### 28600 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 94 / Tuesday, May 15, 2012 / Notices

or other forms of information technology. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this notice. Proposed Project

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)— NEW—National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Background and Brief Description

Section 306 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C. 242k), as amended, authorizes that the Secretary of Health and Human Services (DHHS), acting through NCHS, shall collect statistics on the extent and nature of illness and disability; environmental, social and other health hazards; and determinants of health of the population of the United States.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has, to date, been authorized as a generic clearance under OMB Number 0920– 0237. A change in accounting practice for the burden hours, however, requires a shift to a newly-assigned clearance number.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has been conducted periodically between 1970 and 1994, and continuously since 1999 by the National Center for Health Statistics, CDC.

Annually, approximately 15,411 respondents participate in some aspect of the full survey. About 10,000 complete the screener for the survey. About 142 complete the household interview only. About 5,269 complete both the household interview and the MEC examination. Up to 4,000 additional persons might participate in tests of procedures, special studies, or methodological studies. The average burden for these special study/pretest respondents is 3 hours. Participation in NHANES is completely voluntary and confidential. A three-year approval is requested.

NHANES programs produce descriptive statistics which measure the health and nutrition status of the general population. Through the use of questionnaires, physical examinations, and laboratory tests, NHANES studies the relationship between diet, nutrition and health in a representative sample of the United States. NHANES monitors the prevalence of chronic conditions and risk factors related to health such as arthritis, asthma, osteoporosis, infectious diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, smoking, drug and alcohol use, physical activity, environmental exposures, and diet. NHANES data are used to produce national reference data on height, weight, and nutrient levels in the blood. Results from more recent NHANES can be compared to findings reported from previous surveys to monitor changes in the health of the U.S. population over time. NHANES continues to collect genetic material on a national probability sample for future genetic research aimed at understanding disease susceptibility in the U.S. population. NCHS collects personal identification information. Participant level data items will include basic demographic information, name, address, social security number, Medicare number and participant health information to allow for linkages to other data sources such as the National Death Index and data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). There is no cost to respondents other than their time.

NHANES data users include the U.S. Congress; numerous Federal agencies such as other branches of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the United States Department of Agriculture; private groups such as the American Heart Association; schools of public health; and private businesses.



### TABLE 

### 1—A NNUALIZED 

### B URDEN 

### H OURS AND 

### C OSTS

Type of respondent Form Number of respondents Number of responses per

respondent Average burden per response (in hours) Total burden hours

1. Individuals in households ............. NHANES Questionnaire ................. 15,411 1 2.4 36,986 2. Individuals in households ............. Special Studies ............................... 4,000 1 3 12,000

Total ........................................... ......................................................... ........................ ........................ ........................ 48,986

Dated: May 9, 2012. Kimberly S. Lane, Deputy Director, Office of Science Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2012–11711 Filed 5–14–12; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4163–18–P DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND**  **HUMAN SERVICES**

**Centers for Disease Control and Prevention** 

**[Docket Number CDC–2012–0006; NIOSH– 255]** 

**Draft publication: Coal Dust Explosibility Meter Evaluation and**  **Recommendations for Application**

Authority: 30 U.S.C. 95l.

**AGENCY :**  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). **ACTION :**  Notice of draft publication available for public comment.

**SUMMARY :**  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the availability of the following notice of draft publication available for public comment entitled ‘‘Coal Dust Explosibility Meter Evaluation and Recommendations for Application.’’ The document and instructions for submitting comments can be found at http:// www.regulations.gov.

Public Comment Period: Comment period ends May 29, 2012.

**ADDRESSES :**  Written comments, identified by CDC–2012–0006 and docket number NIOSH–255, may be


### 28601 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 94 / Tuesday, May 15, 2012 / Notices

submitted by any of the following methods:

• Federal erulemaking portal: http:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

• Mail: NIOSH Docket Office, Robert A. Taft Laboratories, MS–C34, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH
45226.

• Facsimile: (513) 533–8285.

• Email: nioshdocket@cdc.gov. All information received in response to this notice will be available for public examination and copying at the NIOSH Docket Office, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226. For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov or http:// www.cdc.gov/niosh/docket/review/ docket255/default.html. NIOSH includes all comments received without change in the docket, including any personal information provided. All electronic comments should be formatted as Microsoft Word. All material submitted to the Agency should reference docket number NIOSH–255 and must be submitted by May 29, 2012 to be considered by the Agency.

Background: This report details the results of a cooperative study between the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) investigating the ability of the Coal Dust Explosibility Meter (CDEM) to accurately predict the explosibility of samples of coal and rock dust mixtures collected from underground coal mines in the U.S. The CDEM, which gives instantaneous results in real time, represents a new way for miners and operators to assess the relative hazard of dust accumulations in their mines and the effectiveness of their rock dusting practices. The intention of the device is to assist mine operators in complying with the (MSHA) final rule 30 CFR 75.403, requiring that the incombustible content of combined coal dust, rock dust, and other dust be at least 80% in underground areas of bituminous coal mines.

This study was completed in 2010, and involved field use of the CDEM within MSHA’s 10 bituminous coal districts. As part of their routine dust compliance surveys in these districts, MSHA inspectors collected sample coal and rock dust mixtures, field testing these samples for explosibility with the CDEM. Samples were then sent to the MSHA laboratory at Mt. Hope, WV, for parallel testing, first using a drying oven to determine the surface moisture followed by traditional low temperature ashing (LTA) method. The LTA method determines explosibility of a coal and rock dust sample in a laboratory by heating the mixture to burn off the combustible material. The results, when combined with the surface moisture, are reported as total incombustible content (TIC). If the TIC is ≥80%, the sample is deemed to be nonexplosible and compliant with 30 CFR 75.403.

The CDEM utilizes a different approach, using optical reflectance to determine the ratio of rock dust to coaldust in a mixture. The CDEM offers realtime measurements of the explosion propagation hazard within a coal mine entry, allowing for immediate identification and mitigation of the problem.

The conclusions of this study support the field use of the CDEM to measure the explosibility of coal and rock dust mixtures, to more effectively improve the onsite adequacy of rock dusting for explosion prevention.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Dr. Jeff Kohler, NIOSH, Associate Director for Mining, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, telephone (412) 386–5301, email jkohler@cdc.gov.

Reference: Web address for this publication: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ docket/review/docket255/pdfs/CDEM

_ IC

_Final

_May01.pdf.
Dated: May 9, 2012. John Howard, Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2012–11695 Filed 5–14–12; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4163–19–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES** 

**Centers for Disease Control and Prevention** 

**Announcement of an Opportunity for Manufacturers and Designers of**  **Closed Circuit Escape Respirators To Participate in Performance Testing**  **Within a Correlation Test Program Offered by the National Institute for**  **Occupational Safety and Health**

**AGENCY :**  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

**ACTION :**  Notice.

**SUMMARY :**  The purpose of this notice is to announce a Correlation Test Program offered by NIOSH through its National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) and provide information on how interested parties can obtain the Standard Test Procedures. The Correlation Test Program is the result of HHS publishing a final rule (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/ pkg/FR-2012-03-08/pdf/2012-4691.pdf ), Approval Tests and Standards for Closed-Circuit Escape Respirators (CCERs) on March 8th 2012. This final rule revised and updated the requirements for testing and certification of CCERs and introduced the use of an Automated Breathing and Metabolic Simulator to be used during testing as part of the approval process.

The Correlation Testing Program will consist of two tests:

• Performance Tests of As-Receivedand Environmentally Treated ClosedCircuit Respirators; and

• Capacity Tests of As-Received and Environmentally Treated Closed-Circuit Escape Respirators.

The Standard Test Procedures for the Correlation Testing Program, and for the other CCER performance requirements, are available from NIOSH for review. These procedures are subject to modification as they are incorporated into the certification program.

All correlation testing conducted in this program will be done free of charge. This program was designed to enable potential CCER applicants to correlate or calibrate their own automated breathing and metabolic simulator to the automated breathing and metabolic simulator that will be used by NPPTL as part of the CCER approval process.

NPPTL will not make any performance-related judgments as to the ability of any tested units meeting the new approval requirements. Data obtained from testing will be provided only to the applicant. Testing results may be provided to the public; however, product or applicant identity will not be disclosed. Test results from the Correlation Test Program are not applicable as pre-test data for a respirator approval application.

**DATES :**  The CCER Correlation Test Program shall be in effect until November 15, 2012.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  For additional information concerning the application requirements and process, Jeff Peterson, telephone (412) 386–4018, email JPeterson@cdc.gov. For information concerning details and copies of the Standard Test Procedures, Tim Rehak, telephone (412) 386–6866, email TRehak@cdc.gov.