[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 8 (Friday, January 11, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1433-1434]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-742]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 8 / Friday, January 11, 2002 / 
Notices  

[[Page 1433]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 01-071-1]


Notice of Request for Reinstatement of an Information Collection

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Reinstatement 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 a reinstatement of an information collection in 
support of the State-Federal Brucellosis Eradication Program.

DATES: We invite you to comment on this docket. We will consider all 
comments we receive that are postmarked, delivered, or e-mailed by 
March 12, 2002.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by postal mail/commercial delivery 
or by e-mail. If you use postal mail/commercial delivery, please send 
four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to: Docket 
No. 01-071-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,APHIS, Station 
3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state 
that your comment refers to Docket No. 01-071-1. If you use e-mail, 
address your comment to [email protected]. Your comment must 
be contained in the body of your message; do not send attached files. 
Please include your name and address in your message and ``Docket 
No.01-071-1'' on the subject line.
    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 regarding the State-
FederalBrucellosis Eradication Program, contact Dr. Valerie Ragan, 
Senior Staff Veterinarian, National Animal Health Programs Staff, VS, 
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 43, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (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: Brucellosis Eradication Program.
    OMB Number: 0579-0047.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of an information collection.
    Abstract: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is 
responsible for, among other things, administering regulations intended 
to prevent the spread of brucellosis and other animal diseases within 
the United States.
    Brucellosis is a contagious disease that primarily affects cattle, 
bison, and swine. It causes the loss of young through spontaneous 
abortion or birth of weak offspring, reduced milk production, and 
infertility. The continued presence of brucellosis in a herd seriously 
threatens the health of other animals. Brucellosis has caused 
devastating losses to farmers in the UnitedStates over the last 
century.
    The State-Federal Brucellosis Eradication Program, which is a 
national program, is working toward eliminating this serious disease of 
livestock. The program is conducted under the various States' 
authorities supplemented by Federal authorities regulating interstate 
movement of affected animals. Effective screening programs and 
extensive epidemiologic investigations are required to locate infection 
and to eradicate the disease.
    Conducting effective brucellosis screening programs and 
epidemiologic investigations requires the use of many information 
collection activities, such as applications for tags or tattoos, 
epidemiology report forms, permits for movement of restricted animals, 
monthly reports of brucellosis eradication and program surveillance 
activities, reports of brucellosis reactors slaughtered, and permits 
for shipping exposed herds. The information obtained from these 
activities is used to continue the search for other infected herds, 
maintain identification of livestock, monitor deficiencies in 
identification of animals for movement, and monitor program 
deficiencies in suspicious and infected herds. These information 
collection activities are essential in determining the status of a 
brucellosis area and helping herd owners by speeding up the detection 
and elimination of serious disease conditions in their herds.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities for 3 years.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments form the public 
(as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection. 
These comments will help us:
    (1) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary fo 
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 
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 0.0076513 hours per response.
    Respondents: Veterinarians, livestock inspectors, and herd owners.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 7,382.

[[Page 1434]]

    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 71.455703.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 527,486.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 4,036 hours. (Due to 
averaging, 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 7th day of January 2002.
W. Ron DeHaven,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 02-742 Filed 1-10-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P