[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 240 (Monday, December 15, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65653-65654]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32661]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 97-112-1]


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 the Swine Health Protection Program.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by February 13, 1998 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. 97-112-1, 
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 97-112-1. 
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: For information regarding the Swine Health 
Protection Program, contact Dr. Arnold Taft, Senior Staff Veterinarian, 
National Animal Health Programs, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 43, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231, (301) 734-4916. For copies of more detailed 
information on the information collection, contact Ms. Cheryl Groves, 
Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 734-5086.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: Swine Health Protection.
    OMB Number: 0579-0065.
    Expiration Date of Approval: July 31, 1998.
    Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: The United States Department of Agriculture is 
responsible for preventing the spread of contagious, infectious, or 
communicable diseases of livestock or poultry from one State to 
another, and for eradicating such diseases from the United States when 
feasible.
    The Swine Health Protection Act prohibits the feeding of garbage to 
swine unless the garbage has been treated to kill disease organisms. 
Untreated garbage is one of the primary media through which numerous 
infections and communicable diseases are transmitted to swine. The 
garbage must be treated at a facility holding a valid permit to treat 
the garbage. The garbage must be treated in accordance with regulations 
promulgated by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). 
APHIS requires certain information in order to license (issue a permit 
to) a facility to operate and in order to monitor the facility for 
compliance with the regulations.
    Information collection activities include the submission of an 
application for a license to operate a garbage treatment facility, the 
recording of the destination and date of removal of all food waste or 
garbage from the treatment facility, and the submission of food waste 
reports.
    With this information we are able to carefully monitor garbage 
treatment facilities to ensure that they are adhering to our 
requirements.
    The information provided by these information gathering activities 
is

[[Page 65654]]

critical to our ability to prevent the interstate spread of various 
swine diseases, and, therefore, plays a vital role in our Swine Health 
Protection Program.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
the continued use of this information collection activity.
    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 .890 hours per response.
    Respondents: Operators of garbage treatment facilities.
    Estimated number of respondents: 264.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 2.48.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 656.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 584 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 9th day of December 1997.
Craig A. Reed,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 97-32661 Filed 12-12-97; 8:45 am]
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