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News Release USDL 97-333
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 New Mexico that federal OSHA enforce private-sector workplace safety and health on military facilities and bases and both private-sector and tribal workplace safety and health on Indian lands.

Federal OSHA will assume enforcement coverage of private-sector employment on all federal military lands and facilities in the state, including, but not limited to, Kirkland Air Force Base, Fort Bliss Military Reservation, White Sands Missile Range Military Reservation, Holloman Air Force Base, Cannon Air Force Base, Fort Wingate Military Reservation, Fort Bayard Veterans' Hospital, Albuquerque Veterans' Hospital, Santa Fe National Cemetery, and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, over tribal and private-sector employment on any Indian reservation and lands under the control of a tribal government in New Mexico.

New Mexico made the request after encountering numerous problems with regard to exercising its state occupational safety and health authority at federal military facilities and bases and also because all New Mexico Indian tribes have treaties with the federal government, and applicability of state laws and jurisdiction on tribal reservations and other Indian-owned land has been questionable.

A copy of the changes to the New Mexico state occupational safety and health plan may be inspected and copied during normal business hours at:

• Office of the Regional Administrator
  U.S. Department of Labor-OSHA
  525 Griffin St. Room 602
  Dallas, TX 75202

• Office of the Secretary
  Environment Department
  1190 St. Francis Dr. Room 2200-North
  Santa Fe, NM 87503

• Office of State Programs
  Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Room N3700
  200 Constitution Ave. NW
  Washington, D.C. 20210

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