Federal Register, Volume 63 Issue 24 (Thursday, February 5, 1998)

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 24 (Thursday, February 5, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5947-5949]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2880]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5962-2]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Evaluation of the Burden of Waterborne Disease Within
Communities in the United States

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 EPA is planning to submit the
following continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB):
Evaluation of the burden of waterborne disease within communities
in the United States. EPA ICR Number: 1727.02. OMB Control Number:
2080-0050. Current expiration date: July 31, 1998. 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 6, 1998.

ADDRESSES: US EPA, National Health and Environmental Effects Research
Laboratory, Human Studies Division, Epidemiology and Biomarkers Branch,
Mail Drop 58-A, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711.

[[Page 5948]]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested persons may obtain a copy
of the ICR without charge by contacting: Dr. Elizabeth Hilborn at:
(919) 966-0658--telephone, (919) 966-7584--fax,
[email protected], or by mailing request (address
above).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
those which are served by a community water system.
Title: Evaluation of the burden of waterborne disease within
communities in the United States. (OMB Control No. 2080-0050; EPA ICR
No.:1727.02) expiring 7/31/98.
Abstract: The proposed study will be conducted by the Epidemiology
and Biomarkers Branch, Human Studies Division, National Health and
Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and
Development, US EPA. Participation in this collection of information is
strictly voluntary. The Branch will conduct a feasibility study of
water utilities and a health study of individuals served by targeted
drinking water utilities.
Drinking water utilities serving populations greater than 15,000
will be asked to provide information on the utility and results of
monitoring activities. The information will be used to assess the
feasibility of conducting an environmental health study to evaluate the
burden of water-borne disease in the community it serves. A utility
representative will be interviewed to gather information on: miles of
distribution pipe, storage capacity, quantity of source water, the
availability of the previous year's monitoring records, and the
utilities' willingness to participate. The water utility will provide
annual reports describing the monthly mean and range: water
temperature, turbidity, particle counts, pH, color, total and fecal
coliforms, heterotrophic plate count, total organic carbon, chlorine
residual (free and total), total organic halides, total
trihalomethanes, total haloacetic acids, viruses, Giardia, and
Cryptosporidium.
In the health studies, approximately 1000 households will be
randomly selected from each community. Eligibility for households to
participate will include residence of one or more children between the
ages of two and ten years as children are the most sensitive population
for illnesses of interest. We expect that each household has, on the
average 2.2 members for a total of approximately 2200 individuals
participating in each study. Demographic information and a short health
history will be requested from household members at the beginning of
each study. A representative from each household will be asked to fill
out a monthly health questionnaire for each family member for a total
of eighteen months. The monthly health information requested includes a
checklist for upper respiratory illness, gastrointestinal illness,
fever, and severity of illness. Care will be taken to maintain
participant confidentiality; this work is mandated by the Safe Drinking
Water Act of 1996.
The information will be used to estimate the burden of waterborne
disease in communities within the United States (US). Health data
obtained from the household checklists will be compared with the
corresponding monitoring data at the water utility to determine whether
any increase in symptoms is associated with higher levels of
contaminants. Overall illness rates will be measured. Specific
relationships between microorganisms and disease may be developed by
linking microorganisms found in the water with those found in
symptomatic people.
The information is being collected as part of a research program to
support the Office of Water in estimating the burden of waterborne
disease in the US as mandated under the Safe Drinking Water Act
Amendments of 1996, section 1458. This study will also provide
information on the level of disease associated with microorganisms
found in the drinking water. The information could potentially be used
by other laboratories in the Office of Research and Development such as
the National Risk Management Laboratory (Cincinnati) and the National
Exposure Research Laboratory (Cincinnati). The information may also be
used in comparison analyses by scientists in government or academia who
are conducting similar types of studies. There is no maintenance of
records required under this ICR.
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.
Feasibility Study:

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Burden
Respondent activities hours @ Frequency Costs
$25.00/hr (dollars)
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1. Read questionnaire instructions....................................... 0.05 1 1.25
2. Gather information.................................................... 0.50 1 12.50
3. Complete questionnaire................................................ 0.50 1 12.50
4. Return questionnaire as requested..................................... 0.05 1 1.25
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Total.............................................................. 1.10 4 27.50
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Annual Reporting Burden: Hr. total (1.10) x No. of Respondents
(400) = 440 hrs.
Annual Cost: Cost total ($27.50) x No. of Respondents (400) =
$11,000.00.
No Annual Recordkeeping Burden:
Health Study:

[[Page 5949]]

4. Return questionnaire monthly............................. 0.05 9 0.45 4.50
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Total................................................. 0.50 45 5.40 54.00
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Annual Reporting Burden: Hr. total (5.4) x No. of Respondents
(1000) = 5,400 hrs.
Annual Cost: Cost total ($54.00) x No. of Respondents (1000) =
$54,000.00.
No Annual Recordkeeping Burden.
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 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.

Dated: January 16, 1998.
Hillel S. Koren,
Director, Human Studies Division, Office of Research and Development/
NHEERL.
[FR Doc. 98-2880 Filed 2-4-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P