[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 141 (Wednesday, July 23, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 39496]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-19363]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 141 / Wednesday, July 23, 1997 / 
Notices  

[[Page 39496]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 97-070-1]


Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information 
Collection

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Extension of approval of an information collection; comment 
request.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's 
intention to request an extension of approval of information collection 
in support of regulations intended to prevent the introduction of 
foreign plant pests into the United States.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by September 22, 1997 
to be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the accuracy of burden estimate, 
ways to minimize the burden (such as through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology), or any 
other aspect of this collection of information to: Docket No. 97-070-1, 
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, suite 3C03, 4700 River 
Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please send an original and 
three copies, and state that your comments refer to Docket 97-070-1. 
Comments received may be inspected at USDA, room 1141, South Building, 
14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. 
and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Persons wishing 
to inspect comments are requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to 
facilitate entry into the comment reading room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information regarding foreign 
quarantine notices, contact Mr. Peter Grosser, Senior Operations 
Officer, Phytosanitary Issues Management Team, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River 
Road, Unit 139, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236, (301) 734-8295; or e-mail: 
[email protected]. For copies of more detailed information on the 
information collection, contact Ms. Cheryl Jenkins, Agency Support 
Service Specialist, at (301) 734-5360.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: Foreign Quarantine Notices.
    OMB Number: 0579-0049.
    Type of Request: Extension of an approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: The United States Department of Agriculture is 
responsible for preventing the introduction of foreign plant pests into 
the United States. Implementing this mission often requires us to 
collect information from a variety of individuals, both within and 
outside of the United States, who are involved in growing, packing, 
handling, transporting, and importing foreign plants, fruits, 
vegetables, roots, bulbs, seeds, and other plant products.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
the continued use of these information collection activities.
    For example, many plants or plant products may not be imported 
until the person wishing to import them receives a permit from us. The 
person wishing to import these items must first fill out a permit 
application.
    We consider the permit application process extremely important, 
since the information on the application enables us to determine 
whether the items for import represent a potential pest threat to U.S. 
agriculture.
    Under certain circumstances we also require importers to supply us 
with other types of information. We require, for example, that 
containers used to import various plants or plant products be marked in 
a certain way so that our inspectors can accurately identify them and 
match them to their accompanying documentation.
    We require that certain shipments be accompanied by a phytosanitary 
inspection certificate, which is a document completed by plant health 
officials in the originating country. This certificate attests to the 
plant pest condition of the shipment at the time it was inspected in 
the originating country. We use this important information as a guide 
in determining the intensity of the inspection we must conduct when the 
shipment arrives in the United States.
    This and other information we collect is vital to helping us ensure 
that imported plants and plant products do not harbor plant pests that, 
if introduced into the United States, could cause millions of dollars 
in damage to U.S. agriculture.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public 
(as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection. 
We need this outside input to help us:
    (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 our 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; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, 
electronic, mechanical, and other collection technologies, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of responses.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average .4 hours per response.
    Respondents: Importers and foreign plant health protection 
authorities.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 96,028.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 2.6.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses: 249,672.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 99,869 hours.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 17th day of July 1997.
Terry L. Medley,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 97-19363 Filed 7-22-97; 8:45 am]
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