[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 188 (Wednesday, September 29, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58120-58121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-2409]


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 Notices
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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. 69, No. 188 / Wednesday, September 29, 2004 / 
Notices  

[[Page 58120]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 04-086-1]


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 associated with the importation into the United States of 
restricted and controlled animal and poultry products and byproducts, 
organisms, and vectors.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
November 29, 2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
    EDOCKET: Go to http://www.epa.gov/feddocket to submit or view 
public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the 
official public docket, and to access those documents in the public 
docket that are available electronically. Once you have entered 
EDOCKET, click on the ``View Open APHIS Dockets'' link to locate this 
document.
    Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies of your 
comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. 04-086-1, 
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. 04-086-1.
    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. 04-086-1'' on the subject line.
    Agency Web site: Go to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/cominst.html for a form you can use to submit an e-mail comment through 
the APHIS Web site.
    Reading Room: 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.
    Other Information: You may view APHIS documents published in the 
Federal Register and related information, including the names of groups 
and individuals who have commented on APHIS dockets, on the Internet at 
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information regarding regulations 
for the importation into the United States of restricted and controlled 
materials, contact Dr. Tracye Butler, Senior Staff Veterinarian, 
Technical Services Unit, National Center for Import and Export, VS, 
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 39, Riverdale, MD 20737-1232; (301) 734-
7476. 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 Restricted and Controlled Animal and Poultry 
Products and Byproducts, Organisms, and Vectors into the United States.
    OMB Number: 0579-0015.
    Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of 
the United States Department of Agriculture regulates the importation 
of certain animal and poultry products and byproducts, organisms, and 
vectors under 9 CFR parts 94, 95, 96, and 122 to prevent the 
introduction and spread of livestock and poultry diseases into the 
United States.
    To accomplish this, we must collect information from a variety of 
individuals, both within and outside the United States, who are 
involved in handling, transporting, and importing these items. 
Collecting this information is critical to our mission of ensuring that 
these imported items do not present a disease risk to the livestock and 
poultry populations of the United States.
    Collecting this information requires us to use a number of forms 
and documents, which are described below.
    VS Form 16-3 (Application for Permit to Import Controlled 
Materials/Import or Transport Organisms or Vectors) is the application 
and agreement form used by individuals seeking a permit.
    VS Form 16-25 (Application for Approval or Report of Inspection of 
Establishments Handling Restricted Animal Byproducts or Controlled 
Materials. This is a dual purpose form. It is an application for U.S. 
establishments requesting approval to handle restricted imported animal 
byproducts and controlled materials. It also serves as a report of 
inspections of establishments to ensure that restricted and controlled 
imports are being handled in compliance with our requirements.
    VS Form 16-26 (Agreement for Handling Restricted Imports of Animal 
Byproducts and Controlled Materials). This is a form signed by an 
operator of a U.S. establishment wishing to handle restricted or 
controlled materials in which the operator agrees to comply with all 
requirements for handling the restricted and controlled materials.
    Certificates. Certain animal and poultry products must have a 
certificate from the national government of the exporting country to be 
eligible for importation into the United States. These certificates are 
required to verify that the animal or poultry products meet the 
sanitary requirements of our regulations (e.g., originated from 
disease-free animals and from animals native to the country of origin, 
or were prepared in a certain manner in an approved establishment).
    The certificate, signed by a full-time salaried veterinary official 
from the country of origin, or other authorized person, provides us 
with information that enables us to determine whether an article meets 
our requirements for importation.
    Seals. Certain animal or poultry products and byproducts must be

[[Page 58121]]

shipped in sealed containers or holds to ensure that the integrity of 
the shipment is not violated. The seals must be numbered, the numbers 
of the seals must be recorded on the government certificate that 
accompanies the shipment, and the seals must not have been tampered 
with. Federal inspectors at ports of entry inspect the seals and verify 
that the seals are intact and that the numbers match those on the 
certificates.
    Compliance agreement, recordkeeping requirements. Certain animal or 
poultry products and byproducts are required to be processed in a 
certain manner in an establishment in a foreign country before being 
exported to the United States. We require an official of the processing 
plant to sign a written agreement prepared by APHIS. By signing this 
agreement, this official certifies that the animal products being 
exported to the United States have been processed in a manner approved 
by APHIS, and that adequate records of these exports are being 
maintained.
    Marking requirements. Before certain animal products may enter the 
United States, they must be marked, with an ink stamp or brand, to 
indicate that the products have originated from an approved meat 
processing establishment and have been inspected by appropriate 
veterinary authorities. The mark is applied to the meat product by 
processing plant personnel.
    Foreign meat inspection certificate for importation of fresh meat 
from regions free of foot-and-mouth disease and rinderpest, but subject 
to certain restrictions due to their proximity to, or trading 
relationships with, regions where foot-and-mouth disease or rinderpest 
exists. This certificate, completed by a veterinary official of the 
exporting region, provides specific information regarding the 
establishment where the animals were slaughtered, the origin of the 
animals, and the processing and handling of the meat or other animal 
products.
    Certification of a national government for importation of pork or 
pork products from a swine vesicular disease-free region. This is a 
statement, completed by a government official of an exporting region, 
certifying that the U.S.-destined pork or pork product originated in a 
region that is free from swine vesicular disease.
    Cleaning and disinfecting methods. This is a letter from veterinary 
officials of an exporting region stating that appropriate cleaning and 
disinfecting methods have been applied to trucks, railroad cars, or 
other means of conveyance used to transport certain animal products 
destined for the United States.
    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 this information collection. 
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 0.39955 hours per response.
    Respondents: Importers, exporters, shippers, foreign animal health 
authorities, owner/operators of establishments (domestic and foreign) 
that handle restricted and controlled materials.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 10,008.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 7.0029.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 70,086.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 28,003 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 September 2004.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E4-2409 Filed 9-28-04; 8:45 am]
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