[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 207 (Friday, October 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63487-63489]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-25472]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2008-N-0553]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Survey to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Mississippi 
Delta Fish Advisories

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing an 
opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain 
information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(the PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the 
Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, 
and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This 
notice solicits comments on a voluntary consumer survey of fishing and 
fish consumption habits in the Mississippi Delta.

DATES: Submit written or electronic comments on the collection of 
information by December 23, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit electronic comments on the collection of information 
to http://www.regulations.gov. Submit written comments on the 
collection of information to the Division of Dockets

[[Page 63488]]

Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, 
rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. All comments should be identified with 
the docket number found in brackets in the heading of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonna Capezzuto, Office of Information 
Management (HFA-710), Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, MD 20857, 301-796-3794.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal 
agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. 
``Collection of information'' is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 
1320.3(c) and includes agency requests or requirements that members of 
the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a 
third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) 
requires Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal 
Register concerning each proposed collection of information before 
submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this 
requirement, FDA is publishing notice of the proposed collection of 
information set forth in this document.
    With respect to the following collection of information, FDA 
invites comments on these topics: (1) Whether the proposed collection 
of information is necessary for the proper performance of FDA's 
functions, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of FDA's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques, when 
appropriate, and other forms of information technology.

Survey to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Mississippi Delta Fish 
Advisories

    The proposed survey will gather information about fishing and fish 
consumption habits in the Mississippi Delta region, as well as the 
respondents' awareness and understanding of the Regional Delta Advisory 
(RDA) issued by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. 
Under section 903(b)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 
U.S.C. 393(b)(2)), FDA is authorized to conduct research relating to 
foods and to conduct educational and public information programs 
relating to the safety of the nation's food supply. In June 2005, the 
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Water and FDA's 
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition finalized a Memorandum of 
Understanding (MOU) to enhance collaboration between FDA and EPA 
regarding environmental contaminants in fish and shellfish and the 
safety of fish and shellfish for U.S. consumers. The MOU is available 
at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/files/moufdaepa.pdf.
    The proposed study is phase two of a two phase study designed to 
determine whether existing fish consumption recommendations issued by 
the state of Mississippi are adequately protecting sport and 
subsistence consumers of fish harvested from Delta waters. The final 
report of phase one, entitled ``Recommended Study Design for a Survey 
to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Mississippi Delta Fish Advisories,'' 
is available at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/technical/ms-delta.html. Based on the report cited here, FDA is conducting the 
proposed survey on behalf of EPA to evaluate the effectiveness of the 
Mississippi Delta Fish Advisories.The proposed survey will collect 
information on the extent to which Delta sport and subsistence 
fishermen and their families are aware of the RDA and its 
recommendations and the extent to which the respondents have changed 
their fish consumption behaviors as a result of the advisory. The 
survey will also document specific behavior changes resulting from the 
RDA, such as increases or decreases in the amount of locally harvested 
fish consumed, changes in methods of fish preparation, and consumption 
or avoidance of specific species of fish.
    Results of the survey will provide EPA information about fishing 
and fish consumption habits in the Mississippi Delta region, as well as 
the respondents' awareness and understanding of the RDA.
    The respondents will be selected from four counties in the 
Mississippi Delta region. Counties were selected to include a mix of 
rural and non-rural areas and areas with major water resources affected 
by the advisory. The selected counties are Coahoma, Holmes, Leflore, 
and Washington. Only the part of Holmes County that is within the 
advisory area will be included in the survey.
    The total sample will include 400 on-the-banks interviews and 600 
household interviews of sport and subsistence fishers who harvest 
noncommercial fish from the Mississippi Delta advisory area, and 
individuals in the Mississippi Delta area who consume wild-caught fish 
from the advisory area. FDA estimates that the survey will take 
approximately 18 minutes to complete, for a total burden of 300 hours 
(1,000 x 0.3 = 300).
    FDA will conduct 6 cognitive interviews and 20 pretests prior to 
fielding the survey, for a total additional burden of 16 hours.
    FDA estimates the burden of this collection of information as 
follows:

                                 Table 1.--Estimated Annual Reporting Burden\1\
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                      No. of         Annual Frequency       Total Annual        Hours per
   Activity        Respondents         per Response          Responses           Response         Total Hours
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Cognitive                       6                     1                  6                  1                  6
 Interviews
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Pretest                        20                     1                 20                0.5                 10
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Survey                      1,000                     1              1,000                .30                300
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Total                                                                                                        316
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\1\ There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection of
  information.

    FDA's burden estimate is based on the agency's prior experience 
with surveys similar to the proposed survey.
    Please note that on January 15, 2008, the FDA Division of Dockets 
Management Web site transitioned to the Federal Dockets Management 
System (FDMS). FDMS is a Government-wide, electronic docket

[[Page 63489]]

management system. Electronic comments or submissions will be accepted 
by FDA only through FDMS at http://www.regulations.gov.

    Dated: October 20, 2008.
Jeffrey Shuren,
Associate Commissioner for Policy and Planning.
[FR Doc. E8-25472 Filed 10-23-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-S