[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 119 (Monday, June 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33914-33915]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-16435]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
Proposed Collection; Comment Request
AGENCY: Office of the Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of
Defense for Gulf War Illnesses, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
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In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, the Office of the Special Assistant to the Deputy
Secretary of Defense for Gulf War Illnesses announces public
information collections and seeks public comment on the provisions
thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed collections
of information are 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 information collection; (c) ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
(d) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on
respondents, including through the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by August
21, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations on the proposed
information collection should be sent to the Office of the Special
Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Gulf War Illnesses,
5113 Leesburg Pike, Suite 901, Falls Church, VA 22041, ATTN: Mr. Bob
Menig.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this
proposed information collection please write to the above address, or
call the Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses at
(703) 578-8500.
Title and OMB Number: Office of the Special Assistant to the Deputy
Secretary of Defense for Gulf War Illnesses--Generic Clearance; OMB
Number 0704-[To be determined.]
Needs and Uses: The information collections addressed by this
notice are
[[Page 33915]]
necessary to facilitate the investigations of the Office of the Special
Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses into the experiences of Gulf War
veterans during the war that may be related to the illnesses
experienced by some Gulf War veterans. The information collected will
be used to determine which Gulf War veterans may have further
information about potential exposure incidents, to discover if there
are any other observed incidents of exposure, to contribute to a better
understanding of the events during and after the Gulf War, and to
encourage veterans to enroll in a Department of Defense or Veterans
Affairs medical program.
Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
Annual Burden Hours: 1,572.
Number of Respondents: 3,143.
Responses per Respondent: 1.
Average Burden per Response: 30 Minutes.
Frequency: On occasion.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Information on Each Collection Covered by This Notice
Chemical/Biological Incident Survey
Respondents are Gulf War veterans whose units were in the vicinity
of a positive chemical/biological detection, alarm, or other reported
incident. The purpose of this survey is to develop investigational
leads to assist investigators in their search for confirmation of the
presence or use of chemical or biological agents during the Gulf War.
Possible Weapons Sites
Respondents are Gulf War veterans who served in units that reported
possible storage sites for chemical or biological weapons agents. The
purpose of this survey is to develop possible investigational leads
that may assist investigators in their search for confirmation of the
presence or use of chemical or biological agents during the Gulf War.
Depleted Uranium
Respondents are Gulf War veterans who served in units that may have
placed them in contact with equipment potentially contaminated with
depleted uranium (DU). Veterans will include personnel who were in or
on U.S. combat vehicles at the time they were struck by DU munitions
fired from U.S. tanks and personnel who were in contact with equipment
either as a member of unit involved in retrograde operations, or as a
member of a battle damage assessment team.
Pesticide Exposure Survey
Respondent are Gulf War veterans. Outreach letters will be mailed
to Gulf War veterans based on their unit assignment during the Gulf War
and their period of deployment. Calls will be made to respondents to
ask information on experiences with pesticides during the Gulf War
deployment.
Pesticides Use/Application
Gulf War veterans who served as physicians, environmental science
officer, entomologists, preventive medicine specialists, field
sanitation teams members, and veterans who served in logistics and
supply positions will be contacted to determine which pesticides were
used (including those purchased locally) and how they were employed in
the Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Water Contamination
Respondents will be preventive medicine specialists, field
sanitation specialists, and transportation personnel involved with the
maintenance of water transport vehicles who served in the Gulf War.
Food Contamination
Respondent will be preventive medicine specialists, field
sanitation specialists, and food service personnel to determine what
steps were taken to ensure the safety of the food provided to Gulf War
troops.
Oil Well Fires
Respondents will be Gulf War veterans who reported contract with
oil well fires in calls to the DoD Incident Reporting Line. Veterans
will be contacted to get first hand accounts of their experience with
oil well fire smoke, precautions they took, and the duration of their
exposure under the oil well fire plume.
Retrograde Equipment
Respondents will be Gulf War veterans involved in vehicle
cleaning operations prior to vehicles being shipped from the Gulf
and personnel who accompanied vehicles during their retrograde
shipment.
Armed Services Medical Department Personnel
Respondents will be medical personnel who served in the Gulf War.
These personnel will be contacted to complete a survey of their
experiences with medical surveillance, vaccine administration, and
medical recordkeeping during the Gulf War deployment.
Combat Stress Control
Respondents will be military chaplains who served in the Gulf War.
These chaplains will be surveyed to understand their experiences as
participants in combat stress control.
Enemy Prisoners of War
Respondents will be Gulf War veterans who served in military police
or medical units that were involved in the processing and treatment of
enemy prisoners of war during the Gulf War deployment.
Petroleums, Oils, and Lubricants
Respondents will be Gulf War veterans who served in units during
the Gulf War deployment that were involved in the acquisition,
distribution, and use of petroleums, oils, and lubricants.
Personnel Deployed on Designated Deployments
Respondents will be former members of the Armed Services (including
active and reserve component) who served during designated deployments.
Personnel will be surveyed about their perceptions and experiences with
Medical Force Protection, Medical Surveillance, and health support
during the designated deployment.
Dated: June 16, 1998.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 98-16435 Filed 6-19-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-M
