[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]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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