[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 106 (Thursday, June 2, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33488-33490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-11770]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-22-22FS; Docket No. CDC-2022-0071]


Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 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 information 
collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This 
notice invites comment on a proposed information collection project 
titled Artificial Stone Countertops: Exposures, Controls, Surveillance, 
& Translation. The purpose of the proposed data collection is to 
conduct a survey with artificial stone countertop fabrication 
facilities to better understand, work practices and controls related to 
respirable crystalline silica, barriers or facilitators to 
implementation of medical and exposure monitoring requirements, and

[[Page 33489]]

to identify areas for potential intervention, as well as countertop 
fabrication facilities willing to participate in future NIOSH exposure 
and health research.

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before August 1, 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2022-
0071 by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.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 H21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket Number. CDC will post, without change, all relevant comments 
to www.regulations.gov.
    Please note: Submit all comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
portal (www.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 H21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; Telephone: 404-639-7570; 
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 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

    Artificial Stone Countertops: Exposures, Controls, Surveillance, & 
Translation--New--National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 
(NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    As a recently introduced technology in the United States, the 
Artificial Stone (AS) Countertop industry is not well defined; the 
obligation to monitor workers' health might not be known, considered, 
or understood; and education on potential hazards and health risks 
related to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is limited. Exposure is 
associated with the development of silicosis, an irreversible, 
sometimes fatal, but preventable lung disease. Twenty-four cases of 
silicosis, including two deaths, have been reported among AS 
fabrication workers in the United States. The anticipated impacts of 
this project are increased understanding of industry scale, practices, 
and medical monitoring, and increased collaboration and communication 
to inform the AS countertop industry of industry hazards, methods to 
mitigate exposure, and improvement of medical surveillance. 
Understanding how or if current RCS recommendations and regulations are 
used by various AS countertop fabrication facilities will identify 
approaches for improved intervention.
    The purpose of the proposed collection is to conduct a survey with 
AS countertop fabrication facilities to better understand (1) work 
practices and controls related to respirable crystalline silica, (2) 
barriers or facilitators to implementation of medical and exposure 
monitoring requirements, (3) identify areas for potential intervention, 
and (4) identify countertop fabrication facilities willing to 
participate in future NIOSH exposure and health research.
    The estimate of burden hours is based on an internal pilot test of 
the survey instrument. In the internal pilot test, 10 simulated 
interviews were conducted and the average time for reviewing 
instructions, gathering mock information, and completing the survey was 
between 10-30 minutes. For the purposes of estimating burden hours, the 
median time to complete the survey is used. There are approximately 
8,694 countertop fabrication establishments in the United States. There 
are screening questions at the beginning of the survey so all 
respondents may not actually participate. An estimated 8,600 
respondents are anticipated to participate in the survey. CDC requests 
approval for an estimated 2,150 annual burden hours.
    There are no costs to respondents other than their time to 
participate.

                                        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 hours)      (in hours)
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AS Countertop Facility          Survey..........           8,600               1           15/60           2,150
 Managers/Owners.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............           2,150
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[[Page 33490]]

Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2022-11770 Filed 6-1-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P