82896 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 226 / Monday, November 27, 2023 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention 

[60Day–24–0931; Docket No. CDC–2023– 

0094] 

Proposed Data Collection Submitted 

for Public Comment and 

Recommendations 

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC), Department of Health 

and Human Services (HHS). 

ACTION: Notice with comment period. 

SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of 

its continuing effort to reduce public 

burden and maximize the utility of 

government information, invites the 

general public and other federal 

agencies the opportunity to comment on 

a proposed and/or continuing 

information collection, as required by 

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 

This notice invites comment on a 

proposed information collection project 

titled Blood Lead Surveillance System 

(BLSS). The National Center for 

Environmental Health (NCEH) is leading 

a three-year Extension for two CDC 

information collections, one for 

childhood blood lead surveillance by 

NCEH and another for adult blood lead 

surveillance by the National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH). 

DATES: CDC must receive written 

comments on or before January 26, 

2024. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by Docket No. CDC–2023– 

0094 by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Mail: Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information 

Collection Review Office, Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 

Clifton Road NE, MS H21–8, Atlanta, 

Georgia 30329. 

Instructions: All submissions received 

must include the agency name and 

Docket Number. CDC will post, without 

change, all relevant comments to 

www.regulations.gov. 

Please note: Submit all comments 

through the Federal eRulemaking portal 

(www.regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to 

the address listed above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request more information on the 

proposed project or to obtain a copy of 

the information collection plan and 

instruments, contact Jeffrey M. Zirger, 

Information Collection Review Office, 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS 

H21–8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; 

Telephone: 404–639–7570; Email: omb@

cdc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) 

(44 U.S.C. 3501–3520), federal agencies 

must obtain approval from the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for each 

collection of information they conduct 

or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also 

requires federal agencies to provide a 

60-day notice in the Federal Register 

concerning each proposed collection of 

information, including each new 

proposed collection, each proposed 

extension of existing collection of 

information, and each reinstatement of 

previously approved information 

collection before submitting the 

collection to the OMB for approval. To 

comply with this requirement, we are 

publishing this notice of a proposed 

data collection as described below. 

The OMB is particularly interested in 

comments that will help: 

1. Evaluate whether the proposed 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

functions of the agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; 

2. Evaluate the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed collection of information, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; 

3. Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; 

4. Minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, including through the 

use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology, 

e.g., permitting electronic submissions 

of responses; and 

5. Assess information collection costs. 

Proposed Project 

Blood Lead Surveillance System 

(BLSS) (OMB Control No. 0920–0931, 

Exp. 7/31/2024)—Extension—National 

Center for Environmental Health 

(NCEH), Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC). 

Background and Brief Description 

This is a request for a three-year 

extension for an existing Paperwork 

Reduction Act (PRA) clearance titled 

‘‘Blood Lead Surveillance System 

(BLSS)’’ (OMB Control No. 0920–0931; 

Exp. 7/31/2024). The National Center 

for Environmental Health (NCEH) is 

leading this Information Collection 

Request (ICR) for two Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

collections, one for childhood blood 

lead surveillance by NCEH and another 

for adult blood lead surveillance by the 

National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health (NIOSH). 

The goal of the NCEH Childhood 

Blood Lead Surveillance (CBLS) 

Program is to support blood lead 

screening and to promote primary 

prevention of exposure to lead. Also, the 

CBLS Program supports secondary 

prevention of adverse health effects 

when lead exposures occur in children, 

through improved program management 

and oversight in respondent 

jurisdictions. The goal of the NIOSH 

Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and 

Surveillance (ABLES) Program is to 

build state capacity for adult blood lead 

surveillance programs to measure trends 

in adult blood lead levels and to prevent 

lead over-exposures. 

NCEH has a five-year cooperative 

agreement, titled ‘‘Childhood Lead 

Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance 

of Blood Lead Levels in Children’’ 

(Funding Opportunity Announcement 

[FOA] No. CDC–RFA–EH21–2102). The 

first two years of this ICR will extend 

from FY24, through FY26, and thus will 

be covered for two-thirds of the ICR’s 

three-year approval period, while 

funding for the third year of this ICR 

will be determined in the future. Data 

submission is voluntary and completed 

through data sharing agreements with 

state agencies or their bona fide agents. 

Blood lead surveillance over the 

human lifespan is covered under this 

single ICR, specifically for children 

younger than 16 years through CBLS at 

NCEH, and for adults 16 years and 

older, through ABLES at NIOSH. Over 

the past several decades there have been 

substantial efforts in environmental lead 

abatement, improved protection from 

occupational lead exposure, and a 

reduction in the prevalence of 

population blood lead levels (BLLs) over 

time. The U.S. population BLLs have 

substantially decreased over the last 

four decades. For example, the CDC has 

reported the 1976–1980 U.S. mean BLL 

in children six months to five years was 

16.0 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL), 

and 14.1 mcg/dL among adults 18 to 74 

years. More recently, the CDC reported 

the 2009–2010 U.S. BLL geometric 

means among children ages one to five 

years and among adults 20 years and 

older as 1.2 mcg/dL for both age groups. 

In 2012, the National Toxicology 

Program (NTP) concluded that there is 

sufficient evidence that even BLLs less 

than 5.0 mcg/dL are associated with 

adverse health effects in both children 

and adults. Despite the reduction in the 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 226 / Monday, November 27, 2023 / Notices 82897 

overall population BLL over four 

decades, lead exposures continue to 

occur at unacceptable levels for 

individuals in communities and 

workplaces across the nation. 

Surveillance will continue through 

CBLS and ABLES to identify 

individuals with BLLs greater than most 

children who may need follow-up. 

Surveillance can also help prioritize 

communities for primary prevention of 

lead exposure and expanding blood lead 

testing. As of October 2021, NCEH 

defines its Blood Lead Reference Value 

(BLRV) for children at 3.5 mcg/dL. 

NIOSH defines an elevated BLLs as 

greater than or equal to 5.0 mcg/dL for 

adults. 

Respondents are defined as state, 

local, and territorial health departments 

with lead poisoning prevention 

programs. The estimated annual time 

burden for NCEH CBLS is 1,058 hours. 

The estimated annual time burden for 

NIOSH ABLES is 280 hours. In total, 

CDC is requesting approval for a total 

annual time burden of 1,338 hours. 

There is no cost to respondents other 

than their time to participate. 

ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS

Type of 

respondents Form name Number of respondents 

Number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Average burden 

per response 

(in hours) 

Total 

burden 

(in hours) 

State, Local and Territorial Health Departments, or their Bona Fide 

Agents.

CBLS Variables (ASCII Text Files) .....

CBLS Aggregate Records Form 

(Excel).

66 

1 

4 

1 

4 

2 

1,056 

2 

ABLES Case Records Form and Brief 

Narrative Report.

32 1 8 256 

ABLES Aggregate Records Form and 

Brief Narrative Report.

8 1 3 24 

Total .............................................. .............................................................. .................... ........................ .......................... 1,338 

Jeffrey M. Zirger, 

Lead, Information Collection Review Office, 

Office of Public Health Ethics and 

Regulations, Office of Science, Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention. 

[FR Doc. 2023–26085 Filed 11–24–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention 

[30Day–24–0260] 

Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork 

Reduction Act Review 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

has submitted the information 

collection request titled ‘‘Health Hazard 

Evaluations/Technical Assistance and 

Emerging Problems’’ to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review and approval. CDC previously 

published a ‘‘Proposed Data Collection 

Submitted for Public Comment and 

Recommendations’’ notice on August 1, 

2023 to obtain comments from the 

public and affected agencies. CDC did 

not receive comments related to the 

previous notice. This notice serves to 

allow an additional 30 days for public 

and affected agency comments. 

CDC will accept all comments for this 

proposed information collection project. 

The Office of Management and Budget 

is particularly interested in comments 

that: 

(a) Evaluate whether the proposed 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

functions of the agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; 

(b) Evaluate the accuracy of the 

agencies estimate of the burden of the 

proposed collection of information, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; 

(c) Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; 

(d) Minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, including, through the 

use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology, 

e.g., permitting electronic submission of 

responses; and 

(e) Assess information collection 

costs. 

To request additional information on 

the proposed project or to obtain a copy 

of the information collection plan and 

instruments, call (404) 639–7570. 

Comments and recommendations for the 

proposed information collection should 

be sent within 30 days of publication of 

this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/ 

do/PRAMain. Find this particular 

information collection by selecting 

‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open 

for Public Comments’’ or by using the 

search function. Direct written 

comments and/or suggestions regarding 

the items contained in this notice to the 

Attention: CDC Desk Officer, Office of 

Management and Budget, 725 17th 

Street NW, Washington, DC 20503 or by 

fax to (202) 395–5806. Provide written 

comments within 30 days of notice 

publication. 

Proposed Project 

Health Hazard Evaluations/Technical 

Assistance and Emerging Problems 

(OMB Control No. 0920–0260, Exp. 3/ 

31/2024)—Revision—National Institute 

for Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention (CDC). 

Background and Brief Description 

In accordance with its mandates 

under the Occupational Safety and 

Health Act of 1970 and the Federal 

Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, 

NIOSH responds to requests for a Health 

Hazare Evaluation (HHE) to identify 

chemical, biological or physical hazards 

in workplaces throughout the United 

States. Each year, NIOSH receives 

approximately 250 such requests 

although that number has been lower in 

recent years presumably due to the 

COVID–19 pandemic. Most HHE 

requests come from workplaces in the 

following industrial sectors: services, 

manufacturing, health and social 

services, transportation, and 

construction. 

A printed HHE request form is 

available in English and in Spanish. The 

form is also available on the internet 

and differs from the printed version 

only in format and in the fact that it can 

be submitted directly from the website. 

The request form takes an estimated 12 

minutes to complete. The form provides 

the mechanism for employees, 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES