[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 123 (Thursday, June 26, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 38001]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-16185]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 03-066-1]


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 regulations restricting the importation of 
poultry products into the United States in order to prevent the 
introduction of poultry disease.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
August 25, 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. 03-066-1, 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. 03-066-1. 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. 
03-066-1'' 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 regulations 
for the importation of poultry products, contact Dr. Michael David, 
Director, Sanitary International Standards Team, National Center for 
Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 33, Riverdale, MD 
20737; (301) 734-6194. 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: Importation of Poultry Products.
    OMB Number: 0579-0141.
    Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the 
United States Department of Agriculture is responsible for, among other 
things, preventing the introduction of exotic diseases of livestock and 
poultry into the United States. To fulfill this mission, USDA's Animal 
and Plant Health Inspection Service regulates the importation of 
animals and animal products into the United States. The regulations are 
contained in title 9, chapter 1, subchapter D, parts 91 through 99, of 
the Code of Federal Regulations.
    Part 94, Sec.  94.6, governs the importation of poultry products to 
prevent the introduction of exotic Newcastle disease (END). Among other 
things, the regulations provide for the importation of poultry 
carcasses, and parts and products of poultry carcasses, that originate 
in a region free of END but are processed in a region where END exists. 
These carcasses, and parts and products of carcasses, are not required 
to meet the more stringent requirements imposed on products that 
originate in regions where END exists, provided they are processed and 
shipped under specified conditions.
    These conditions include four information collection activities: 
(1) a certificate of origin that must be issued, (2) serial numbers 
that must be recorded, (3) records that must be maintained, and (4) 
cooperative service agreements that must be signed.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities for an additional 3 
years.
    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 0.147 hours per response.
    Respondents: Full-time salaried veterinarians employed by the 
national government of the exporting region.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 4.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 51.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 204.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 30 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 23rd day of June, 2003.
Peter Fernandez,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 03-16185 Filed 6-25-03; 8:45 am]
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