state or local government) employees working on these lands.

The document reporting the change also notes several other changes in the level of federal enforcement in Oregon. A Nov. 27, 1991, addendum to the Oregon operational status agreement contained four changes to the level of federal enforcement to be exercised in the state, including situations where Oregon is refused entry to an establishment.

In addition, changes in the level of federal enforcement, including Superfund sites and private contractors working on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' dam construction projects, were clarified in an Oct. 20, 1992, Memorandum of Understanding between federal OSHA and the State of Oregon. OR-OSHA has assumed jurisdiction over Superfund sites (except those on U.S. military reservations) and over private contractors working on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' dam construction projects.

OSHA is amending its regulation on approved state plans to reflect these change in the level of federal enforcement authority in Oregon.

A copy of the changes may be inspected and copied during normal business hours at:

• Office of State Programs
  Occupational Safety and Health Administration
  Room N-3700, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W.
  Washington, D.C. 20210

• Office of the Regional Administrator
  Occupational Safety and Health Administration
  1111 Third Avenue, Suite 715
  Seattle, WA 98101-3212

• Oregon Safety and Health Division
  Department of Consumer and Business Services
  350 Winter St., N.E., Room 430
  Salem, OR 97310

Notice of the approval is in the Wednesday, Sept. 24, 1997, Federal Register. For an electronic copy of the Federal Register notice, contact OSHA's home page on the Internet World Wide Web at http://www.osha.gov.