69972 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 222 / Friday, November 18, 2005 / Notices 

mining industry. Mining has one of the 

highest incidence rates for back pain of 

any industry, and back injuries are 

consistently the leading cause of lost 

work days in the industry. The objective 

of this project is to develop a selfadministered, paper and pencil risk 

assessment tool for the development of 

low back disorders specifically directed 

towards use in the mining industry. 

Many current methods of assessing the 

risk of low back disorders do not 

address stressors that are relatively 

unique to the mining environment, 

including the restricted vertical spaces 

in many coal mines that require workers 

to adopt stooping or kneeling postures 

for extended periods of their workday. 

The low back exposure assessment 

tool for mining will assess various 

occupational exposures associated with 

development of back disorders in the 

literature (postural demands, lifting, 

whole body vibration exposure, 

individual and psychosocial issues), as 

well as specific mining stressors and 

will develop a score that will be used 

to assess the degree of risk for the job 

and the individual. The tool will be 

useful in both prioritizing jobs that need 

interventions to reduce low back 

disorder risk, and in evaluating the 

effectiveness of interventions through 

tool administration before and after the 

implementation of an intervention. 

There will be no cost to respondents 

other than their time. 

ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN TABLE

Respondents Number of 

respondents 

Number of 

responses 

per 

respondent 

Average 

burden per 

response 

(in hours) 

Total burden 

hours 

Surface and Underground Miners ......................................................................... 320 miners ..... 1 15/60 80 

Total ...................................................................................................................... ........................ ...................... ...................... 80 

Dated: November 10, 2005. 

Betsey Dunaway, 

Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention. 

[FR Doc. 05–22873 Filed 11–17–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention 

[60 Day–06–0463] 

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 404–639–4766 and 

send comments to Seleda Perryman, 

CDC Assistant Reports Clearance 

Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS–D74, 

Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an e-mail to 

omb@cdc.gov. 

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 

Longitudinal Surveillance for 

Beryllium Disease Prevention—

Extension—National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH)—Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention (CDC). 

Background and Brief Description 

The mission of the National Institute 

for Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH) is to promote safety and health 

at work for all people through research 

and prevention. The Occupational 

Safety and Health Act, Pub. L. 91–596 

(section 20[a][1]) authorizes the 

National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health (NIOSH) to conduct 

research to advance the health and 

safety of workers. 

NIOSH has been conducting this 

survey of beryllium workers for three 

years and this extension will allow for 

completion of the data collection. 

Workers are asked to complete an 

interviewer administered medical and 

work history questionnaire and to give 

a blood sample. Without medical and 

work history data on former workers, 

NIOSH staff will be unable to conduct 

the necessary research to make 

recommendations for preventing 

beryllium sensitization and disease. 

Follow-up on this cohort will provide 

invaluable information on the natural 

history of disease, gene-gene, and geneenvironment interactions, which can 

become the basis for prevention policy 

at both company and government levels. 

Beryllium is a lightweight metal with 

many applications. Exposed workers 

may be found in the primary 

production, nuclear power and 

weapons, aerospace, scrap metal 

reclamation, specialty ceramics, and 

electronics industries, among others. 

The size of the U.S. workforce at risk of 

chronic beryllium disease (CBD), from 

either current or past work-related 

exposure to the metal, may be as high 

as one million workers. Demand for 

beryllium is growing worldwide, which 

means that increasing numbers of 

workers are likely to be exposed. 

CBD is a chronic granulomatous lung 

disease mediated through an 

immunologic mechanism in workers 

who become sensitized to the metal. 

Sensitization can be detected with a 

blood test called the beryllium 

lymphocyte proliferation test (BeLPT), 

which is used by the industry as a 

surveillance tool. Use of this test for 

surveillance was first reported in 1989. 

Sensitized workers, identified through 

workplace surveillance programs, 

undergo clinical diagnostic tests to 

determine whether they have CBD. 

Research has indicated certain genetic 

determinants in the risk of CBD; followup studies will be invaluable for further 

characterizing the genetic contribution 

to sensitization and disease. 

NIOSH is in a unique position to 

accomplish this research for a number 

of reasons: (a) It has a successful 

collaboration with the leading 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 222 / Friday, November 18, 2005 / Notices 69973 

manufacturer of beryllium in the U.S. 

This has allowed us to establish wellcharacterized worker cohorts within the 

beryllium industry. (b) It is conducting 

industrial hygiene research that should 

significantly improve workplace-based 

exposure assessment methods. This 

research will allow characterization of 

jobs and tasks by physicochemical 

characteristics, leading to an estimation 

of dose rather than mass concentrationbased exposure. (c) It has pioneered the 

evaluation of the dermal exposure route 

in the beryllium sensitization process. 

(d) It has developed and improved 

genetic research that will contribute to 

the understanding of risk variability in 

sensitization and disease, as well as 

discerning the underlying mechanisms. 

(e) NIOSH has the institutional stability 

to continue longitudinal evaluations of 

health outcomes in relation to exposure 

and genetic risk factors. There is no cost 

to respondents other than their time. 

ESTIMATES OF ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS

Respondents Number of 

respondents 

Number of 

responses / 

respondent 

Average 

burden/response 

(in hours) 

Total burden 

(in hours) 

Former Workers ............................................................................................... 100 1 30/60 50 

Dated: November 14, 2005. 

Betsey Dunaway, 

Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention. 

[FR Doc. 05–22874 Filed 11–17–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Notice and Solicitation for Written 

Comments on the Draft CDC Health 

Protection Research Guide, 2006–2015 

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances 

and Disease Registry. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention/Agency for 

Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

(hereto referred to as CDC) announces 

the availability for public comment of 

the draft CDC Health Protection 

Research Guide, 2006–2015. CDC is 

requesting input on this Research Guide 

because maximizing the health impact 

of public health research can only be 

achieved through the collective efforts 

of CDC, other Federal agencies, State 

and local partners, academic partners, 

business partners, non-profit 

organizations, professional societies, 

and the public. Please provide input on 

any aspect of the Research Guide, 

including but not limited to: 

• Scope and use of the Research 

Guide (including whether it has 

identified the areas of health protection 

research that most need to be addressed 

within the next decade); 

• Relevance and level of specificity of 

the proposed research topics; 

• Additions, deletions or 

modifications to the proposed research 

topics; 

• Research Guide development 

process; and 

• Other improvements to the 

Research Guide. 

DATES: The public comment period is 60 

days long. Written comments must be 

received by close of business on January 

15, 2006 at either of the addresses listed 

below. 

ADDRESSES: The draft CDC Health 

Protection Research Guide, 2006–2015 

is available for review by visiting the 

Internet site, http:// 

www.rsvpBOOK.com/custom_pages/ 

50942/index.php, or by contacting 

Jamila Rashid, PhD, Senior Health 

Scientist, Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention, Office Of Public Health 

Research, 1600 Clifton Road, NE., MD 

D–72, Atlanta, GA 30333, 404–639–

4621, ResearchGuide@cdc.gov, for a 

hard copy. Written comments may be 

submitted electronically at the Internet 

site or at the email address listed above. 

Written comments may also be sent to 

the mailing address above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Additional information about the CDC 

Health Protection Research Guide is 

available via the Office of Public Health 

Research Web site, http://www.cdc.gov/ 

od/ophr/cdcra.htm or may be obtained 

by communicating with the contact 

whose name and telephone number is 

listed above. 

SUPPLEMENTATY INFORMATION: On 

January 10, 2005, the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention launched an 

effort to develop its first ever, agencywide CDC Public Health Protection 

Research Guide, 2006–2015. The new 

Research Guide will address and 

support CDC’s Health Protection Goals 

(For additional information about the 

Goals please see http://www.cdc.gov/ 

about/goals). 

The Research Guide will also provide 

overall guidance for CDC’s intramural 

and extramural research as well as serve 

as an effective planning and 

communication tool for CDC’s public 

health research. 

The public comment period will give 

researchers, representatives of CDC’s 

key partner organizations and the public 

the opportunity to voice their opinions 

regarding the CDC Health Protection 

Research Guide, 2006–2015 and the 

future direction of CDC’s public health 

research. The public comment period 

will begin on November 18, 2005 and 

end on January 15, 2006. 

The Chief Science Officer, CDC, has 

been delegated the authority to sign 

general Federal Register notices for both 

the CDC and ATSDR. 

Dated: November 9, 2005. 

Dixie E. Snider, Jr., 

Chief Science Officer, Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention. 

[FR Doc. 05–22719 Filed 11–17–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 

Services 

[Document Identifier: CMS–10174] 

Emergency Clearance: Public 

Information Collection Requirements 

Submitted to the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) 

AGENCY: Center for Medicare and 

Medicaid Services. 

In compliance with the requirement 

of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 

Services (CMS), Department of Health 

and Human Services, is publishing the 

following summary of proposed 

collections for public comment. 

Interested persons are invited to send 

comments regarding this burden 

estimate or any other aspect of this 

collection of information, including any 

of the following subjects: (1) The 

necessity and utility of the proposed 

information collection for the proper 

performance of the agency’s functions;