[Federal Register: July 6, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 127)]
[Notices]
[Page 31962-31963]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06jy09-61]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[30-Day-09-0040]
Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 639-5960 or send an e-mail
to omb@cdc.gov. Send written comments to CDC Desk Officer, Office of
Management and Budget, Washington, DC or by fax to (202) 395-6974.
Written comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.
Proposed Project
NCEH/ATSDR Exposure Investigations (EI) [OMB NO: 0923-0040]--
Revision--The National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
Background and Brief Description
This is a brief summary of a joint clearance between the NCEH and
ATSDR, (hereafter ATSDR will represent both ATSDR and NCEH). ATSDR is
mandated pursuant to the 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and its 1986 Amendments, the
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) to prevent or
mitigate adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life
resulting from the exposure to hazardous substances in the environment.
EIs are an approach developed by ATSDR that employs targeted biologic
(e.g., urine, blood, hair samples) and environmental (e.g., air, water,
soil, or food) sampling to determine whether people are or have been
exposed to unusual levels of pollutants at specific locations (e.g.,
where people live, spend leisure time, or anywhere they might come into
contact with contaminants under investigation). After a chemical
release or suspected release into the environment, ATSDR's EIs are used
by public health professionals, environmental risk managers, and other
decision makers to determine if current conditions warrant intervention
strategies to minimize or eliminate human exposure. EIs are usually
requested by officials of a state health agency, county health
departments, the Environmental Protection Agency, the general public,
and ATSDR staff.
ATSDR has been conducting EIs since 1995 throughout the United
States and seeks revision approved of the currently approval ICR. All
of ATSDR's biomedical assessments and some of the environmental
investigations involve participants. Participation is completely
voluntary. To assist in interpreting the sampling results, a survey
questionnaire appropriate to the specific contaminant is administered
to participants. ATSDR collects contact information (e.g., name,
address, phone number) to provide the participant with their individual
results. Name and address information are broken into nine separate
questions (data fields) for computer entry. General information, which
includes height, weight, age, race, gender, etc., is also collected
primarily on biomedical investigations to assist with results
interpretation. General information can account for approximately 28
questions per investigation, out of a set of 57 general information
questions. Some of this information is investigation-specific; not all
of this data is collected for every investigation.
ATSDR also collects information on other possible confounding
sources of chemical(s) exposure such as medicines taken, foods eaten,
hobbies, jobs, etc. In addition, ATSDR asks questions on recreational
or occupational activities that could increase a participant's exposure
potential. That information represents an individual's exposure
history. To cover those broad categories, ATSDR is seeking approval for
the use of sets of topical questions. Of these, we use approximately
12-15 questions about the pertinent environmental exposures per
investigation. This number can vary depending on the number of
chemicals being investigated, the route of exposure (e.g., breathing,
eating, touching), and number of other sources of the chemical(s)
(e.g., products used, jobs).
Data management procedures have not changed since the previous
approved information collection and the instrument does not have
extensive revisions. Only minor non-substantive changes were made to
the Library of Chemical Exposure Questions by dividing one question
into two; to clarify, specify and better generate the information
needed.
Typically, the number of participants in an individual EI ranges
from 10 to less than 50. Questionnaires are generally needed in less
than half of the EIs (approximately 10-15 per year).
The subject matter for the complete set of topical questions
includes the following:
(1) Media specific which includes: air (indoor/outdoor); water
(water source and plumbing); soil, and food (gardening, fish, game,
domestic animals (e.g., chickens).
(2) Other sources such as: occupations; hobbies; household chemical
uses and house construction characteristics; lifestyle (e.g., smoking);
medicines and/or health conditions, and foods.
There are no costs to respondents other than their time. The total
estimated annual burden hours are 375.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Average
Number of Number of burden per Total burden
Respondents respondents responses per response (in (in hours)
respondent hours)
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Exposure Investigation Participants............. 750 1 30/60 375
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[[Page 31963]]
Dated: June 26, 2009.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E9-15850 Filed 7-2-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P