[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54797-54798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22204]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-ORD-2004-0023; FRL-8718-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Health Effects of Microbial 
Pathogens in Recreational Waters: National Epidemiological and 
Environmental Assessment of Recreational (NEEAR) Water Study (Renewal); 
EPA ICR No. 2081.04, OMB Control No. 2080-0068

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an 
existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, 
describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated 
burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before October 23, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2004-0023, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method), by e-mail to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket 
Center, ORD Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 28221T, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail 
to: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA), 725 17th Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Sams, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health 
and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Human Studies Division, 
Epidemiology and Biomarkers Branch, MD 58-C, 109 T.W. Alexander Dr., 
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711; telephone number: 919-
843-3161; fax number: 919-966-0655; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On May 14, 2008 (73 FR 27818) EPA sought comments on this ICR 
pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8 (d). EPA received no comments during the 
comment period. Any additional comments on this ICR should be submitted 
to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2004-0023, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Office of Research and 
Development Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC 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 Reading 
Room is 202-566-1744, and the telephone number for the ORD Docket is 
202-566-1752.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at 
www.regulations.gov to submit or view public comments, access the index 
listing of the contents of the 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 
in this document. Please note that the EPA's policy is that public 
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made 
available for public viewing at www.regulations.gov as EPA receives 
them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted 
material, confidential business information (CBI), or other information 
whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For further 
information about the electronic docket, go to www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Health Effects of Microbial Pathogens in Recreational 
Waters: National Epidemiological and Environmental Assessment of 
Recreational (NEEAR) Water Study (Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2081.04, OMB Control No. 2080-0068.
    ICR Status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on September 
30, 2008. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or 
sponsor, the collection of information while this submission is pending 
at OMB. The OMB control numbers for EPA's regulations in title 40 of 
the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when approved, are 
listed in title 40 of the CFR part 9, are displayed either by 
publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such 
as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The 
display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is 
consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the health 
effects associated with swimming exposure at beach sites designated as 
recreational 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 (ORD), U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Participation of adults and 
children in this collection of information is strictly voluntary. The 
identity of all participants is considered strictly confidential; thus, 
all data collected are stored without identifiers. 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 and the Office of Water entitled ``Action Plan for 
Beaches and Recreational Water'' available at http://www.epa.gov/ord/htm/documents/600r98079.pdf. 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

[[Page 54798]]

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, four freshwater coastal sites, and three marine sites under OMB 
number 2080-0068. The results will be used to help inform the 
development 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.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 0.25 
hours per response. 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 which have subsequently changed; 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 record keeping burden for this 
collection of information is estimated to average about fifteen minutes 
per response. If a single household participant completes all three 
interviews of the data collection, a total 45 minutes is used.
    The interview process consists of three interviews; Two Beach 
Interviews & one Telephone Follow-up: 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 record keeping. 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 record 
keeping.
    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.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Individuals frequenting fresh and 
marine water beaches in the United States and territories.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 21,000.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 15,750.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $236,250. This includes an estimated 
burden cost of $0 and an estimated cost of $0 for capital investment or 
maintenance and operational costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 10,500 hours in 
the total estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in 
the ICR currently approved by OMB. This increase is required to provide 
the science necessary to help inform the development of new public 
health standards for recreational water.

    Dated: September 16, 2008.
Sara Hisel-McCoy,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E8-22204 Filed 9-22-08; 8:45 am]
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