[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 184 (Tuesday, September 23, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49691-49692]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-25170]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[30DAY-24-97]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a 
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call 
the CDC Reports Clearance Office on (404) 639-7090. Send written 
comments to CDC, Desk Officer; Human Resources and Housing Branch, New 
Executive Office Building, Room 10235; Washington, DC 20503. Written 
comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.

Proposed Projects

    1. Airways Disease in Miners--(0920-0349)--Reinstatement--A 
relationship between coal mining exposure and lung function loss has 
been demonstrated. Both smoking and coal mine dust exposure are 
associated with clinically important respiratory dysfunction. Their 
separate contributions to obstructive airway disease in coal miners 
appear to be additive. However, much of the apparent variation in the 
health risks of coal mine dust exposure remains unexplained. Miners 
exposed to similar levels of coal mine dust demonstrate large 
variations in lung function loss. Intrinsic susceptibility to the dust 
or some environmental factor not yet identified must be sought to 
explain why some individuals suffer severe lung damage and others 
experience stable or age related changes in lung function in response 
to inhalation of respirable dust.
    The spectrum of respiratory disease in coal miners is certainly 
broad. Pneumoconiosis is widely accepted as specific to mine dust 
exposure. It has been observed that emphysema is more common and severe 
in coal miners than non-miners. Symptoms of chronic bronchitis are 
common in miners and the risk of their development has been related to 
exposure to the mine environment. Over 50% of non-smoking coal miners 
with identifiable airflow obstruction may have asthma. Questions that 
remain include: What are the predictable factors which relate 
variations in airflow obstruction in miners to measured respirable coal 
mine dust exposure? What are the specific processes responsible for 
lung function losses in miners?
    The goals of this investigation are to: (1) Improve our 
understanding of the processes and mechanisms involved in the 
development of pulmonary diseases and accelerated lung function losses 
in underground coal miners and other dust exposed workers, and to 
further define the consequences of inhalation of coal mine and other 
dusts; and (2) Identify potential risk factors in the development of 
excessive respiratory function loss as a basis for interventions to 
reduce morbidity and mortality associated with respirable dust in the 
work place.
    The data collected in this study will be used to provide a basis 
for improving the understanding of pulmonary disease processes in dust 
exposed workers, and as a basis for intervention strategies to reduce 
morbidity in the coal mining and possibly other industries. The total 
annual burden hours are 130 (259/2).

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                                               Number of    Avg. burden/
         Respondents             Number of    responses/    response (in
                                respondents   respondent       hrs.)    
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Physicians...................            40             1           0.17
Volunteers...................            36             1           7.0 
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[[Page 49692]]

    Dated: September 17, 1997.
Wilma G. Johnson,
Acting Associate Director for Policy Planning And Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 97-25170 Filed 9-22-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P