[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 85 (Thursday, May 2, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18826-18827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-08968]


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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: Surveys to Collect Data on Use and NOAA Ecological Forecast 
Products.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-XXXX.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular (This is a request for a new collection).
    Number of Respondents: 850.
    Average Hours per Response: 0.167 (10 minutes).
    Burden Hours: 143.
    Needs and Uses: 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.
    NOAA will collect information from the public on how using the 
information in the forecast products would affect decisions related to 
fishing (Lake Erie and Gulf of Mexico), beach-going/swimming (all three 
regions), and boating (Lake Erie only). These three recreational 
activities (fishing, swimming and boating) reflect the types of 
activities likely to be affected by HABs in each area. For Chesapeake 
Bay, NOAA would implement one survey focused on recreational swimmers 
since the primary risk posed by Vibrio vulnificus is through skin 
contact with the bacterium. A companion survey would ask charter boat 
operators on Lake Erie how information in the

[[Page 18827]]

forecast would affect their decisions regarding fishing operations. 
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.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit.
    Frequency: Once.
    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.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, 
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2019-08968 Filed 5-1-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JE-P