[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 17, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19768-19769]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-9485]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6967-2]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; National Survey on Environmental Management of Asthma

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 proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB): National Survey on Environmental 
Management of Asthma, EPA ICR Number 1996.01. 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 June 18, 2001.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the ICR without charge, contact: Dr. 
Susan Conrath, Indoor Environments Division, Office of Radiation and 
Indoor Air, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW., (6609J), Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Susan Conrath by phone at (202) 
564-9389 or by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Affected entities: Entities potentially 
affected by this action are all individuals throughout the United 
States with publicly listed residential telephone numbers.
    Title: National Survey on Environmental Management of Asthma (EPA 
ICR No. 1996.01).
    Abstract: EPA is working to integrate the management of 
environmental factors with the medical treatment of asthma, 
particularly among children and low-income populations. To evaluate the 
effectiveness of its current outreach efforts, EPA proposes to collect 
data from individual U.S. households through a telephone survey. This 
survey will be used to gain information regarding the number of 
individuals with asthma who have taken steps to improve the quality of 
their indoor environment as part of their approach to managing the 
disease, as well as any barriers they may have encountered while 
attempting to do so. EPA will compare the data gained from this survey 
to the Agency's established Government Performance and Results Act of 
1993 (GPRA) goal. Specifically, EPA's goal is that 2.5 million people 
with asthma, including one million children and 200,000 low-income 
adults, will have taken steps to reduce their exposure to indoor 
environmental asthma triggers by 2005.
    EPA intends to conduct its survey twice during the period for which 
this ICR is in effect--once in the first year and again in the third. 
Each survey cycle will be conducted in the same manner, using the same 
survey instrument and protocols and relying on the same statistical 
assumptions regarding response and precision. EPA will conduct each 
survey cycle in two phases. The first phase is intended to identify 
households where either an adult asthmatic or child with asthma 
resides. Individuals who participate in the first phase of EPA's survey 
will be chosen at random from U.S. households with publicly listed 
telephone numbers. EPA expects that 10 percent of individuals who 
participate in its screening survey will have asthma or live in a 
household with someone who does. After responding to several screening 
questions, adult asthmatics and parents of children with asthma will be 
invited to participate in a longer, more in-depth telephone survey. EPA 
intends to over sample in communities known to have a high percentage 
of low-income households to ensure that the Agency is able to evaluate 
the effectiveness of its outreach efforts to this target population.
    The National Survey on Environmental Management of Asthma is 
voluntary. EPA does not expect to

[[Page 19769]]

receive confidential information from the individuals who voluntarily 
participate in the survey. However, if a respondent does consider the 
information submitted to be of a proprietary nature, EPA will assure 
its confidentiality based on the provisions of 40 CFR part 2, subpart 
B, ``Confidentiality of Business Information.''
    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.
    Burden Statement: EPA estimates the annual public reporting and 
record keeping burden for this collection of information to range from 
between 1.5 minutes and 16 minutes per response, depending on whether 
or not the survey respondent has asthma or lives with someone who has 
asthma. 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.
    This survey effort is expected to cost approximately $0.75 per 
respondent living in a non-asthmatic household; $1.75 per respondent 
living in an asthmatic household, but participating only in the 
screening survey; and $8.00 per respondent participating in both the 
screening survey and the survey itself. Respondents will incur no 
capital, start-up costs, or operation and maintenance costs as a result 
of this survey.

    Dated: April 8, 2001.
Mary T. Smith,
Director, Indoor Environments Division.
[FR Doc. 01-9485 Filed 4-16-01; 8:45 am]
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