[Federal Register: February 14, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 29)]
[Notices]
[Page 7496-7498]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14fe05-52]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[ORD-2004-0023, FRL-7872-5]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Health Effects of Microbial Pathogens in Recreational
Waters; National Epidemiological and Environmental Assessment of
Recreational (NEEAR) Water Study, EPA ICR Number 2081.02, OMB Control
Number 2080.0086
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
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 a
continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request to renew an existing
approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire onAugust 31, 2005.
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 April 15, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number ORD-2004-
0023, to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail to
oei.docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental
Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Information Docket, Mail
Code 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Auby, Environmental Protection
Agency, Office of Information Collection, Office of Environmental
Information, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave.,
NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566-1672; fax
number: (202) 566-1753; e-mail address: auby.susan@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this
ICR under Docket ID number ORD-2004-0023, which is available for public
viewing at the Office of Research and Development Docket in the EPA
Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave.,
NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal
holidays. The telephone number for the
[[Page 7497]]
Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Docket
is (202) 566-1752. An electronic version of the public docket is
available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) at http://www.epa.gov/edocket.
Use EDOCKET to obtain a copy of the draft collection of information,
submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the
contents of the public docket, and to access those documents in the
public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system,
select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number identified above.
Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA within
60 days of this notice. EPA's policy is that public comments, whether
submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public
viewing in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and without change, unless the
comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose
public disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a
comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference
to that material in the version of the comment that is placed in
EDOCKET. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted
material, will be available in the public docket. Although identified
as an item in the official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose
disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the
official public docket, and will not be available for public viewing in
EDOCKET. For further information about the electronic docket, see EPA's
Federal Register notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102
(May 31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov./edocket.
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
families frequenting fresh and marine water beaches in the continental
United States.
Title: Health Effects of Microbial Pathogens in Recreational
Waters.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the health
effects of families in recreational water beach areas. This study will
be conducted, and the information collected, by the Epidemiology and
Biomarkers Branch, Human Studies Division, National Health and
Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and
Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Participation
of adults and children in this collection of information is strictly
voluntary. This information is being collected as part of a research
program consistent with the Section 3(a)(v)(1) of the Beaches
Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2000 and the
strategic plan for EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) and
the Office of Water entitled ``Action Plan for Beaches and Recreational
Water.'' The Beaches Act and ORD's strategic plan has identified
research on effects of microbial pathogens in recreational waters as a
high-priority research area with particular emphasis on developing new
water quality indicator guidelines for recreational waters. The EPA has
broad legislative authority to establish water quality criteria and to
conduct research to support these criteria. This data collection is for
a series of epidemiological studies to evaluate exposure to and effects
of microbial pathogens in marine and fresh recreational waters as part
of the EPA's research program on exposure and health effects of
microbial pathogens in recreational waters. Health effects data
collection was previously conducted in a pilot study and four
freshwater coastal sites under OMB number 2080.0068 (expires August 31,
2005), ICR number 2081.01. The results will be used to develop
mathematical relationships that will be used for the generation of new
national water quality and monitoring guidelines. The questionnaire
health data will be compared with routinely collected water quality
measurements. The analysis will focus on determining whether any water
quality parameters are associated with increased prevalence of
swimming-related health effects.
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 in 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9.
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: 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.
The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this
collection of information is estimated to average about fifteen minutes
per response. If a participant completes all portions of the data
collection, a total 45 minutes. Beach Interviews & Telephone Follow-
ups: Based on consultation with the individuals listed in Section 3(c)
of the ICR, and our experience with similar types of information
collection, we estimate that each family will spend an average of 30
minutes completing the beach interview and will require no
recordkeeping. This includes the time for reviewing the information
pamphlet and answering the questions. We estimate that each family
spends an average of 15 minutes completing the home telephone
interview. The telephone interviews will require no recordkeeping.
All human health data collection will be recorded utilizing
computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI). The telephone interview
incorporates the same concept of direct data collection in a desk
personal computer (PC) setting. The tablet notebooks and desk PCs are
used by interviewers to collect human health data. Screens on these
tablets and PCs only display current activated questions. All human
health data is stored in secured locations to maintain confidentiality.
[[Page 7498]]
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Estimated
Respondent activities number of Burden Frequency Total burden Total burden
respondents hours hours cost
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Beach Interview and Phone Interview..... 7,000 0.25 1 1,750 a 25,760
Beach Interview (Part A)................ 7,000 0.25 1 1,750 a 25,760
Phone Interview......................... 7,000 0.25 1 1,750 a 25,760
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Total............................... 21,000 0.75 3 5,250 a 77,280
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a $14.72/hour.
There is no direct respondent costs for this data collection.
Estimated Total Annualized Capital, O&M Cost Burden: $0.
Dated: January 27, 2005.
Harold Zenick,
Associate Director of Health.
[FR Doc. 05-2793 2-11-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P