Information for States on Recommended Operator Certification Requirements

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 (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

[email protected].

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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