[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 101 (Thursday, May 26, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30410-30411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-2671]


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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. 70, No. 101 / Thursday, May 26, 2005 / 
Notices  

[[Page 30410]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 05-028-1]


Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information 
Collection; National Animal Identification System

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 a national animal identification system.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before July 
25, 2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either 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. 
05-028-1, 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. 05-028-1.

    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 on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the national animal 
identification system, contact Mr. Neil Hammerschmidt, Animal 
Identification Coordinator, Eradication and Surveillance Team, National 
Center for Animal Health Programs, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 43, 
Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-5571. 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: National Animal Identification System.
    OMB Number: 0579-0259.
    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 (USDA) regulates the importation and 
interstate movement of animals and animal products and conducts various 
other activities to protect the health of our Nation's livestock and 
poultry.
    Animal disease outbreaks around the globe over the past decade, and 
the detection of an imported cow infected with bovine spongiform 
encephalopathy in Washington State in December 2003, have intensified 
the public interest in developing a national animal identification 
program for the purpose of protecting animal health.
    Fundamental to controlling any disease threat, foreign or domestic, 
to the Nation's animal resources is to have a system that can identify 
individual animals or groups, the premises where they are located, and 
the date of entry to each premises. Further, in order to achieve 
optimal success in controlling or eradicating an animal health threat, 
the timely retrieval of this information and implementation of 
intervention strategies after confirmation of a disease outbreak is 
necessary.
    While there is currently no nationwide animal identification system 
in the United States for all animals of a given species, some segments 
of certain species are required to be identified as part of current 
program disease eradication activities. In addition, some significant 
regional voluntary identification programs are in place, and others are 
currently being developed and tested.
    In 2004, USDA launched a limited pilot program that enabled States 
and tribes to initiate experimental animal and premises identification 
projects and to conduct trials and research to develop, test, and offer 
solutions for administering animal identification and collecting animal 
movement data. The pilot program has concluded.
    A national animal identification system is being implemented by 
USDA at present on a voluntary basis. It is intended to identify all 
livestock, as well as record their movements over the course of their 
lifespans. USDA's goal is to create an effective, uniform, consistent, 
and efficient system that, when fully implemented, will allow traces to 
be completed within 48 hours of detection of a disease, ensuring rapid 
containment of the disease.
    This system will also be crucial as USDA works to complete 
eradication programs in which States, industry, and the Federal 
Government have invested many years and millions of dollars. USDA is 
committed to developing a program that is tested both on the farm and 
in the livestock markets to ensure it is both practical and effective. 
USDA's technology-neutral position will allow industry to determine 
which animal identification method or methods are the most practical 
and effective for each species.
    This national system will not require additional identification for 
animals already required to be identified as part of current disease 
eradication programs, but will replace or supplement various systems 
currently being used. It may, in fact, simplify the animal 
identification requirements in many cases, since a national system 
would provide for a single identification number for each animal rather 
than multiple numbers for different programs.
    The national animal identification program involves a number of 
information collection and recordkeeping activities, including

[[Page 30411]]

nonproducer participant, individual animal, and animal group 
identifications; premises identifications; individual transaction 
records; group/lot movement records; a national animal identification 
implementation workplan submitted by participants applying for routine 
implementation funds; and a quarterly accomplishments report so that 
APHIS can track the progress of their various implementation projects 
and activities.
    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: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 0.2039184 hours per response.
    Respondents: State animal health authorities; federally recognized 
tribal governments; owners/operators of feedlots, markets, buying 
stations, and slaughter plants; producers; and nonproducer 
participants, such as accredited veterinarians, animal identification 
(ID) number managers (individuals or firms responsible for assigning 
animal ID numbers to producers), animal ID companies (companies that 
manufacture animal ID tags, microchips, or other animal ID devices), 
third party service providers (companies that provide herd management, 
dairy herd improvement, genetic evaluation, and other services to 
producers), and diagnostic laboratories and livestock buyers/dealers 
who submit data to the national database.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 250,000.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 5.002.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 1,250,000.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 255,000 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.)

    Done in Washington, DC, this 20th day of May 2005.
Elizabeth E. Gaston,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E5-2671 Filed 5-25-05; 8:45 am]
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