[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 186 (Thursday, September 25, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50284-50285]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-25485]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 97-046-1]


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 an information 
collection in support of regulations that prevent plant diseases and 
pests from spreading from infested areas of the United States to 
noninfested areas.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by November 24, 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. 97-046-1, 
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 97-046-1. 
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 domestic 
regulations, contact Ms. Coanne E. O'Hern, Operations Officer, Domestic 
and Emergency Programs, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 131, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1237, (301) 734-8247. For copies of more detailed 
information on the information collection, contact Ms. Cheryl Groves, 
APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 734-5086.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: Domestic Quarantine Notices.
    OMB Number: 0579-0088.
    Type of Request: Extension of an approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: The United States Department of Agriculture is 
responsible for preventing the spread of plant diseases and pests 
within the United States. Implementing this mission often requires the 
use of domestic quarantines and regulations, which in turn require us 
to collect information from a variety of individuals who are involved 
in growing, packing, handling, and transporting plants, fruits, 
vegetables, roots, bulbs, seeds, and other plant products.
    The information we collect is vital to helping us ensure that plant 
diseases and pests are not spread from infested areas to noninfested 
areas of the United States.
    For example, we issue permits to authorize the interstate movement 
of regulated articles to specified destinations for processing, 
treatment, or utilization. The person wishing to move these articles, 
however, must first complete a permit application.
    We consider the permit application extremely important, since this 
process helps us ensure that regulated articles are moved to a 
specified destination for appropriate handling. In this way, the

[[Page 50285]]

movement of items that harbor potentially harmful plant diseases and 
pests can be controlled and monitored.
    Another means we employ to control and monitor the movement of 
these potentially harmful items is to require shippers to mark each 
container, waybill, manifest, or bill of lading with certain 
information, such as the nature and quantity of the contents, name and 
address of the shipper/owner/forwarder, name of consignee, shipper's 
identifying mark and number, and the serial number of the certificate 
or limited permit authorizing the movement.
    These and other information gathering tools are critical to our 
mission of protecting the United States from plant diseases and pests 
which, if allowed to spread, could cause millions of dollars in damage 
to U.S. agriculture.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
the continued use of these information collection activities.
    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: The public reporting burden for this collection 
of information is estimated to average .09838 hours per response.
    Respondents: U.S. growers, shippers, and exporters; State and 
county plant health protection authorities.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 174,072.
    Estimated Numbers of Responses per Respondent: 5.775.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses: 1,005,331.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 98,910 hours. (Due to 
rounding, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of 
the annual number of responses multiplied by the average reporting 
burden per response.)
    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 22nd day of September 1997.
Terry L. Medley,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 97-25485 Filed 9-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P