98-3038. Information for States on Recommended Operator Certification Requirements

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 25 (Friday, February 6, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 6176]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3038]



[[Page 6176]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5962-9]


Information for States on Recommended Operator Certification 
Requirements

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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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 [phone]. 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 [phone]. 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 
[phone] and the e-mail address is 
[e-mail].

    Dated: January 30, 1998.
Robert Perciasepe,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 98-3038 Filed 2-5-98; 8:45 am]
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