[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 2, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 1]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-28356]



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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 1 / Wednesday, January 2, 2019 / 
Notices  

[[Page 1]]



DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
    Title: Survey of Uses of NOAA Ecological Forecasting Products in 
Western Lake Erie, the Gulf of Mexico, and Chesapeake Bay.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-xxxx.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular (request for a new information 
collection).
    Number of Respondents: 600.
    Average Hours per Response: 15 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 150.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for a new information collection.
    In recent years, harmful algal blooms (HABs) and waterborne 
pathogens such as Vibrio vulnificus have caused major health, 
ecological, and economic concerns. HABs and other waterborne pathogens 
can lead to a number of impacts including impaired drinking water, 
reduced recreational opportunities, and human health impacts from 
either ingesting affected fish/water or contact with the bloom. To 
better serve the public and its stakeholders, NOAA has developed 
forecasts of HABs extent and severity in the western Lake Erie and in 
the Gulf of Mexico and is finalizing development of a forecast for 
Vibrio vulnificus in Chesapeake Bay. These forecast products are 
designed to provide stakeholders and the public with information that 
can be used to make better decisions that would mitigate the impacts of 
HABs and waterborne pathogens.
    This request is for a set of related surveys to collect information 
on how stakeholders use NOAA's ecological forecast products in western 
Lake Erie, the Gulf of Mexico (the western shore of Florida and the 
Texas coastline), and Chesapeake Bay. The surveys are designed to 
collect similar information from the public and other stakeholders 
across the three geographic regions covered by the forecast products. 
The information from these surveys will assist NOAA in understanding 
how stakeholders, including the public, would use the forecast 
products. This information will help NOAA further improve upon 
research, development, and delivery of forecast products nation-wide.
    For western Lake Erie and the Gulf of Mexico, NOAA plans two 
related surveys in each region. First, NOAA will collect information 
from the public on how using the information in the forecast products 
would affect decisions related to fishing, swimming and boating. A 
companion survey would ask charter boat operators on Lake Erie how 
information in the forecast would affect their decisions regarding 
fishing operations. These activities (fishing, swimming and boating) 
reflect the types of activities likely to be affected by HABs in each 
area. Drinking water is also at risk in Lake Erie due to HABs, but NOAA 
has information on how drinking water facilities respond to HABS and is 
also discussing use of the forecast products with a small (fewer than 
10) number of drinking water facilities.
    For Chesapeake Bay, NOAA would implement one survey focused on 
recreational swimmers. The primary risk posed by Vibrio vulnificus is 
through contact with the bacterium; thus, NOAA determined that focusing 
on recreational swimmers use of the forecast product would be the most 
productive approach.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-
profit organizations.
    Frequency: One time.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov. 
Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections 
currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.

    Dated: December 21, 2018.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-28356 Filed 12-31-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-JE-P