01-16491. Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the CDC Reports Clearance Officer on [phone].

Comments Invited

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; and (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. Send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

Hanford Birth Cohort Study—New—The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is mandated pursuant to the 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and its 1986 Amendments, the Superfund Amendments and Re-authorization Act (SARA), to prevent or mitigate adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life resulting from the exposure to hazardous substances into the environment. This legislation was, in part, in response to the lack of scientific information about potential adverse health effects resulting from exposure of a general population to hazardous substances. Although environmental exposures have been documented at many hazardous waste sites in the United States, most existing data are for occupational exposures. However, environmental exposure of a general population is more likely to include exposure of vulnerable subpopulations (e.g., pregnant women, children, elderly, and the infirm). ATSDR plans activities to address these issues which include conducting health studies at sites on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Priorities List (NPL) to determine whether and to what degree exposure to hazardous substances at these sites are harmful to human health.

The Hanford Nuclear Reservation, in south central Washington State, is on EPA's National Priorities List. Between 1944 when it opened until its closing in 1972, radioactive Iodine was released to the air from chemical separation facilities funded to produce plutonium for atomic weapons. The Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project (HEDR) estimates that the majority of releases of Iodine-131 occurred between 1944 and 1951. Broad-based scientific studies indicate that exposure to radioactive materials (including Iodine-131), may be associated with an increased risk of developing autoimmune or cardiovascular diseases. Children up to five years of age may be at higher risk than the general population of developing these diseases after exposure.

The objective of the Hanford Birth Cohort Study is to compare information on the rates of autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases among a population exposed to radioactive contaminants during 1945-1951 and the rates of a less-exposed comparison population. This study may have applicability to other sites where exposure to radioactive contaminants has occurred.

ATSDR currently has underway an information collection at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation to develop educational materials and interventions related to thyroid disease for individuals exposed to I-131 as young children—the Hanford Community Health Project (OMB No. 0923-031). This Hanford Birth Cohort Study is a separate project which will collect information on rates of autoimmune and cardiovascular disease among the selected population. Integral to designing this project, ATSDR reviewed the work of the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Committee on Exposure of the American People to I-131 from the Nevada Atomic Bomb Tests as well as the NCI's report titled “Exposure of the American People to IODINE-131 from Nevada Nuclear-Bomb Tests.”

In another ATSDR project (OMB No. 0923-0006), approximately 6,000 people were located who were born between 1940 and 1951 in three high-exposed counties nearest the Hanford site (Benton, Franklin, and Adams). For the currently proposed study, ATSDR will randomly select and interview up to 1,000 individuals from this entire birth cohort of 15,001 (including the 6,000 people who were previously located). The comparison population will include a random selection of 1,000 persons born in three low-exposed counties located farther away from the Hanford site (San Juan, Whatcom, and Mason).

To reduce the amount of time required by the respondents, Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) will be conducted. Following completion of all respondent interviews, the data will be tabulated and analyzed (the high exposed group will be compared with the low exposed group). The information collected in this proposed study will provide reliable baseline information on the incidence of autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases as related to exposure to releases from the Hanford facility and will also provide the information needed to generate appropriate and valid hypotheses for future activities, such as other epidemiologic studies.

Other than their time to participate, there is no cost to the respondents.

Respondents	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Avg. burden per response (in hrs.)	Total annual burden in hours
High Exposed Population	1,000	1	30/60	500
Low Exposed Population	1,000	1	30/60	500
Total				1,000

Dated: June 25, 2001.

Nancy Cheal,

Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.