[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 104 (Friday, May 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31114-31115]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-12535]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

[60Day-14-14AEH]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), as 
part of its continuing effort to reduce public burden, invites the 
general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to 
comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as 
required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. To request more 
information on the below proposed project or to obtain a copy of the 
information collection plan and instruments, call 404-639-7570 or send 
comments to LeRoy Richardson, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 
30333 or send an email to [email protected].
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) approval. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of 
the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (e) 
estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, 
maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information. Burden 
means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide information 
to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions; to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and 
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information, to search data sources, to complete and 
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information. Written comments should be received within 60 
days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Assessment of Chemical Exposures (ACE) Investigations--New--Agency 
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

Background and Brief Description

    The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is 
requesting a three-year generic clearance for the Assessment of 
Chemical Exposures (ACE) Investigations to assist state and local 
health departments after toxic substance spills or chemical incidents. 
ACE investigations are a component of the National Toxic Substance 
Incidents Program (NTSIP). NTSIP was introduced in 2010 as a 
comprehensive agency approach to toxic substance incident surveillance, 
prevention, and response. This three-part program includes a proposal 
for state-based surveillance for toxic substance releases, a national 
database of toxic substance incidents combining data from many sources, 
and the ACE investigations.
    The ACE Investigations focus on performing rapid epidemiological 
assessments to assist state, regional, local, or tribal health 
departments (the requesting agencies) to respond to or prepare for 
acute chemical releases. The main objectives for performing these rapid 
assessments are to:
    1. Characterize exposure and acute health effects of respondents 
exposed to toxic substances from discrete, chemical releases and 
determine their health statuses;
    2. identify needs (i.e. medical and basic) of those exposed during 
the releases to aid in planning interventions in the community;

[[Page 31115]]

    3. assess the impact of the incidents on health services use and 
share lessons learned for use in hospital, local, and state planning 
for chemical incidents; and
    4. identify cohorts that may be followed and assessed for 
persistent health effects resulting from acute releases.
    Because each chemical incident is different, it is not possible to 
predict in advance exactly what type of and how many respondents will 
need to be consented and interviewed to effectively evaluate the 
incident. Respondents typically include, but are not limited to 
emergency responders such as police, fire, hazardous material 
technicians, emergency medical services, and personnel at hospitals 
where patients from the incident were treated. Incidents may occur at 
businesses or in the community setting; therefore, respondents may also 
include business owners, managers, workers, customers, community 
residents, pet owners, and those passing through the affected area.
    Data will be collected by the multi-disciplinary ACE team 
consisting of staff from ATSDR, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC), and the requesting agencies. ATSDR has developed a 
series of draft survey forms that can be quickly tailored in the field 
to collect data that will meet the goals of the investigation. They 
will be administered based on time permitted and urgency. For example, 
it is preferable to administer the general survey to as many 
respondents as possible. However, if there are time constraints, the 
shorter household survey or the Rapid Response Registry form may be 
administered instead. The individual surveys collect information about 
exposure, acute health effects, health services use, medical history, 
needs resulting from the incident, communication during the release, 
health impact on children and pets, and demographic data. Hospital 
personnel are asked about the surge, response and communication, 
decontamination, and lessons learned.
    Depending on the situation, data may be collected by face-to-face 
interviews, telephone interviews, written surveys, mailed surveys, or 
on-line surveys. Medical and veterinary charts may also be reviewed. In 
rare situations, an investigation might involve collection of clinical 
specimens. In the past, ACE investigations have been performed in 
response to requests for assistance from state, regional, local, or 
tribal health departments under OMB No. 0920-0008, which expires July 
31, 2014. ATSDR anticipates up to four ACE investigations per year. The 
number of participants has ranged from 30-715, averaging about 300 per 
year. Therefore, the total annualized estimated burden will be 591 
hours per year.
    Participation in ACE investigations is voluntary and there are no 
anticipated costs to respondents other than their time.

Estimated Annualized Burden Hours

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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
      Type of respondents           Form name        Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       (in hrs.)       (in hrs.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACE Investigation on            General Survey..             800               1           30/60             400
 Respondents.
                                Household Survey             120               1           15/60              30
                                Rapid Response                50               1            7/60               6
                                 Registry Form.
                                Hospital Survey.              40               1           30/60              20
                                Medical Chart                250               1           30/60             125
                                 Abstraction
                                 Form.
                                Veterinary Chart              30               1           20/60              10
                                 Abstraction
                                 Form.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............             591
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LeRoy A. Richardson,
Chief, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of the 
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2014-12535 Filed 5-29-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-70-P