Notice of Availability of Guidance for Protecting Responders' Health During the First Week Following a Wide-Area Aerosol Anthrax Attack, 64531-64532 [2012-25983]

Download as PDF 64531 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 204 / Monday, October 22, 2012 / Notices special groups or programs for particular kinds of clients. The first part has been dropped. Adolescents, adult women and adult men have been broken out of the list of kinds of clients in order to ask if the facility services only clients Type of respondent and activity Number of respondents States: I–BHS Online 1 ...... in these groups. Two new categories have been added to determine if the facility has special programs for persons who have experienced intimate partner violence/physical abuse and persons who have experienced sexual abuse. Responses per respondent Total responses Hours per response A new question has been added to ascertain the extent to which the facility has adopted health information technology in its operations. Estimated annual burden for the DASIS activities is shown below: Total burden hours Wage rate Total hour cost 56 140 7,840 .08 627 $22 $13,794 56 ........................ 7,840 ........................ 627 ........................ 13,794 600 1 600 .08 48 16 768 State Subtotal Facilities: I–BHS application 2 Augmentation screener ............ N–SSATS questionnaire ............. N–SSATS BC ....... 2,000 1 2,000 .08 160 16 2,560 17,000 2,000 1 1 17,000 2,000 .58 .42 9,860 840 37 37 364,820 31,080 Facility Subtotal ............ 21,600 ........................ 21,600 ........................ 10,908 ........................ 399,228 Total ........ 21,656 ........................ 29,440 ........................ 11,535 ........................ 413,022 1 States use the I–BHS Online system to submit information on newly licensed/approved facilities and on changes in facility name, address, status, etc. 2 New facilities complete and submit the online I–BHS application form in order to get listed on the Inventory. Written comments and recommendations concerning the proposed information collection should be sent by November 21, 2012 to the SAMHSA Desk Officer at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB). To ensure timely receipt of comments, and to avoid potential delays in OMB’s receipt and processing of mail sent through the U.S. Postal Service, commenters are encouraged to submit their comments to OMB via email to: OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov. Although commenters are encouraged to send their comments via email, commenters may also fax their comments to: 202–395–7285. Commenters may also mail them to: Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, New Executive Office Building, Room 10102, Washington, DC 20503. Summer King, Statistician. [FR Doc. 2012–25869 Filed 10–19–12; 8:45 am] wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLING CODE 4162–20–P VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:00 Oct 19, 2012 Jkt 229001 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY [DHS Docket No. DHS–2009–0091] Notice of Availability of Guidance for Protecting Responders’ Health During the First Week Following a Wide-Area Aerosol Anthrax Attack Office of Health Affairs, DHS. Notice of availability. AGENCY: ACTION: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is announcing the availability of a guidance document, Guidance for Protecting Responders’ Health During the First Week Following a Wide-Area Aerosol Anthrax Attack. This guidance provides recommendations for protecting personnel responding to a wide-area anthrax attack from developing anthrax as a result of exposure to aerosolized Bacillus anthracis spores and for minimizing the amount of exposure in the first week of a response. Protective measures addressed in the guidance include medical countermeasures (i.e., drugs, vaccine), personal protective equipment (PPE), and other possible work practices. A federal interagency working group that included subject matter experts in biodefense, infectious diseases, and occupational health and safety developed this guidance. Persons interested in obtaining a copy of the guidance may do so by using the Internet. The guidance is available at https://www.regulations.gov, https:// SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00070 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 phe.gov and https://www.dhs.gov/ publication/protecting-respondershealth-after-wide-area-aerosol-anthraxattack. This document is also available in hard-copy for all those that request it from the federal points of contact. DATES: The guidance is available beginning October 12, 2012. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Department of Homeland Security: David V. Adams, Chief, Planning & Exercise Support Branch, Office of Health Affairs, Mail Stop 0315, Washington, DC 20528, email address david.adams@hq.dhs.gov, telephone number (202) 254–5756. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Lisa Kaplowitz, MD, MSHA, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy and Planning, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, 200 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20201, telephone number (202) 205–2882. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 27, 2009, DHS published a notice announcing the availability of ‘‘Proposed Guidance for Protecting Responders’ Health During the First Week Following a Wide-Area Anthrax Attack.’’ 74 FR 55246. DHS solicited public feedback and received comments from 75 respondents, including responders, academia, political leaders, and government agencies. Respondents expressed support for the guidance, provided valuable technical feedback in E:\FR\FM\22OCN1.SGM 22OCN1 wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with 64532 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 204 / Monday, October 22, 2012 / Notices a number of areas of the proposed guidance, as well as commenting on other areas broadly related to an anthrax release/event that are outside the scope of this guidance (e.g., training and funding for vaccination). DHS, HHS and federal partners considered all of the comments and revised the document as appropriate. Specifically, we have increased the clarity of the document and better integrated guidance from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), including more specificity regarding the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). In addition, a number of changes were made to the document to accommodate evolving knowledge regarding the effectiveness of alternative interventions as well as federal policy in the areas of biological protection and response, particularly efforts to make medical countermeasures more readily available. This included incorporating recommendations from a report published by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), July 23, 2010, regarding the ‘‘Use of Anthrax Vaccine in the United States.’’ To access the public comments, please go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov and access the DHS summary describing the guidance (see Docket No. DHS–2009– 0091). DHS and HHS are now announcing the availability of a revised guidance document, Guidance for Protecting Responders’ Health During the First Week Following a Wide-Area Aerosol Anthrax Attack. This guidance can be viewed or downloaded at https:// www.regulations.gov, https://phe.gov and https://www.dhs.gov/publication/ protecting-responders-health-after-widearea-aerosol-anthrax-attack. DHS developed this guidance in consultation with a federal interagency working group that included subject matter experts in biodefense, infectious diseases, and occupational health and safety. The working group included representatives from HHS; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NIOSH; the Department of Labor, OSHA; and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The revised guidance reflects the current understanding of the unique environment that would be expected during the first week of a wide-area anthrax release, and is expected to evolve with changes to our understanding regarding exposure risk, scientific developments, and availability of new environmental monitoring VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:00 Oct 19, 2012 Jkt 229001 techniques. This guidance is intended to support ongoing planning and preparation efforts, as well as to lay the basis for plans to protect individuals beyond traditional first responders. This planning guidance will be refined as the evidence base is strengthened for determining exposure risk and the efficacy of protective measures. This guidance does not have the force or effect of law. The DHS Office of Health Affairs is issuing the guidance document for public use on behalf of an interagency coalition. Dated: October 15, 2012. Alexander G. Garza, Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer. [FR Doc. 2012–25983 Filed 10–19–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4150–37–P DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY [Docket No. DHS–2012–0064] Homeland Security Advisory Council The Office of Policy, DHS. Notice of open teleconference Federal advisory committee meeting. AGENCY: ACTION: The Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) will meet via teleconference for the purpose of reviewing and deliberating on recommendations by the HSAC’s Border Infrastructure Task Force. DATES: The HSAC conference call will take place from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, November 8, 2012. Please be advised that the meeting is scheduled for one hour and may end early if all business is completed before 4:30pm. ADDRESSES: The HSAC meeting will be held via teleconference. Members of the public interested in participating in this teleconference meeting may do so by following the process outlined below (see ‘‘Public Participation’’). Written comments must be submitted and received by November 5, 2012. Comments must be identified by Docket No. DHS–2012–0064 and may be submitted by one of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. • Email: HSAC@dhs.gov. Include docket number in the subject line of the message. • Fax: (202) 282–9207 • Mail: Homeland Security Advisory Council, Department of Homeland Security, Mailstop 0445, 245 Murray Lane SW., Washington, DC 20528. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00071 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 Instructions: All submissions received must include the words ‘‘Department of Homeland Security’’ and DHS–2012– 0064, the docket number for this action. Comments received will be posted without alteration at https:// www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. Docket: For access to the docket to read comments received by the DHS Homeland Security Advisory Council, go to https://www.regulations.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Smith at hsac@dhs.gov or 202– 282–9445. Notice of this meeting is given under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. The HSAC provides organizationally independent, strategic, timely, specific and actionable advice to the Secretary and senior leadership on matters related to homeland security. The HSAC will meet to review and deliberate on the Border Infrastructure Task Force report of findings and recommendations. Public Participation: Members of the public will be in listen-only mode. The public may register to listen to this HSAC teleconference via the following procedures. Each individual must provide his or her full legal name and email address no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on November 5, 2012, to a staff member of the HSAC via email at HSAC@dhs.gov or via phone at (202) 447–3135. HSAC conference call details and the Border Infrastructure Task Force report will be provided to interested members of the public at the time they register. Information on Services for Individuals with Disabilities: For information on facilities or services for individuals with disabilities, or to request special assistance during the teleconference, contact William Smith (202) 282–9445. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Dated: October 15, 2012. Becca Sharp, Executive Director, Homeland Security Advisory Council, DHS. [FR Doc. 2012–25985 Filed 10–19–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 9110–9M–P E:\FR\FM\22OCN1.SGM 22OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 204 (Monday, October 22, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64531-64532]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25983]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[DHS Docket No. DHS-2009-0091]


Notice of Availability of Guidance for Protecting Responders' 
Health During the First Week Following a Wide-Area Aerosol Anthrax 
Attack

AGENCY: Office of Health Affairs, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is announcing the 
availability of a guidance document, Guidance for Protecting 
Responders' Health During the First Week Following a Wide-Area Aerosol 
Anthrax Attack. This guidance provides recommendations for protecting 
personnel responding to a wide-area anthrax attack from developing 
anthrax as a result of exposure to aerosolized Bacillus anthracis 
spores and for minimizing the amount of exposure in the first week of a 
response. Protective measures addressed in the guidance include medical 
countermeasures (i.e., drugs, vaccine), personal protective equipment 
(PPE), and other possible work practices. A federal interagency working 
group that included subject matter experts in biodefense, infectious 
diseases, and occupational health and safety developed this guidance. 
Persons interested in obtaining a copy of the guidance may do so by 
using the Internet. The guidance is available at https://www.regulations.gov, https://phe.gov and https://www.dhs.gov/publication/protecting-responders-health-after-wide-area-aerosol-anthrax-attack.
    This document is also available in hard-copy for all those that 
request it from the federal points of contact.

DATES: The guidance is available beginning October 12, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Department of Homeland Security: David V. Adams, Chief, Planning & 
Exercise Support Branch, Office of Health Affairs, Mail Stop 0315, 
Washington, DC 20528, email address david.adams@hq.dhs.gov, telephone 
number (202) 254-5756.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Lisa Kaplowitz, MD, 
MSHA, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy and Planning, Office 
of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, 200 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20201, telephone number (202) 
205-2882.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 27, 2009, DHS published a notice 
announcing the availability of ``Proposed Guidance for Protecting 
Responders' Health During the First Week Following a Wide-Area Anthrax 
Attack.'' 74 FR 55246. DHS solicited public feedback and received 
comments from 75 respondents, including responders, academia, political 
leaders, and government agencies. Respondents expressed support for the 
guidance, provided valuable technical feedback in

[[Page 64532]]

a number of areas of the proposed guidance, as well as commenting on 
other areas broadly related to an anthrax release/event that are 
outside the scope of this guidance (e.g., training and funding for 
vaccination). DHS, HHS and federal partners considered all of the 
comments and revised the document as appropriate. Specifically, we have 
increased the clarity of the document and better integrated guidance 
from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the 
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 
including more specificity regarding the use of personal protective 
equipment (PPE). In addition, a number of changes were made to the 
document to accommodate evolving knowledge regarding the effectiveness 
of alternative interventions as well as federal policy in the areas of 
biological protection and response, particularly efforts to make 
medical countermeasures more readily available. This included 
incorporating recommendations from a report published by the Advisory 
Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in the Morbidity and 
Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), July 23, 2010, regarding the ``Use of 
Anthrax Vaccine in the United States.'' To access the public comments, 
please go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov and access the DHS summary describing the guidance 
(see Docket No. DHS-2009-0091).
    DHS and HHS are now announcing the availability of a revised 
guidance document, Guidance for Protecting Responders' Health During 
the First Week Following a Wide-Area Aerosol Anthrax Attack. This 
guidance can be viewed or downloaded at https://www.regulations.gov, 
https://phe.gov and https://www.dhs.gov/publication/protecting-responders-health-after-wide-area-aerosol-anthrax-attack.
    DHS developed this guidance in consultation with a federal 
interagency working group that included subject matter experts in 
biodefense, infectious diseases, and occupational health and safety. 
The working group included representatives from HHS; the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NIOSH; the Department of Labor, 
OSHA; and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
    The revised guidance reflects the current understanding of the 
unique environment that would be expected during the first week of a 
wide-area anthrax release, and is expected to evolve with changes to 
our understanding regarding exposure risk, scientific developments, and 
availability of new environmental monitoring techniques. This guidance 
is intended to support ongoing planning and preparation efforts, as 
well as to lay the basis for plans to protect individuals beyond 
traditional first responders. This planning guidance will be refined as 
the evidence base is strengthened for determining exposure risk and the 
efficacy of protective measures. This guidance does not have the force 
or effect of law.
    The DHS Office of Health Affairs is issuing the guidance document 
for public use on behalf of an interagency coalition.

    Dated: October 15, 2012.
Alexander G. Garza,
Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-25983 Filed 10-19-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-37-P
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