Proposed Collection; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of

Defense for Gulf War Illnesses, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995, the Office of the Special Assistant to the Deputy

Secretary of Defense for Gulf War Illnesses announces public

information collections and seeks public comment on the provisions

thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed collections

of information are 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 information collection; (c) ways to enhance the

quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(d) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on

respondents, including through the use of automated collection

techniques or other forms of information technology.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by August

21, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations on the proposed

information collection should be sent to the Office of the Special

Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Gulf War Illnesses,

5113 Leesburg Pike, Suite 901, Falls Church, VA 22041, ATTN: Mr. Bob

Menig.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this

proposed information collection please write to the above address, or

call the Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses at

(703) 578-8500.

Title and OMB Number: Office of the Special Assistant to the Deputy

Secretary of Defense for Gulf War Illnesses--Generic Clearance; OMB

Number 0704-[To be determined.]

Needs and Uses: The information collections addressed by this

notice are

[[Page 33915]]

necessary to facilitate the investigations of the Office of the Special

Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses into the experiences of Gulf War

veterans during the war that may be related to the illnesses

experienced by some Gulf War veterans. The information collected will

be used to determine which Gulf War veterans may have further

information about potential exposure incidents, to discover if there

are any other observed incidents of exposure, to contribute to a better

understanding of the events during and after the Gulf War, and to

encourage veterans to enroll in a Department of Defense or Veterans

Affairs medical program.

Affected Public: Individuals or Households.

Annual Burden Hours: 1,572.

Number of Respondents: 3,143.

Responses per Respondent: 1.

Average Burden per Response: 30 Minutes.

Frequency: On occasion.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Information on Each Collection Covered by This Notice

Chemical/Biological Incident Survey

Respondents are Gulf War veterans whose units were in the vicinity

of a positive chemical/biological detection, alarm, or other reported

incident. The purpose of this survey is to develop investigational

leads to assist investigators in their search for confirmation of the

presence or use of chemical or biological agents during the Gulf War.

Possible Weapons Sites

Respondents are Gulf War veterans who served in units that reported

possible storage sites for chemical or biological weapons agents. The

purpose of this survey is to develop possible investigational leads

that may assist investigators in their search for confirmation of the

presence or use of chemical or biological agents during the Gulf War.

Depleted Uranium

Respondents are Gulf War veterans who served in units that may have

placed them in contact with equipment potentially contaminated with

depleted uranium (DU). Veterans will include personnel who were in or

on U.S. combat vehicles at the time they were struck by DU munitions

fired from U.S. tanks and personnel who were in contact with equipment

either as a member of unit involved in retrograde operations, or as a

member of a battle damage assessment team.

Pesticide Exposure Survey

Respondent are Gulf War veterans. Outreach letters will be mailed

to Gulf War veterans based on their unit assignment during the Gulf War

and their period of deployment. Calls will be made to respondents to

ask information on experiences with pesticides during the Gulf War

deployment.

Pesticides Use/Application

Gulf War veterans who served as physicians, environmental science

officer, entomologists, preventive medicine specialists, field

sanitation teams members, and veterans who served in logistics and

supply positions will be contacted to determine which pesticides were

used (including those purchased locally) and how they were employed in

the Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Water Contamination

Respondents will be preventive medicine specialists, field

sanitation specialists, and transportation personnel involved with the

maintenance of water transport vehicles who served in the Gulf War.

Food Contamination

Respondent will be preventive medicine specialists, field

sanitation specialists, and food service personnel to determine what

steps were taken to ensure the safety of the food provided to Gulf War

troops.

Oil Well Fires

Respondents will be Gulf War veterans who reported contract with

oil well fires in calls to the DoD Incident Reporting Line. Veterans

will be contacted to get first hand accounts of their experience with

oil well fire smoke, precautions they took, and the duration of their

exposure under the oil well fire plume.

Retrograde Equipment

Respondents will be Gulf War veterans involved in vehicle

cleaning operations prior to vehicles being shipped from the Gulf

and personnel who accompanied vehicles during their retrograde

shipment.

Armed Services Medical Department Personnel

Respondents will be medical personnel who served in the Gulf War.

These personnel will be contacted to complete a survey of their

experiences with medical surveillance, vaccine administration, and

medical recordkeeping during the Gulf War deployment.

Combat Stress Control

Respondents will be military chaplains who served in the Gulf War.

These chaplains will be surveyed to understand their experiences as

participants in combat stress control.

Enemy Prisoners of War

Respondents will be Gulf War veterans who served in military police

or medical units that were involved in the processing and treatment of

enemy prisoners of war during the Gulf War deployment.

Petroleums, Oils, and Lubricants

Respondents will be Gulf War veterans who served in units during

the Gulf War deployment that were involved in the acquisition,

distribution, and use of petroleums, oils, and lubricants.

Personnel Deployed on Designated Deployments

Respondents will be former members of the Armed Services (including

active and reserve component) who served during designated deployments.

Personnel will be surveyed about their perceptions and experiences with

Medical Force Protection, Medical Surveillance, and health support

during the designated deployment.

Dated: June 16, 1998.

Patricia L. Toppings,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

[FR Doc. 98-16435 Filed 6-19-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 5000-04-M