[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 194 (Thursday, October 7, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 60156]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-22551]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-04-04KL]


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 404-498-1210 or 
send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC Assistant Reports Clearance 
Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-E11, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an e-mail 
to [email protected].
    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. Written comments should be received 
within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net)--New--National 
Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC).
    CDC is requesting OMB approval for a data collection system that 
will assist public health officials to better identify and assess 
environmental factors contributing to foodborne outbreaks and the 
prevention efforts needed to reduce or ameliorate these events. The 
Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net) Environmental 
Evaluation System data collection is a standardized survey instrument 
developed by CDC in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA) and the EHS-Net participating states--California, 
Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, and 
Tennessee. The instrument is for use in non-regulatory environmental 
evaluations. It has been pilot tested in the EHS-Net states.
    The eight states in the pilot testing phase used the EHS-Net survey 
instrument to collect environmental information from two groups of 
restaurants: those associated with foodborne outbreaks and those that 
were not. The survey instrument collects information about the 
restaurant's food safety policies and procedures and also includes 
direct observations of food preparation and handling practices, and 
food worker behaviors.
    CDC will evaluate the data collected in these eight pilot states to 
further refine and improve the EHS-Net data collection instrument and 
methodology. Once this evaluation is completed, the EHS-Net data 
collection instrument and methodology will be made available to all 
public health officials in the United States who wish to use the system 
to identify and assess environmental factors in food establishments 
that contribute to foodborne illness; and to evaluate the effectiveness 
of existing prevention measures including food-handling practices, 
policies, and other control measures. There are no costs to 
respondents.

 
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden   Total annual
                   Respondents                       Number of     responses per   per response     burden  (in
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)        hours)
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One Public Health Official per State............              50              56               6          16,800
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................              50  ..............  ..............          16,800
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    Dated: October 1, 2004.
Alvin Hall,
Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 04-22551 Filed 10-6-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P