[Federal Register: October 14, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 198)] [Notices] [Page 55709-55710] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr14oc99-52] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-6457-4] Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Agricultural Health Study: Pesticide Exposure Study AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that the following Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Agricultural Health Study-- Pesticide Exposure Study, EPA ICR Number 1906.01. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden and cost; where appropriate, it includes the actual data collection instrument. DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 15, 1999. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone at (202) 260-2740, by email at farmer.sandy@epa.gov, or download a copy of the ICR off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No. 1906.01. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Agricultural Health Study--Pesticide Exposure Study, EPA ICR [[Page 55710]] Number 1906.01. This is a new collection. Abstract: The National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the EPA have agreed through a Memorandum of Understanding to perform a prospective epidemiological study of the risk of cancer and other diseases associated with usage and exposure to pesticides of some 90,000 registered pesticide applicators and their spouses in the states of Iowa and North Carolina. The Agricultural Health Study (AHS) will evaluate whether those applicators with the greatest usage history and potential exposures to pesticides are at a greater risk of cancer or other diseases than those applicators with lowest usage history and reduced potential exposures to pesticides. Information collection requests prepared by NCI for survey data collection in the AHS epidemiological study have received OMB approval (current OMB #0925- 0406, expires 11/30/01). The U.S. EPA will support the AHS by performing an exposure measurement study for private pesticide applicators in the cohort. The exposure measurement study is the subject of the information collection request cited in this document. Exposure data are needed for assessing and refining methods for classifying applicator exposures using study questionnaire information, to measure the magnitude of applicator pesticide exposures, and to identify key exposure factors. Observations of applicator work practices will be compared to self-reported information from questionnaires to assess reporting reliability of current practices. In addition, EPA will measure spouse and child urinary pesticide biomarkers to help understand whether and to what extent agricultural application of pesticides leads to exposures for members of the applicator's family. Study respondents will be registered private pesticide applicators in the AHS prospective epidemiological cohort, their spouses, and up to two children selected from each home. A total of 160 applicators will be selected into the study. Approximately 24 of the applicators will be asked to participate in the exposure study in each of two years. Participation will be entirely voluntary. An applicator that agrees to participate in the exposure study will be retained even if their spouse and/or child decline to participate. Applicator exposures will be monitored around one pesticide application of a targeted pesticide. A sample of the pesticide formulation will be collected. Dermal exposure will be estimated by collection of dermal patch and hand-wipe samples. Urine samples will be collected before and following the application event to measure pesticide or metabolite concentrations and to allow estimation of the absorbed dose. A sample of house dust will be collected from the applicator's home. Spouses and one child in the age range of 3-18 years old will be asked to provide urine samples before and after the monitored application. Pesticide handling, mixing, loading, and application (HMLA) activities will be observed. A modified version of the NCI AHS Private Pesticide Applicator Followup Questionnaire (OMB #0925-0406) will be administered to the applicator immediately after the observed HMLA activity. A Biomarker Questionnaire will be administered to the applicator at the end of the monitoring period to collect data for interpreting the measurements and to provide additional information about applicator and farm family exposure to pesticides. The full AHS Private Pesticide Applicator Follow-up Questionnaire will be administered to the applicator several months after the observed application event. 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 Federal Register document required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on 6/15/1999 (64 FR 32042); no comments were received. Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 4.1 hours for pesticide applicators, 0.8 hours for spouses and children providing urine samples, and 0.25 hours for children only responding to a questionnaire. 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. Respondents/Affected Entities: registered private pesticide applicators; parents/households. Estimated Number of Respondents: 152. Frequency of Response: One occasion (except for 24 participants repeated in second year). Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 349 hours. Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden (non-labor costs only): $0. Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of automated collection techniques to the following addresses. Please refer to EPA ICR No. 1906.01 in any correspondence. Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Policy, Regulatory Information Division (2137), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460; and Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503. Dated: October 7, 1999. Richard T. Westlund, Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division. [FR Doc. 99-26860 Filed 10-13-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-P