[Federal Register: July 27, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 145)]
[Notices]
[Page 39159-39160]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27jy01-61]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-7017-8]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; ``Reliability, Validity, and Variability in Behavioral
Determinants of Drinking Water Disinfection By-Product Exposure''
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit the
following proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB): Reliability, Validity, and Variability
in Behavior Determinants of Drinking Water Disinfection By-Product
Exposure, EPA ICR No. 2030.01. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for
review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of
the proposed information collection as described below.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before September 25, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons may obtain a copy of the ICR without
charge by contacting or e-mailing a request to Dr. Patricia Murphy,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and
Development, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Mail Code
104, 2890 Woodbridge Avenue, Bldg. 10, Edison, NJ 08837-3679; phone:
732-906-6830, fax: 732-906-6845, e-mail: murphy.patricia@epa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Patricia A. Murphy, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development,
National Center for Environmental Assessment, Mail Code 104, 2890
Woodbridge Avenue, Bldg. 10, Edison, NJ 08837-3679; phone: 732-906-
6830, fax: 732-906-6845, e-mail: murphy.patricia@epa.gov
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
those which participate in the parent AWWARF Study.
[[Page 39160]]
Title: Reliability, Validity, and Variability in Behavior
Determinants of Drinking Water disinfection By-Product Exposure, EPA
ICR No. 2030.01.
Abstract: This study aims to characterize the reliability,
validity, and variability of questionnaire-based information on water
usage patterns collected in environmental epidemiologic studies. The
study builds on a recently funded study entitled, ``Drinking Water
Disinfectant By-products and Spontaneous Abortion,'' funded by the
American Water Works Association Research Foundation (AWWARF) which was
recently initiated. The present study will add a substudy component to
the parent AWWARF study. It provides for reinterview of a 10% sample
(300 women) of the parent study participants for a reliability substudy
and an additional 10% sample (300 women) for a validity substudy. The
human behavioral aspects, i.e., water usage patterns over time, that
will affect one's coming into contact with an ambient level of a
particular chemical, is an important source of variability and this has
not been well characterized in previous drinking water epidemiology
studies. Better characterization of the reliability, variability, and
validity of this information, generally obtained through recall in a
questionnaire, will decrease uncertainties related to misclassification
of the exposure variables and enhance our ability to more clearly
interpret the validity and accuracy of reported study findings. All
participation and responses are voluntary. Confidentiality of responses
will be maintained. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person
is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers
for EPA's regulations are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter
15.
The EPA would like to solicit comments to:
(i) 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;
(ii) 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;
(iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information
to be collected; and
(iv) 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
submission of responses.
Burden Statement: A total of 525 burden-hours are estimated for the
study participants. 300 women will be sampled from the parent study to
complete the reliability substudy. At their scheduled reinterview time
in the parent study, they will be asked to repeat a section of the
questionnaire on their water usage patterns to determine the accuracy
of their recall from their entry response. This reporting is estimated
to take approximately 15 minutes for each of 300 women, totaling
approximately 75 hours of reporting time. For the second component of
the study, an additional 300 women will be sampled and asked to
provide, for 3 randomly selected days, a 24 hour recall response to
their estimate of water consumption on the previous day, which will be
compared to the amount reported at baseline in the parent study. This
reporting is estimated to take approximately 30 minutes for 3 occasions
for each of 300 women, totaling approximately 450 hours of reporting
time. All participants will receive an incentive payment for their
time. 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;
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.
Dated: July 18, 2001.
Art Payne,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 01-18823 Filed 7-26-01; 8:45 am]
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