[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 216 (Wednesday, November 7, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 56268]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-27935]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 01-087-1]


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: We invite you to comment on this docket. We will consider all 
comments we receive that are postmarked by January 7, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Please send four copies of your comment (an original and 
three copies) to: Docket No. 01-087-1, 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. 01-087-1.
    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 swine health 
protection program, contact Dr. Arnold Taft, Senior Staff Veterinarian, 
National Animal Health Programs Staff, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 
43, Riverdale MD 20737, (301) 734-7708. For copies of more detailed 
information on the information collection, contact Mrs. Celeste 
Sickles,APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 734-7477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Swine Health Protection.
    OMB Number: 0579-0065.
    Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of 
the U.S. 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 
infectious and communicable diseases are transmitted to swine. 
Therefore, APHIS' regulations promulgated under the Swine Health 
Protection Act, which are located at 9 CFR part 166, require that 
before garbage may be fed to swine, it must be treated at a facility 
holding a valid permit to treat the garbage and must be treated 
according to the regulations.
    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. This information is collected from 
applications for a license to operate a garbage treatment facility, 
records of the destination and date of removal of all food waste or 
garbage from the treatment facility, and food waste reports. With this 
information, we are able to carefully monitor garbage treatment 
facilities to ensure that they are meeting our requirements. The 
information provided by these information collection activities is 
critical in preventing 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 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 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 
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 information collection 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 0.6790697 hour per response.
    Respondents: Owners/operators (licensees) of garbage treatment 
facilities and State animal health authorities.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 383.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 2.245.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 860.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 584 hours. (Due to 
averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of 
the annual number of responses multiplied by the 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 1st day of November 2001.
W. Ron DeHaven,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 01-27935 Filed 11-6-01; 8:45 am]
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