[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 223 (Tuesday, November 19, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69711-69712]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-29303]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 223 / Tuesday, November 19, 2002 / 
Notices  

[[Page 69711]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 02-074-1]


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 initiate a new information collection activity in support 
of regulations requiring the certification of facilities for the 
treatment of fruits, vegetables, and other articles. The certification 
of treatment facilities is necessary to ensure that the facilities are 
capable of performing treatments required under our regulations to 
prevent the introduction or dissemination of plant pests and noxious 
weeds into or within the United States.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
January 21, 2003.

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. 02-074-1, 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. 02-074-1. 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. 
02-074-1'' 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 on the certification 
of treatment facilities, contact Mr. Jim Smith, Director, Port 
Operations, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 60, MD 20737-1236; (301) 
734-8295. 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: Certification of Treatment Facilities.
    OMB Number: 0579-XXXX.
    Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
    Abstract: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is 
responsible for, among other things, preventing plant pests and noxious 
weeds from entering the United States and controlling and eradicating 
plant pests and noxious weeds in the United States. The Plant 
Protection Act authorizes the Department to carry out this mission. The 
Plant Protection and Quarantine program of USDA's Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is responsible for implementing the 
regulations promulgated under the Act.
    To carry out this mission, APHIS administers regulations intended, 
among other things, to prevent the introduction or dissemination of 
plant pests and noxious weeds into or within the United States. These 
regulations are contained in title 7, chapter III, of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR).
    Under the regulations, certain articles such as fruits, vegetables, 
and seeds must be treated to be eligible for entry into the United 
States or interstate movement within the United States. In some cases, 
treatments are performed in facilities in foreign countries; in other 
cases, treatments are performed aboard ship while the articles are in 
transit; and in still other cases, treatments are performed in 
facilities in the United States. All facilities that provide treatments 
required under our regulations, including refrigeration compartments on 
ships, must be certified by APHIS before they can provide those 
treatments.
    Facilities wishing to be certified must supply APHIS with 
specifications, which may include plans, blueprints, drawings, or other 
information. Specific requirements for the certification of facilities 
are contained in the Plant Protection and Quarantine Treatment Manual, 
which is incorporated by reference at 7 CFR 300.1. We need this 
information to determine whether a facility can provide the treatments 
required for quarantine security.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities for certification of 
facilities for the treatment of fruits, vegetables, and other articles.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from 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 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 1.25 hours per response.
    Respondents: U.S. shippers, importers, State and Plant Health

[[Page 69712]]

Protection authorities, owners and operators of facilities that perform 
quarantine treatments.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 250.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 250.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 312.5 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 13th day of November, 2002.
Peter Fernandez,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 02-29303 Filed 11-18-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P