[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 141 (Thursday, July 23, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39567-39568]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-19655]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6128-1]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; 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 the following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: 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. 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 August 24, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone 
at (202) 260-2740, by E-mail at [email protected], or 
download off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA 
ICR No. 1727.02.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Evaluation of the burden of waterborne disease within 
communities in the United States (OMB Control Number: 2080-0050, EPA 
ICR Number: 1727.02) expiring July 31, 1998. This is a request for 
extension of a currently approved collection.
    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, U.S. 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

[[Page 39568]]

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. 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 2/5/98 (63 FR 5947-5949); two comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 5.77 
hours per response. 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: Utilities serving more than 15,000 
population or individuals living within a community served by the 
utility.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1400.
    Frequency of Response: Varies.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 8,080 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $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.1727.02 and OMB Control No. 2080-0050 in any 
correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE 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;

    Dated: July 17, 1998.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 98-19655 Filed 7-22-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P