[Federal Register: October 17, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 202)]
[Notices]
[Page 61875]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17oc08-99]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Notice of Public Meeting and Availability for Public Comment
AGENCY: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice of Public Meeting and availability for Public Comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
announces the opportunity for the public to provide input regarding the
plan (protocol) for a cohort study of persons formerly employed at the
IBM facility in Endicott, New York.
Public Meeting Time and Date: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., November 8, 2008.
Place: Broome County Health Department, 225 Front Street,
Binghamton, New York 13905.
Status: The meeting is open to the public, limited only by the
space available (the room accommodates approximately 120 people). Broad
participation is desired. Former workers, representatives of
professional societies, organized labor, employers, researchers, health
professionals, and government officials are encouraged to attend. Those
who cannot attend in person are encouraged to e-mail or mail comments
to Dr. Douglas Trout (see below). Deadline for all comments is December
8, 2008.
Participants wishing to provide stakeholder comments may do so via
e-mail or may request an opportunity to make a five minute
presentation. Participants making a presentation at the meeting must
submit their comments in writing at the time of the meeting. All
participants (whether making a presentation or not) must register for
the free meeting by sending an e-mail to Dr. Douglas Trout at
DTrout@cdc.gov with their name, affiliation, whether they are
requesting time to speak briefly, and, if so, the general topic(s) on
which they wish to speak. Participants wishing to speak are encouraged
to register early.
Background: In response to public interest in the conduct of a
study of cancer among former workers at IBM--Endicott, NIOSH conducted
a feasibility effort to evaluate whether employee records were adequate
to conduct a research study (a retrospective cohort mortality and
cancer incidence study). This study protocol being developed makes
extensive use of the information gathered during the feasibility
effort, as well as a follow-up review of additional industrial hygiene,
medical, and personnel records.
The protocol being reviewed describes the plan for a cohort study
of persons formerly employed at the IBM facility in Endicott, New York,
between 1965 and 2002. The health problems to be evaluated in the
proposed study include mortality and cancer incidence among workers, as
well as birth defects among offspring of these workers. Approximately
28,000 workers were employed by IBM--Endicott for at least one year
during the period between 1965 and 2002.
The meeting will consist of two parts: (1) External peer review of
the research protocol. Peer reviewers external to CDC will be present
to provide their individual technical (scientific) review comments for
the project officers to maximize the relevance and quality of the
proposed research; and (2) Stakeholder meeting. The latter part of the
meeting will be structured to hear stakeholder comments on important
occupational safety and health issues related to this research.
Contact Person for Technical Information: Dr. Douglas Trout, MD,
MHS, Associate Director for Science, Division of Surveillance, Hazard
Evaluations, and Field Studies, NIOSH, telephone (513) 841-4428.
Comments, meeting registrations, and requests for a copy of the
protocol may be e-mailed to DTrout@cdc.gov or sent via mail to Dr.
Douglas Trout, NIOSH, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Mailstop R12, Cincinnati,
Ohio 45226.
Dated: October 9, 2008.
James D. Seligman,
Chief Information Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. E8-24731 Filed 10-16-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-19-P