[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 27 (Thursday, February 9, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6801-6802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-2971]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-12-09BK]


Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; Agency Forms 
Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The 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-
7570 or send an email to [email protected]. Send written comments to CDC Desk 
Officer, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503 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 130,000 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 proposed pilot registry will have two goals: Primary Goal: Test 
the feasibility and cost of contacting and enrolling members in a 
registry by collecting and verifying phone interview data. Secondary 
Goal: Test the difference in prevalence rates of health conditions 
compared to national surveys (i.e., NHANES and NHIS).
    The data collected in the pilot registry and the evaluation of the 
pilot registry will be used to determine the feasibility and estimate 
the costs of developing and populating a more complete registry of 
people affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In addition, 
comparisons of prevalence rates of health outcomes obtained through the 
pilot registry with estimates from national surveys will help determine 
the utility of conducting a full registry. For example, if all or most 
health outcomes do not appear to be in excess, the value of a full 
registry may be questionable.
    A pre-registration datasets will be created before enrollment. This 
dataset will be populated with contact information of the occupants of 
temporary housing units provided by FEMA. FEMA provided the datasets 
for this pilot registry.
    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 mental health.
    The two minute screening questionnaire will be administered to a 
total of 8,000 respondents. Annualized over a two year period, 4,000 
will be screened. The 25 minute main questionnaire will be administered 
to a total of 5,000 respondents. Annualized over a two year period, 
2,500 occupants will complete the main questionnaire.
    There are no costs to the respondents other than their time. The 
total estimated annual burden hours are 1,176.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                     Number of    Average burden
              Respondents                         Form               Number of     responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)
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Temporary and Non-Temporary housing     Screening...............           4,000               1            2/60
 unit occupants.                        questionnaire...........
Main questionnaire....................  2,500...................               1           25/60
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[[Page 6802]]

Kimberly Lane,
Reports Clearance Officer, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease 
Registry.
[FR Doc. 2012-2971 Filed 2-8-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P