Notice2024-25554
Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
November 4, 2024
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Abstract
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), as part of its continuing effort to reduce public burden and maximize the utility of government information, invites the general public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed information collection project titled ATSDR Exposure Investigations (EIs). ATSDR EIs are deigned to fill data gaps by conducting environmental and biological sampling and to evaluate public health issues at a site resulting from environmental exposures.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 213 (Monday, November 4, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 213 (Monday, November 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 87579-87581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-25554]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
[60Day-25-0048; Docket No. ATSDR-2024-0005]
Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and
Recommendations
AGENCY: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR),
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice with comment period.
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SUMMARY: The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
[[Page 87580]]
(ATSDR), as part of its continuing effort to reduce public burden and
maximize the utility of government information, invites the general
public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a
continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed
information collection project titled ATSDR Exposure Investigations
(EIs). ATSDR EIs are deigned to fill data gaps by conducting
environmental and biological sampling and to evaluate public health
issues at a site resulting from environmental exposures.
DATES: ATSDR must receive written comments on or before January 3,
2025.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. ATSDR-
2024-0005 by either of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow
the instructions for submitting comments.
<bullet> Mail: Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection Review
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road
NE, MS H21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
and Docket Number. ATSDR will post, without change, all relevant
comments to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>.
Please note: Submit all comments through the Federal eRulemaking
portal (<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>) or by U.S. mail to the address listed
above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan
and instruments, contact Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection
Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton
Road NE, MS H21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; Telephone: 404-639-7570;
Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#06696b644665626528616970"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d2bdbfb092b1b6b1fcb5bda4">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of
information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires
Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new
proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of
information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information
collection before submitting the collection to the OMB for approval. To
comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a
proposed data collection as described below.
The OMB is particularly interested in comments that will help:
1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected;
4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submissions of responses; and
5. Assess information collection costs.
Proposed Project
ATSDR Exposure Investigations (EIs) (OMB Control No. 0923-0048,
Exp. 6/30/2025)--Extension--Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR).
Background and Brief Description
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is
requesting a three-year Extension of this Generic Clearance to allow
the agency to conduct Exposure Investigations (EIs), through methods
developed by ATSDR. After a chemical release or suspected release into
the environment, EIs are usually requested by officials of a state
health agency, county health departments, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), the general public, and ATSDR staff.
EI results 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. For example, an EI that ATSDR previously conducted
during included environmental sampling to evaluate non-drinking water
exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in two
communities that were shown to be exposed to PFAS in their drinking
water.
During the most recent clearance period (4/30/2022-present) a
single Generic Exposure Investigation information collection request
(ICR) was submitted. The EI conducted under this clearance period was
an EI in Jasper and Newton Counties, Missouri to evaluate exposure to
lead in a former mining community. ATSDR collected blood samples from
community members most vulnerable to the impacts of lead exposure:
children five years old and younger along with pregnant women and women
of childbearing age. ATSDR partnered with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the Missouri Department of Health and
Senior Services (MDHSS) who collected environmental samples, including
soil, dust wipes, drinking water and paint, along with the results of
the blood sampling. Appropriate EI procedures, including use of consent
forms and questionnaires were used in the EI. The environmental
sampling was submitted under this OMB Control Number with a burden of
426 hours.
All of ATSDR's targeted biological assessments (e.g., urine, blood)
and some of the environmental investigations (e.g., air, water, soil,
dust, or food sampling) involve participants to determine whether they
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).
Questionnaires, appropriate to the specific contaminant, are generally
needed in about half of the EIs (at most approximately 12 per year) to
assist in interpreting the biological or environmental sampling
results. ATSDR collects contact information (e.g., name, address, phone
number) to provide the participant with their individual results. 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.
The number of questions 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). We use approximately 12-20 questions about
the pertinent environmental exposures per investigation. A question
bank is available for health assessors to use as a basis of questions
to be asked during the EI, but EI-specific questions may be included as
appropriate. Typically, the number of participants in an individual EI
ranges from 10 to 100. Participation is completely voluntary, and there
are no costs to participants
[[Page 87581]]
other than their time. Based on a maximum of 12 EIs per year and 100
participants each, the estimated annualized burden hours are 600.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Average
Number of Number of burden per Total burden
Type of respondents Form name respondents responses per response (in (in hours)
respondent hours)
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Exposure Investigation Chemical 1,200 1 30/60 600
Participants. Exposure
Questions.
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Total..................... ................ .............. .............. .............. 600
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Public Health
Ethics and Regulations, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2024-25554 Filed 11-1-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
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