[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 15, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66364-66365]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-29754]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

[30Day-10-09BK]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Agency for Toxic 
Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) publishes a list of information 
collection requests under review by the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 
35). To request a copy of these requests, call the CDC/ATSDR Reports 
Clearance Officer at (404) 639-5960 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. 
Send written comments to CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management and 
Budget, Washington, DC or by fax to (202) 395-5806. Written comments 
should be received within 30 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Registration of Individuals Displaced by the Hurricanes Katrina and 
Rita (Pilot Project)--New--Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease 
Registry (ATSDR), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the coast of 
the Gulf of Mexico near New Orleans, Louisiana, and became one of the 
most deadly and destructive storms in U.S. history. Also occurring in 
2005, Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane 
ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in 
the Gulf of Mexico. Following the initial phase of the response, the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assumed the primary role for 
housing displaced persons over the intermediate term. To support those 
needing temporary housing, FEMA provided over 143,000 travel trailers, 
park homes, and mobile homes for persons displaced by the above 
mentioned storms. However, some persons living in trailers complained 
of an odor or of eye or respiratory tract irritation.
    FEMA entered into an Interagency Agreement with the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/ATSDR on August 16, 2007 to 
conduct a comprehensive public health assessment, based on objective 
and credible research, of air quality conditions present in FEMA 
housing units to guide FEMA policy makers and inform the public as to 
the actual conditions in the field and any actions required to better 
promote a safe and healthful environment for the disaster victims FEMA 
housed in the units. FEMA's agreement with the CDC includes an initial 
formaldehyde exposure assessment as well as a subsequent long-term 
study of the health effects among resident children. Formaldehyde 
testing conducted and evaluated by the CDC pursuant to the initial 
exposure assessment has identified the need to evaluate the feasibility 
of establishing a national registry to identify and monitor the health 
of disaster victims who occupied FEMA-provided temporary housing units. 
The establishment of such a registry would complement the long-term 
health effects study set forth in the FEMA-CDC Interagency Agreement.
    The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of 
contacting and enrolling members of the targeted group in a registry; 
to provide a basis for budgeting and further planning for a 
comprehensive registry; and to test the acceptance of and response to a 
questionnaire composed of standardized health questions related to 
systemic and respiratory symptoms.
    A pre-registration dataset will be created before enrollment. This 
dataset will be populated with contact information of the study 
population, gathered from two main sources: FEMA datasets (in the case 
of occupants of temporary housing units) and data provided by self-
identified individuals who were displaced by the hurricanes but did not 
live in the FEMA temporary trailers.
    A computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) system based on a 
paper questionnaire will be used during all interviews to collect data 
for this project. The first part will consist of screening questions to 
determine eligibility for enrollment. The second part will contain 
contact information of the registrant and other household members, 
demographics, and health status questions, focusing on respiratory 
outcomes and cancer.
    There will be two types of respondents included the registry: 
Temporary housing unit occupants and Non-temporary housing unit 
occupants. The three minute screening questionnaire will be 
administered to a total of 10,000 respondents (8,000 temporary housing 
unit occupants and 2,000 non-temporary housing unit occupants). 
Annualized over a two year period, 4,000 temporary housing unit 
respondents and 1,000 non-temporary housing unit respondents will be 
screened. The 45 minute main questionnaire will be administered to a 
total of 5,000 respondents (4,000 temporary housing unit occupants and 
1,000 non-temporary housing unit occupants). Annualized over a two year 
period, 2,000 temporary housing unit occupants and 500 non-temporary 
housing unit occupants will complete the main questionnaire.
    There are no costs to the respondents other than their time. The 
total estimated annual burden hours are 2,125.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                                      Average
                                                                     Number of       Number of      burden  per
              Respondents                         Form              respondents    responses per   response  (in
                                                                                    respondent        hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Temporary housing unit occupant.......  Screening...............           4,000               1            3/60
                                        questionnaire...........
                                        Main questionnaire......           2,000               1           45/60
Non-Temporary housing unit occupant...  Screening questionnaire.           1,000               1            3/60
                                        Main questionnaire......             500               1           45/60
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[[Page 66365]]

    Dated: December 8, 2009.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E9-29754 Filed 12-14-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P