[Federal Register: June 2, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 105)]
[Notices]               
[Page 29639-29640]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02jn99-56]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6353-5]

 
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Children's Total Exposure to Persistent 
Pesticides and Other Persistent Organic Pollutants (CTEPP)

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 the following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Children's Total Exposure to 
Persistent Pesticides and Other Persistent Organic Pollutants, EPA ICR 
Number 1892.01. 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 July 2, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone at (202) 
260-2740, by email at farmer.sandy@epamail.epa.gov, or download a copy 
of the ICR off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA 
ICR No. 1892.01.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Children's Total Exposure to Persistent Pesticides and Other 
Persistent Organic Pollutants, EPA ICR Number 1892.01. This is a new 
collection.
    Abstract: The National Exposure Research Laboratory of the Office 
of Research and Development (ORD) at EPA plans to conduct a research 
study investigating preschool children's exposure to persistent 
pesticides and other persistent organic pollutants. This study is 
necessary to respond to the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996 
which requires that EPA evaluate non-occupational sources (e.g., food, 
water, air, dust, soil, etc.) of exposures to pesticides when 
constructing risk assessments, consider the cumulative health impact of 
pesticides, and provide particular attention to young children such 
that ``there is reasonable certainty that no harm will result to 
infants and children from aggregate exposure to pesticide chemical 
residue.''
    Study respondents will be children between the ages of 2-5 and 
their adult caregivers in approximately 260 households. Participation 
will be entirely voluntary. The participants' exposures will be 
estimated by collection and analysis of samples of food, beverages, 
air, house dust, soil, hand wipes, and urine in conjunction with 
information from questionnaires including activity diaries. Young 
children, especially those of the preschool ages, are believed to have 
greater exposures than do older children or adults to persistent 
organic pesticides, including some compounds that may have endocrine-
disrupting effects or developmental toxicity. These greater exposures 
may result from what children eat and drink, where they spend their 
time, and what they do there. The impact of the exposures may be 
greater on young children because of their smaller body masses, 
immature body systems, and rapid physical development.
    The data will be used by scientists within ORD and external to the 
Agency to refine and validate exposure models which, in turn, will be 
used to reduce the uncertainty in the health risk estimates of young 
children to these toxic pollutants. The information will also be used 
by the EPA Office of Children's Health Protection and the EPA Office of 
Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances in their consideration of 
children's risk assessment and risk management options. The information 
will appear in the form of final EPA reports, journal articles, and 
will also be made publicly available in an electronic data base.
    The total cost of the study is estimated to be $4.5M over a three 
year period. Approximately 308 respondents will be included. An 
incentive payment will be offered to defray the burden to the 
respondent.
    Responses to the collection of information are voluntary. 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 2/1/1999 (64 FR 4868); no 
comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 6.2 
hours per respondent. 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: Parents/households, day care or pre-
school operators.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 308.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 670 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. 1892.01 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.


[[Page 29640]]


    Dated: May 27, 1999.
Joseph Retzer,
Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 99-13946 Filed 6-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P