This submission will incorporate the
National Coal Workers' X-Ray Surveillance Program 42 CFR 37
(0920-0020) and National Coal Workers' Autopsy Study 42 CFR Part
37.204 (0920-0021) into one complete package which will be called
the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program (CWHSP). The
expiration date for 0920-0020 is 4/30/2011. Upon OMB approval,
0920-0021 will be discontinued (expiration date, 1/31/2013). CWHSP
is a congressionally-mandated medical examination program for
monitoring the health of underground coal miners, established under
the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, as amended in
1977 and 2006, PL-95-164 (the Act). The Act provides the regulatory
authority for the administration of the CWHSP. This Program, which
includes both a health surveillance and an autopsy component, has
been useful in providing tools for protecting the health of miners
(whose participation is entirely voluntary), and also in
documenting trends and patterns in the prevalence of coal workers'
pneumoconiosis ('black lung' disease) among miners employed in U.S.
coal mines. During the early 1970s, one out of every three miners
examined through the CWHSP who had worked at least 25 years
underground had evidence of pneumoconiosis on their chest x-ray. An
analysis among over 25,000 miners who participated in the x-ray
Programs from 1996 to 2002 indicated that the proportion of
affected individuals had decreased to about one in 20. However,
recent surveillance analyses and research studies have confirmed
that the prevalence of 'black lung' disease is increasing, there is
regional clustering of rapidly progressive pneumoconiosis cases,
and coal miners have a higher risk of disease if they perform
certain jobs, work in smaller mines, or are from certain geographic
areas. Importantly, young coal miners are developing the disabling
and lethal forms of 'black lung'.
PL:
Pub.L. 95 - 164 111 Name of Law: Federal Mine Safety &
Health Act of 1977, Public Law 91-173, as amended by Public Law
95-164
PL:
Pub.L. 91 - 596 20 Name of Law: Occupational Safety and
Health
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Form Form No 2.8 Roentgenographic Interpretation
Request for Nonsubstantive Change 6.3.13.docx
Roentgenographic Interpretation