[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 29 (Monday, February 14, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7496-7498]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2793]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ORD-2004-0023, FRL-7872-5]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Health Effects of Microbial Pathogens in Recreational 
Waters; National Epidemiological and Environmental Assessment of 
Recreational (NEEAR) Water Study, EPA ICR Number 2081.02, OMB Control 
Number 2080.0086

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

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 a 
continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request to renew an existing 
approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire onAugust 31, 2005. 
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 April 15, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number ORD-2004-
0023, to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail to 
[email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Information Docket, Mail 
Code 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Auby, Environmental Protection 
Agency, Office of Information Collection, Office of Environmental 
Information, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., 
NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566-1672; fax 
number: (202) 566-1753; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this 
ICR under Docket ID number ORD-2004-0023, which is available for public 
viewing at the Office of Research and Development Docket in the EPA 
Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., 
NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open 
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal 
holidays. The telephone number for the

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Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Docket 
is (202) 566-1752. An electronic version of the public docket is 
available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) at http://www.epa.gov/edocket. 
Use EDOCKET to obtain a copy of the draft collection of information, 
submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the 
contents of the public docket, and to access those documents in the 
public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, 
select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number identified above.
    Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA within 
60 days of this notice. EPA's policy is that public comments, whether 
submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public 
viewing in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and without change, unless the 
comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose 
public disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a 
comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference 
to that material in the version of the comment that is placed in 
EDOCKET. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted 
material, will be available in the public docket. Although identified 
as an item in the official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose 
disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the 
official public docket, and will not be available for public viewing in 
EDOCKET. For further information about the electronic docket, see EPA's 
Federal Register notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102 
(May 31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov./edocket.
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
families frequenting fresh and marine water beaches in the continental 
United States.
    Title: Health Effects of Microbial Pathogens in Recreational 
Waters.
    Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the health 
effects of families in recreational water beach areas. This study will 
be conducted, and the information collected, by the Epidemiology and 
Biomarkers Branch, Human Studies Division, National Health and 
Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and 
Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Participation 
of adults and children in this collection of information is strictly 
voluntary. This information is being collected as part of a research 
program consistent with the Section 3(a)(v)(1) of the Beaches 
Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2000 and the 
strategic plan for EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) and 
the Office of Water entitled ``Action Plan for Beaches and Recreational 
Water.'' The Beaches Act and ORD's strategic plan has identified 
research on effects of microbial pathogens in recreational waters as a 
high-priority research area with particular emphasis on developing new 
water quality indicator guidelines for recreational waters. The EPA has 
broad legislative authority to establish water quality criteria and to 
conduct research to support these criteria. This data collection is for 
a series of epidemiological studies to evaluate exposure to and effects 
of microbial pathogens in marine and fresh recreational waters as part 
of the EPA's research program on exposure and health effects of 
microbial pathogens in recreational waters. Health effects data 
collection was previously conducted in a pilot study and four 
freshwater coastal sites under OMB number 2080.0068 (expires August 31, 
2005), ICR number 2081.01. The results will be used to develop 
mathematical relationships that will be used for the generation of new 
national water quality and monitoring guidelines. The questionnaire 
health data will be compared with routinely collected water quality 
measurements. The analysis will focus on determining whether any water 
quality parameters are associated with increased prevalence of 
swimming-related health effects.
    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 in 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9.
    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: 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.
    The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this 
collection of information is estimated to average about fifteen minutes 
per response. If a participant completes all portions of the data 
collection, a total 45 minutes. Beach Interviews & Telephone Follow-
ups: Based on consultation with the individuals listed in Section 3(c) 
of the ICR, and our experience with similar types of information 
collection, we estimate that each family will spend an average of 30 
minutes completing the beach interview and will require no 
recordkeeping. This includes the time for reviewing the information 
pamphlet and answering the questions. We estimate that each family 
spends an average of 15 minutes completing the home telephone 
interview. The telephone interviews will require no recordkeeping.
    All human health data collection will be recorded utilizing 
computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI). The telephone interview 
incorporates the same concept of direct data collection in a desk 
personal computer (PC) setting. The tablet notebooks and desk PCs are 
used by interviewers to collect human health data. Screens on these 
tablets and PCs only display current activated questions. All human 
health data is stored in secured locations to maintain confidentiality.

[[Page 7498]]



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                                             Estimated
          Respondent activities             number  of      Burden     Frequency   Total burden    Total burden
                                            respondents      hours                     hours           cost
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Beach Interview and Phone Interview.....           7,000        0.25           1           1,750        a 25,760
Beach Interview (Part A)................           7,000        0.25           1           1,750        a 25,760
Phone Interview.........................           7,000        0.25           1           1,750        a 25,760
                                         -----------------
    Total...............................          21,000        0.75           3           5,250        a 77,280
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a $14.72/hour.

    There is no direct respondent costs for this data collection.
    Estimated Total Annualized Capital, O&M Cost Burden: $0.

    Dated: January 27, 2005.
Harold Zenick,
Associate Director of Health.
[FR Doc. 05-2793 2-11-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P