[Federal Register: September 23, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 185)]
[Notices]
[Page 54797-54798]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23se08-58]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-ORD-2004-0023; FRL-8718-6]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Health Effects of Microbial
Pathogens in Recreational Waters: National Epidemiological and
Environmental Assessment of Recreational (NEEAR) Water Study (Renewal);
EPA ICR No. 2081.04, OMB Control No. 2080-0068
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an
existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below,
describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated
burden and cost.
DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before October 23,
2008.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2004-0023, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred
method), by e-mail to ord.docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket
Center, ORD Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 28221T,
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail
to: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management
and Budget (OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA), 725 17th Street,
NW., Washington, DC 20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Sams, Environmental
Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health
and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Human Studies Division,
Epidemiology and Biomarkers Branch, MD 58-C, 109 T.W. Alexander Dr.,
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711; telephone number: 919-
843-3161; fax number: 919-966-0655; e-mail address:
sams.elizabeth@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR
1320.12. On May 14, 2008 (73 FR 27818) EPA sought comments on this ICR
pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8 (d). EPA received no comments during the
comment period. Any additional comments on this ICR should be submitted
to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice.
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2004-0023, which is available for online viewing at
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Office of Research and
Development Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public
Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading
Room is 202-566-1744, and the telephone number for the ORD Docket is
202-566-1752.
Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at
www.regulations.gov to submit or view public comments, access the index
listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those documents in
the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the
system, select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number identified
in this document. Please note that the EPA's policy is that public
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made
available for public viewing at www.regulations.gov as EPA receives
them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted
material, confidential business information (CBI), or other information
whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For further
information about the electronic docket, go to www.regulations.gov.
Title: Health Effects of Microbial Pathogens in Recreational
Waters: National Epidemiological and Environmental Assessment of
Recreational (NEEAR) Water Study (Renewal).
ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2081.04, OMB Control No. 2080-0068.
ICR Status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on September
30, 2008. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or
sponsor, the collection of information while this submission is pending
at OMB. The OMB control numbers for EPA's regulations in title 40 of
the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when approved, are
listed in title 40 of the CFR part 9, are displayed either by
publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such
as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The
display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is
consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the health
effects associated with swimming exposure at beach sites designated as
recreational areas. This study will be conducted, and the information
collected, by the Epidemiology and Biomarkers Branch, Human Studies
Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research
Laboratory, Office of Research and Development (ORD), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Participation of adults and
children in this collection of information is strictly voluntary. The
identity of all participants is considered strictly confidential; thus,
all data collected are stored without identifiers. This information is
being collected as part of a research program consistent with the
Section 3(a)(v)(1) of the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal
Health Act of 2000 and the strategic plan for EPA's Office of Research
and Development and the Office of Water entitled ``Action Plan for
Beaches and Recreational Water'' available at http://www.epa.gov/ord/
htm/documents/600r98079.pdf. The Beaches Act and ORD's strategic plan
has identified research on effects of microbial pathogens in
recreational waters as a high-priority research area with particular
emphasis on developing new water quality indicator guidelines for
recreational waters. The EPA has broad legislative authority to
establish water quality criteria and to conduct research to support
these criteria. This
[[Page 54798]]
data collection is for a series of epidemiological studies to evaluate
exposure to and effects of microbial pathogens in marine and fresh
recreational waters as part of the EPA's research program on exposure
and health effects of microbial pathogens in recreational waters.
Health effects data collection was previously conducted in a pilot
study, four freshwater coastal sites, and three marine sites under OMB
number 2080-0068. The results will be used to help inform the
development of new national water quality and monitoring guidelines.
The questionnaire health data will be compared with routinely collected
water quality measurements. The analysis will focus on determining
whether any water quality parameters are associated with increased
prevalence of swimming-related health effects.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 0.25
hours per response. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This
includes the time needed to review instructions; develop, acquire,
install, and utilize technology and systems for the purposes of
collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and
maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information;
adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable
instructions and requirements which have subsequently changed; train
personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information; search
data sources; complete and review the collection of information; and
transmit or otherwise disclose the information.
The annual public reporting and record keeping burden for this
collection of information is estimated to average about fifteen minutes
per response. If a single household participant completes all three
interviews of the data collection, a total 45 minutes is used.
The interview process consists of three interviews; Two Beach
Interviews & one Telephone Follow-up: Based on consultation with the
individuals listed in Section 3(c) of the ICR, and our experience with
similar types of information collection, we estimate that each family
will spend an average of 30 minutes completing the beach interview and
will require no record keeping. This includes the time for reviewing
the information pamphlet and answering the questions. We estimate that
each family spends an average of 15 minutes completing the home
telephone interview. The telephone interviews will require no record
keeping.
All human health data collection will be recorded utilizing
computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI). The telephone interview
incorporates the same concept of direct data collection in a desk
personal computer (PC) setting. The tablet notebooks and desk PCs are
used by interviewers to collect human health data. Screens on these
tablets and PCs only display current activated questions. All human
health data is stored in secured locations to maintain confidentiality.
The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate,
which is only briefly summarized here:
Respondents/Affected Entities: Individuals frequenting fresh and
marine water beaches in the United States and territories.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 21,000.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 15,750.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $236,250. This includes an estimated
burden cost of $0 and an estimated cost of $0 for capital investment or
maintenance and operational costs.
Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 10,500 hours in
the total estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in
the ICR currently approved by OMB. This increase is required to provide
the science necessary to help inform the development of new public
health standards for recreational water.
Dated: September 16, 2008.
Sara Hisel-McCoy,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E8-22204 Filed 9-22-08; 8:45 am]
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