[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 128 (Monday, July 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 41067]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-16755]



[[Page 41067]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6728-7]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Tolerance Petitions for Pesticides on Food/
Feed and New Inert Ingredients

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Submission to OMB.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Tolerance Petitions for 
Pesticides on Food/Feed and New Inert Ingredients, [EPA ICR No. 
0597.07, OMB No. 2070-0024]. The ICR, which is abstracted below, 
expires on June 30, 2000. The ICR describes the nature of the 
information collection and its estimated cost and burden. The Agency is 
requesting that OMB renew approval of the ICR for a three year period. 
On June 9, 1999 (64 FR 30988), EPA solicited comment on this ICR 
pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received comments, which have been 
addressed in this ICR prior to submission to OMB.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before August 2, 
2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: For a copy of the ICR contact Sandy Farmer by 
phone at 202-260-2740, by e-mail at [email protected], or download 
off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No. 
0597.07 and OMB Control No. 2070-0024.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, referencing the proper ICR numbers, to the 
following addresses: Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Collection Strategies Division (2822), 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, N.W.,Washington, DC 20460; and to Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: 
Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Tolerance Petitions for Pesticides on Food/Feed and New 
Inert Ingredients [EPA ICR No. 0597.07, OMB No. 2070-0024]. This is a 
request to renew a currently approved information collection pursuant 
to 5 CFR 1320.12.
    Abstract: The use of pesticides to increase crop production may 
result in pesticide residues in or on the crop. To protect the public 
health from unsafe pesticide residues, the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) sets limits on the nature and level of residues permitted. 
Food or feed commodities found to contain pesticide residues in excess 
of established tolerances are considered adulterated, and are subject 
to seizure. This ICR covers all requests for tolerances, or exemptions 
from the requirement of a tolerance, for both active and inert 
ingredients in pesticides. The type of data that are required to be 
submitted is dependent on the type of tolerance that is sought.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's 
regulations are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter 15.
    Burden Statement: Under the PRA, ``burden'' means the total time, 
effort, or financial resources expended by persons to generate, 
maintain, retain, or disclose or provide information to or for a 
Federal agency. The annual respondent burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 1,726 hours per petitioner. No 
forms are associated with this collection, however, petitioners must 
submit information related to: (1) The name, chemical identity, and 
composition of the pesticide chemical; (2) chemical use; (3) safety 
reports; (4) residue test results; (5) residue removal; (6) proposed 
MRLs for the pesticidal chemical; (7) reasonable grounds in support of 
the petition; (8) an analysis of factors relevant to the provisions of 
FQPA, specifically, aggregate exposure, children's exposure, special 
sensitivities, cumulative effects and endocrine disruptor effects; 9) 
an informative summary of the petition or application, including a 
summary of the supporting data, information, accompanying rationales, 
and a statement providing permission to publish such summary; and a 
cover letter and fee. The following is a summary of the estimates taken 
from the ICR:
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Any person seeking a tolerance 
action.
    Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 150.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Estimated total annual responses for each respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 258,900 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Non-labor Costs: $0.
    Changes in Burden Estimates: The total burden associated with this 
ICR has increased from 216,300 hours in the previous ICR to 258,900 for 
this ICR. This increase in burden represents a change in the underlying 
statutory requirements under which the Agency may take a tolerance 
action. The ICR provides a more detailed description of these changes 
and the activities currently related to this ICR. As such, the Agency 
considers this to be a program change.
    According to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12, EPA has 
submitted this ICR to OMB for review and approval. Any comments related 
to the renewal of this ICR should be submitted within 30 days of this 
notice, as described above.

    Dated: June 21, 2000.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 00-16755 Filed 6-30-00; 8:45 am]
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