[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 62 (Thursday, March 31, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17867-17869]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7580]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

[30Day-11-09BK]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) 
publishes a list of information collection requests under review by the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these 
requests, call the CDC/ATSDR Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 639-
5960 or send an email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4b2426290b282f28652c243d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1f70727d5f7c7b7c31787069">[email protected]</span></a>. Send written comments to CDC Desk 
Officer, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC or by fax to 
(202) 395-5806. Written comments should be received within 30 days of 
this notice.

Proposed Project

    Registration of Individuals Displaced by the Hurricanes Katrina and 
Rita (Pilot Project)--New--Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease 
Registry (ATSDR), Office of Noncommunicable Diseases, Injury, and 
Environmental Health (ONDIEH), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the coast of 
the Gulf of Mexico near New Orleans, Louisiana, and became one of the 
most deadly and destructive storms in U.S. history. Also occurring in 
2005, Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane 
ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in 
the Gulf of Mexico. Following the initial phase of the response, the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assumed the primary role for 
housing displaced persons over the intermediate term. To support those 
needing temporary housing, FEMA provided over 143,000 travel trailers, 
park homes, and mobile homes for persons displaced by the above 
mentioned storms. However, some persons living in trailers complained 
of an odor or of eye or respiratory tract irritation.
    FEMA entered into an Interagency Agreement with the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/ATSDR on August 16, 2007 to 
conduct a comprehensive public health assessment, based on objective 
and credible research, of air quality conditions present in FEMA 
housing units to guide FEMA policy makers and inform the public as to 
the actual conditions in the field and any actions required to better 
promote a safe and healthful environment for the disaster victims FEMA 
housed in the units. FEMA's agreement with the CDC includes an initial 
formaldehyde exposure assessment as well as a subsequent long-term 
study of the health effects among residents if feasible. Formaldehyde 
testing conducted and evaluated by the CDC pursuant to the initial 
exposure assessment has identified the need to evaluate the feasibility 
of establishing a national registry to identify and monitor the health 
of disaster victims who occupied FEMA-provided temporary housing units. 
The establishment of such a registry would complement the long-term 
health effects study set forth in the FEMA-CDC Interagency Agreement.

[[Page 17868]]

    The goal of the proposed pilot registry will be to test the 
feasibility of contacting and enrolling members of the targeted group 
in a registry.
    A pre-registration dataset will be created before enrollment. This 
dataset will be populated with contact information of the exposed 
population--occupants of temporary housing units. FEMA will provide the 
dataset for this pilot registry.
    A computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) system based on a 
paper questionnaire will be used during all interviews to collect data 
for this project. The first part will consist of screening questions to 
determine eligibility for enrollment. The second part will contain 
contact information of the registrant and other household members, 
demographics, and health status questions focusing on respiratory 
outcomes and cancer.
    The registry will include respondents who occupied FEMA-provided 
temporary housing units. The two-minute screening questionnaire will be 
administered to a total of 8,000 respondents. Annualized over a two 
year period, 4,000 respondents will be screened. The 25 minute main 
questionnaire will be administered to a total of 5,000 respondents. 
Annualized over a two year period, 2,500 temporary housing unit 
occupants will complete the main questionnaire.
    There are no costs to the respondents other than their time. The 
total estimated annual burden hours are 1176.

[[Page 17869]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN31MR11.068


    Dated: March 23, 2011.
Daniel Holcomb,
Reports Clearance Officer, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease 
Registry.
[FR Doc. 2011-7580 Filed 3-30-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P


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