[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 25, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45748-45749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-18691]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 00-054-1]


Notice of Request for Approval of an Information Collection

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: New 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 approval of additional information collections, 
Feedlot '99 and Ongoing Monitoring, in support of the National Animal 
Health Monitoring System. These collection activities will include 
conducting a national study on feedlot cattle, increasing the number of 
participants in the sentinel feedlot monitoring study as part of our 
ongoing monitoring, and collecting antimicrobial susceptibility testing 
results from veterinary diagnostic laboratories as a new component to 
ongoing monitoring.

DATES: We invite you to comment on this docket. We will consider all 
comments that we receive by September 25, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Please send your comment and three copies to: Docket No. 00-
054-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Suite 3C03, 
4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238
Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. 00-054-1.
    You may read any comments that we receive on this docket in our 
reading room. The reading room is located in room 1141 of the USDA 
South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, 
DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, 
please call (202) 690-2817 before coming.
    APHIS documents published in the Federal Register, and related 
information, including the names of organizations and individuals who 
have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at 
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the national 
feedlot study and ongoing monitoring data collection activities, 
contact Ms. Marj Swanson, Management Analyst, Centers for Epidemiology 
and Animal Health, VS, APHIS, 555 S. Howes, Fort Collins, CO 80521; 
(970) 490-7978. 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: National Animal Health Monitoring 
System (Feedlot '99 and Ongoing Monitoring).
    OMB Number: 0579-XXXX.
    Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
    Abstract: The United States Department of Agriculture is 
responsible for protecting the health of our nation's livestock and 
poultry populations by preventing the importation and interstate spread 
of contagious, infectious, or communicable diseases of livestock and 
poultry and for eradicating such diseases from the United States when 
feasible. In connection with this mission, the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service operates the National Animal Health Monitoring 
System (NAHMS), which collects, on a national basis, statistically 
valid and scientifically sound data on the prevalence and economic 
importance of livestock and poultry diseases. Information from these 
studies is disseminated and used by livestock and poultry producers, 
consumers, animal health officials, private veterinary practitioners, 
animal industry groups, policymakers, public health officials, the 
media, educational institutions, and others to improve agriculture's 
productivity and competitiveness.
    NAHMS' national studies have evolved into a collaborative industry 
and government initiative to help improve product quality and to 
determine the most effective means of producing animal and poultry 
products. We are the only agency responsible for collecting national 
data on animal and poultry health. Participation in any NAHMS study is 
voluntary, and all data are confidential.
    Feedlot '99: The Feedlot '99 study is NAHMS' second national study 
of the beef feedlot industry. The NAHMS' 1994 Cattle on Feed Evaluation 
results provided producer-requested baseline information that will be 
used with Feedlot '99 information to identify

[[Page 45749]]

trends in animal health and management practices over the past 5 years. 
NAHMS is requesting approval to collect data from feedlot operators in 
the United States. The data collected through the national study will 
be used to: (1) Describe the changes in management practices and animal 
health in feedlots from 1994 to 1999; (2) describe management practices 
that might affect product quality; (3) identify factors associated with 
shedding of specific pathogens by feedlot cattle; (4) describe 
antimicrobial usage in feedlots; (5) describe animal health management 
practices in feedlots and the relationship to cattle health; and (6) 
identify priority areas for prearrival processing of cattle and calves.
    Sentinel Feedlot Monitoring: Sentinel feedlot monitoring is a low-
cost, high-impact method of continually monitoring the multibillion 
dollar cattle feeding industry for death and disease trends. NAHMS 
collects limited data from private veterinary practitioners and uses it 
to assess the industry and monitor for emerging issues. This ongoing 
monitoring activity originally started with data being reported on 15 
percent of the cattle on feed in the United States. NAHMS is requesting 
that the number of cattle monitored be increased to 20 percent.
    Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Study: The ability of bacteria 
to resist the effects of antimicrobials has become a global issue 
affecting both animal and human health. Despite a growing concern that 
antimicrobial resistance is affecting health, there is a lack of data 
to monitor trends and make timely decisions about antimicrobial 
selection and use. An extensive amount of antimicrobial resistance 
testing is carried out in veterinary diagnostic laboratories across the 
country but, to date, has not been collected and analyzed. NAHMS is 
requesting approval to collect, aggregate, and summarize data from the 
veterinary diagnostic laboratories. The objectives of this study are 
to: (1) Survey diagnostic laboratories to determine how they conduct 
antimicrobial resistance testing, store data, and if they would be 
willing to contribute data to a central clearinghouse; and (2) initiate 
collection of data from a geographically diverse sample of laboratories 
to test the feasibility and usefulness of such a system.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
these information collection activities.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public 
(as well as affected agencies) concerning these information collection 
activities. These comments will help us:
    (1) Evaluate whether the information collection is necessary for 
the proper performance of our Agency's functions, including whether the 
information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the 
information collection, 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 1.0364 hours per response.
    Respondents: Industry personnel, private veterinary practitioners, 
company and independent producers, academicians, State veterinary 
medical officers, State Public Health Officials as well as other 
interested parties involved with animal health and management practices 
in the United States.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 4466.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.2651.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 5,650.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 5,856. (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 18th day of July 2000.
Bobby R. Acord,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 00-18691 Filed 7-24-00; 8:45 am]
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