[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 145 (Friday, July 27, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39159-39160]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18823]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7017-8]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; ``Reliability, Validity, and Variability in Behavioral 
Determinants of Drinking Water Disinfection By-Product Exposure''

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): Reliability, Validity, and Variability 
in Behavior Determinants of Drinking Water Disinfection By-Product 
Exposure, EPA ICR No. 2030.01. 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 September 25, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons may obtain a copy of the ICR without 
charge by contacting or e-mailing a request to Dr. Patricia Murphy, 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and 
Development, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Mail Code 
104, 2890 Woodbridge Avenue, Bldg. 10, Edison, NJ 08837-3679; phone: 
732-906-6830, fax: 732-906-6845, e-mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Patricia A. Murphy, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 
National Center for Environmental Assessment, Mail Code 104, 2890 
Woodbridge Avenue, Bldg. 10, Edison, NJ 08837-3679; phone: 732-906-
6830, fax: 732-906-6845, e-mail: [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
those which participate in the parent AWWARF Study.

[[Page 39160]]

    Title: Reliability, Validity, and Variability in Behavior 
Determinants of Drinking Water disinfection By-Product Exposure, EPA 
ICR No. 2030.01.
    Abstract: This study aims to characterize the reliability, 
validity, and variability of questionnaire-based information on water 
usage patterns collected in environmental epidemiologic studies. The 
study builds on a recently funded study entitled, ``Drinking Water 
Disinfectant By-products and Spontaneous Abortion,'' funded by the 
American Water Works Association Research Foundation (AWWARF) which was 
recently initiated. The present study will add a substudy component to 
the parent AWWARF study. It provides for reinterview of a 10% sample 
(300 women) of the parent study participants for a reliability substudy 
and an additional 10% sample (300 women) for a validity substudy. The 
human behavioral aspects, i.e., water usage patterns over time, that 
will affect one's coming into contact with an ambient level of a 
particular chemical, is an important source of variability and this has 
not been well characterized in previous drinking water epidemiology 
studies. Better characterization of the reliability, variability, and 
validity of this information, generally obtained through recall in a 
questionnaire, will decrease uncertainties related to misclassification 
of the exposure variables and enhance our ability to more clearly 
interpret the validity and accuracy of reported study findings. All 
participation and responses are voluntary. Confidentiality of responses 
will be maintained. 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: A total of 525 burden-hours are estimated for the 
study participants. 300 women will be sampled from the parent study to 
complete the reliability substudy. At their scheduled reinterview time 
in the parent study, they will be asked to repeat a section of the 
questionnaire on their water usage patterns to determine the accuracy 
of their recall from their entry response. This reporting is estimated 
to take approximately 15 minutes for each of 300 women, totaling 
approximately 75 hours of reporting time. For the second component of 
the study, an additional 300 women will be sampled and asked to 
provide, for 3 randomly selected days, a 24 hour recall response to 
their estimate of water consumption on the previous day, which will be 
compared to the amount reported at baseline in the parent study. This 
reporting is estimated to take approximately 30 minutes for 3 occasions 
for each of 300 women, totaling approximately 450 hours of reporting 
time. All participants will receive an incentive payment for their 
time. 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.

    Dated: July 18, 2001.
Art Payne,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 01-18823 Filed 7-26-01; 8:45 am]
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