[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 154 (Friday, August 13, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44720-44721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-17351]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

[60Day-21-0048; Docket No. ATSDR-2021-0007]


Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

AGENCY: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), 
as part of its continuing effort to reduce public burden and maximize 
the utility of government information, invites the general public and 
other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a proposed and/or 
continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed 
information collection project titled ATSDR Exposure Investigations 
(EIs). The information collection is designed to evaluate public health 
issues at a site resulting from environmental exposure. ATSDR EIs fill 
data gaps by conducting environmental and biological sampling.

DATES: ATSDR must receive written comments on or before October 12, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. ATSDR-
2021-0007 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection Review 
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road 
NE, MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket Number. ATSDR will post, without change, all relevant 
comments to Regulations.gov.

    Please note:  Submit all comments through the Federal 
eRulemaking portal (regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to the address 
listed above.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan 
and instruments, contact Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection 
Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton 
Road NE, MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; phone: 404-639-7118; Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of 
information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires 
Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new 
proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of 
information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information 
collection before submitting the collection to the OMB for approval. To 
comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a 
proposed data collection as described below.
    The OMB is particularly interested in comments that will help:
    1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the

[[Page 44721]]

proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected;
    4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses; and
    5. Assess information collection costs.

Proposed Project

    ATSDR Exposure Investigations (EIs) (OMB Control No. 0923-0048, 
Exp. 04/30/2022)--Extension--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 extension of this generic clearance to allow 
the agency to conduct exposure investigations (EIs), through methods 
developed by ATSDR. After a chemical release or suspected release into 
the environment, EIs are usually requested by officials of a state 
health agency, county health department, the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA), the general public, and/or ATSDR staff. EI results are 
used by public health professionals, environmental risk managers, and 
other decision makers to determine if current conditions warrant 
intervention strategies to minimize or eliminate human exposure.
    All of ATSDR's targeted biological assessments (e.g., urine, blood) 
and some of the environmental investigations (e.g., air, water, soil, 
dust, or food sampling) involve participants to determine whether they 
are or have been exposed to unusual levels of pollutants at specific 
locations (e.g., where people live, spend leisure time, or anywhere 
they might come into contact with contaminants under investigation).
    Questionnaires, appropriate to the specific contaminant, are 
generally needed in about half of the EIs (at most, approximately 12 
per year) to assist in interpreting the biological or environmental 
sampling results. ATSDR collects contact information (e.g., name, 
address, phone number) to provide the participant with their individual 
results. ATSDR also collects information on other possible confounding 
sources of chemical(s) exposure such as medicines taken, foods eaten, 
hobbies, jobs, etc. In addition, ATSDR asks questions on recreational 
or occupational activities that could increase a participant's exposure 
potential. The information collected represents an individual's 
exposure history.
    The number of questions can vary depending on the number of 
chemicals being investigated, the route of exposure (e.g., breathing, 
eating, touching), and the number of other sources of the chemical(s) 
(e.g., products used, jobs). We use approximately 12-20 questions about 
the pertinent environmental exposures per investigation. A question 
bank is available for health assessors to use as a basis of questions 
to be asked during the EI, but EI-specific questions may be included as 
appropriate.
    Typically, the number of participants in an individual EI ranges 
from 10 to 100. Participation is completely voluntary, and there are no 
costs to participants other than their time. Based on a maximum of 12 
EIs per year and 100 participants each, the estimated annualized burden 
hours are 600.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden
      Type of respondent            Form name        Number of     responses per   per response    Total Burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       (in hr.)        (in hr.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exposure Investigation          Chemical                   1,200               1           30/60             600
 Participants.                   Exposure
                                 Questions.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............             600
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2021-17351 Filed 8-12-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-70-P