[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 18, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71683-71685]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-24512]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0298; FRL-8507-9]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Certification of Pesticide 
Applicators; EPA ICR No. 0155.09, OMB Control No. 2070-0029

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)(44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection 
Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing 
approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the 
nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before January 17, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPP-
2007-0298, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method), by e-mail to [email protected], or by mail to: OPP Regulatory 
Public Docket (7502P), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001, and (2) OMB by mail to: Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph Hogue, Field and External 
Affairs Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, (7506P), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: 703-308-9072; fax number: 703-305-5884; e-mail 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12.

[[Page 71684]]

On June 13, 2007 (72 FR 32640), EPA sought comments on this ICR 
pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. Any additional 
comments on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days 
of this notice.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0298, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the OPP Regulatory Public 
Docket in Rm. S-4400, One Potomac Yard (South Building), 2777 S. 
Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA. The hours of operation of this Docket 
Facility are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding 
legal holidays. The Docket telephone number is (703) 305-5805.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at 
www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those 
documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the 
system, select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number 
identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public 
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made 
available for public viewing at www.regulations.gov as EPA receives 
them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted 
material, Confidential Business Information (CBI), or other information 
whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For further 
information about the electronic docket, go to www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Certification of Pesticide Applicators.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 0155.09, OMB Control No. 2070-0029.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2007. 
Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor 
the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 
An Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to 
respond to, a collection of information, unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's regulations 
in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when 
approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed either by 
publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such 
as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The 
display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is 
consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: This ICR is designed to provide EPA with the information 
necessary to oversee training and certification programs for 
applicators of restricted use pesticides. In addition, it will provide 
EPA with information on training activities imposed on registrants of 
pesticide products which assert claims to inactivate bacillus anthracis 
(anthrax) spores, (referred to as ``anthrax-related products''). FIFRA 
allows the EPA to classify a pesticide as ``restricted use'' if the 
pesticide meets certain toxicity or risk criteria. Restricted use 
pesticides, because of their potential to harm human health or the 
environment, may be applied only by a certified applicator or by a 
person under the direct supervision of a certified applicator. A person 
must meet certain standards of competency to become a certified 
applicator. States can be delegated the certified applicator program, 
but it must be approved by the Agency before it can be implemented. In 
non-participating entities, EPA administers the certification program.
    Annual reports from the states are used as a monitoring tool to 
develop overall data on pesticide activities for OMB, Congress, and 
others; to distribute EPA grant funds to participating states, to 
target enforcement activities, and to revise certification and training 
program emphasis and requirements. An application form is used to 
obtain vital information from persons applying for Federal 
certification, such as name and address, and to schedule applicators 
for Federal certification or re-certification in Navajo Indian Country. 
Dealer records are necessary to ensure that access to restricted use 
pesticides is limited to certified applicators. A detailed record of 
each application of a restricted use pesticide is required for 
certified commercial applicators. Without these records it would often 
be difficult to successfully enforce against misuse. The information on 
registrant training for anthrax-related products will help assure that 
applications of those products are performed safely, effectively and in 
accordance with the requirements of federal, state and local 
authorities. Responses to this ICR are mandatory. The authority for 
this information collection activity is provided under sections 3(d) 
and 11 of FIFRA and 40 CFR part 171.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 77.4 
hours for annual reports by states on their certification and training 
programs, 0.17 hours for completion of the EPA application form for 
certified applicators in federal programs, 3.1 hours for record-keeping 
of restricted use pesticide applications by commercial applicators, 25 
hours for training and examination materials by registrants of anthrax-
related products, and 18.5 hours for record-keeping of sale, use, and 
training of applicators of anthrax-related products, per response. 
Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide 
information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed 
to review instructions; develop, acquire, install, and utilize 
technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and 
verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and 
disclosing and providing information; adjust the existing ways to 
comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements 
which have subsequently changed; train personnel to be able to respond 
to a collection of information; search data sources; complete and 
review the collection of information; and transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Pesticide applicators on farms, 
commercial services applicators, State/Tribal pesticide lead agencies, 
pesticide dealers, pesticide and other agricultural chemical 
manufacturers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 421,095.
    Frequency of Response: Annually for State reports; once every 3 
years for application for certification/re-certification; on occasion 
for commercial applicator recordkeeping, and for anthrax-related 
training materials and recordkeeping.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1,309,751.
    Estimated Total Annual Labor Cost: $39,703,211.
    Changes in the Estimates: The total estimated respondent burden for 
this renewal ICR reflects a net decrease of 1,617 hours related to 2 
small program changes and adjustments to the previous estimate. The 
significant adjustment increase in the number of responses is primarily 
due to a change in counting the number of responses verses respondents. 
The first program change is adoption of the private applicator and 
dealer recordkeeping programs by the State of Colorado. Colorado 
already administered the commercial applicator program. The second 
program change pertains to the new training and recordkeeping burdens 
that are expected to be imposed on registrants of anthrax-related 
products via registration terms and conditions.


[[Page 71685]]


    Dated: December 12, 2007.
Sara Hisel-McCoy,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E7-24512 Filed 12-17-07; 8:45 am]
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