Drinking water: Safe Drinking Water Act— Recommended operator certification requirements; State information,

[Federal Register: February 6, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 25)]

[Notices]

[Page 6176]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr06fe98-69]

[[Page 6176]]

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5962-9]

Information for States on Recommended Operator Certification Requirements

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: In this document, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the public availability of EPA 816-R-98-001, ``Information for States on Recommended Operator Certification Requirements.''

Section 1420(d)(2) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended in 1996, requires EPA, through a partnership with States, public water systems, and the public, to develop information for States on recommended operator certification requirements. EPA is required to publish this information by February 6, 1998. Consistent with these statutory requirements, the EPA appointed such a work group (the Partnership), under the general provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-423), to provide advice on matters relating to operator certification. The Partnership held formal meetings in March, June, August, and September of 1997. These meetings were advertised in the Federal Register and were open to the public. The ``Information for States on Recommended Operator Certification Requirements,'' as developed by the Partnership, consists of four chapters. Chapter 1 contains a summary of the existing State operator certification programs. Chapter 2 contains excerpts from the National Research Council's book entitled Safe Water From Every Tap including the Executive Summary and Chapter 6--Training Operators for Small Systems. Chapter 3 contains the ``Operator Certification Program Standards'' developed by the Association of Boards of Certification. Chapter 4 contains a listing of State Drinking Water Administrators and Operator Certification Program Officers. The materials in this package are offered for information only and are intended to assist the States as they begin to review their operator certification programs. This information will be used by EPA as background material to develop operator certification guidelines, as required by Section 1419 of the SDWA. These guidelines, which will be published by February 1999, will specify the minimum requirements for a State operator certification program.

DATES: The document is available beginning February 6, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Copies of ``Information for States on Recommended Operator Certification Requirements'' are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, telephone (800) 426-4791. Hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday excluding Federal Holidays. Copies are also available from the Office of Water Resource Center (RC4100), U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC, 20460. Also, Chapters 1 (excluding appendices), 3 and 4 of the document may be obtained from the EPA Web Site at the URL address: ``http:/ www.epa.gov/OGWDW.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Safe Drinking Water Hotline, telephone (800) 426-4791. For technical inquiries, contact Richard Naylor, Designated Federal Officer, Drinking Water Implementation and Assistance Division, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (4606), U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC, 20460. The telephone is (202) 260-5135 and the e-mail address is naylor.richard@epamail.epa.gov.

Dated: January 30, 1998. Robert Perciasepe, Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.

[FR Doc. 98-3038Filed2-5-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P