DEPARTMENT OF LABOROccupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0128(2000)]

 
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.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).

    Signed at Washington, D.C., on January 19, 2000.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 00-1723 Filed 1-24-00 8:45 am]
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