[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 124 (Friday, June 27, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 38343]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-16281]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60 Day-03-83]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. 
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a 
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the CDC Reports 
Clearance Officer on (404) 498-1210.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology. Send comments to Anne O'Connor, CDC 
Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, 
Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days 
of this notice.
    Proposed Project: Pilot Study to Evaluate Two Alternative Methods 
to Characterize Potential Exposures of Miners to Hazardous Chemicals--
New--National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
    NIOSH is planning to conduct a pilot study to assess the 
feasibility of using alternate, existing information sources to update 
estimates of potential exposures of miners to hazardous chemicals. 
Estimates of potential exposures of miners to hazardous chemicals are 
currently based on the National Occupational Health Survey of Miners 
(NOHSM, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-136), which was conducted from 
1984 through 1989. The mining industry has experienced many changes in 
the time since NOHSM was performed; consequently, the NOHSM data may no 
longer be representative of the current potential exposures of the 
mining industry labor force to hazardous chemicals.
    The proposed pilot study will request 10 mining establishments from 
each of the five major mining commodities (i.e., coal, metal, nonmetal, 
stone and sand and gravel) selected by probability sampling, to submit 
a copy of the list of hazardous chemicals maintained pursuant to Mine 
Safety and Health Administration's (MSHA) Hazard Communication rule (30 
CFR 47). For the selected mining establishments in the coal and metal 
commodities, publicly available U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data will also be assembled and 
examined for value as part of the pilot project.
    The objective of the pilot study will be to determine if hazard 
communication lists of hazardous chemicals, and/or EPA TRI data can be 
utilized to estimate potential exposure of miners to hazardous 
chemicals.
    The Pilot Study will gather data on recruitment and participation, 
overall response rates and usefulness of the collected data. Any 
information linking survey responses to individual mining enterprises 
will be kept confidential. Only aggregate data will be used for all 
reports generated from the Pilot Study. There will be no cost to 
respondents.

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                                                                          Number of      Average
                                                            Number of     responses    burden per       Total
                       Respondents                         respondents       per        response     burden  (in
                                                                         respondent     (in hrs.)       hrs.)
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Coal Mining Commodity...................................           10             1         15/60           2.5
Metal Mining Commodity..................................           10             1         15/60           2.5
Nonmetal Mining Commodity...............................           10             1         15/60           2.5
Stone Mining Commodity..................................           10             1         15/60           2.5
Sand and Gravel Mining Commodity........................           10             1         15/60           2.5
                                                         ---------------
      Total.............................................  ............  ............  ............         12.5
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    Dated: June 23, 2003.
Thomas A. Bartenfeld,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 03-16281 Filed 6-26-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P