04-20514. 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 [phone] or send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-E11, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an e-mail to [e-mail].

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. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

National Exposure Registry (OMB No. 0923-0006)—Extension—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 establish and maintain a national registry of persons who have been exposed to hazardous substances in the environment and a national registry of persons with illnesses or health problems resulting from such exposure. In 1988, ATSDR created the National Exposure Registry (NER) as a result of this legislation in an effort to provide scientific information about potential adverse health effects people develop as a result of low-level, long-term exposure to hazardous substances.

The NER is a program which collects, maintains, and analyzes information obtained from participants (called registrants) whose exposure to selected toxic substances at specific geographic areas in the United States has been documented. Relevant health data and demographic information are also included in the NER databases. The NER databases furnish the information needed to generate appropriate and valid hypotheses for future activities such as epidemiologic studies. The NER also serves as a mechanism for longitudinal health investigations that follow registrants over time to ascertain adverse health effects and latency periods.

Participants in each subregistry are interviewed initially with a baseline questionnaire. An identical follow-up telephone questionnaire is administered to participants every three years until the criteria for terminating a specific subregistry have been met. The annual number of participants varies greatly from year to year. Two factors influencing the number of respondents per year are the number of subregistry updates that are scheduled and whether a new subregistry will be established. There is no cost to registrants.

Annualized Burden Table:

Respondents	Number of responses	Responses per respondent	Avg. burden per response (in hours)	Total burden hours
Follow-up questionnaire	1,667	1	30/60	834
Total				834

Dated: September 1, 2004.

Alvin Hall,

Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.