[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 64 (Wednesday, April 2, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17973-17975]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-6672]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0191; FRL-8355-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Application for New and Amended Pesticide 
Registration; EPA ICR No. 0277.15, OMB Control No. 2070-0060

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 EPA is planning to 
submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection 
Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR, 
entitled: ``Application for New and Amended Pesticide Registration'' 
and identified by EPA ICR No. 0277.15 and OMB Control No. 2070-0060, is 
scheduled to expire on November 30, 2008. Before submitting the ICR to 
OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific 
aspects of the proposed information collection.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 2, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0191, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) Regulatory Public 
Docket (7502P), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
     Delivery: OPP Regulatory Public Docket (7502P), 
Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. S-4400, One Potomac Yard (South 
Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. Deliveries are only 
accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation (8:30 a.m. to 4 
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays). Special 
arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information. The 
Docket Facility telephone number is (703) 305-5805.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-
2008-0191. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the docket without change and may be made available on-line at 
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you 
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through regulations.gov or e-
mail. The regulations.gov website is an ``anonymous access'' system, 
which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information 
unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-
mail comment directly to EPA without going through regulations.gov, 
your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part 
of the comment that is placed in the docket and made available on the 
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you 
include your name and other contact information in the body of your 
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the docket index 
available in regulations.gov. To access the electronic docket, go to 
http://www.regulations.gov, select ``Advanced Search,'' then ``Docket 
Search.'' Insert the docket ID number where indicated and select the 
``Submit'' button. Follow the instructions on the regulations.gov

[[Page 17974]]

website to view the docket index or access available documents. 
Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly 
available, e.g., CBI or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted 
material, is not placed on the Internet and will be publicly available 
only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are 
available either in the electronic docket at http://www.regulations.gov, or, if only available in hard copy, at the OPP 
Regulatory Public Docket in Rm. S-4400, One Potomac Yard (South Bldg.), 
2777 S. Crystal Dr., 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 Facility telephone number is (703) 
305-5805.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cameo Smoot, Field and External 
Affairs Division (7506P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 305-5454; fax number: (703) 305-5884; e-
mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. What Information is EPA Particularly Interested in?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of PRA, EPA specifically solicits 
comments and information to enable it to:
    1. Evaluate whether the proposed 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 the Agency's estimates of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used.
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected.
    4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from 
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of 
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork 
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.

II. What Should I Consider when I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific 
examples.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.
    6. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    7. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.
    8. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page 
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.

III. What Information Collection Activity or ICR Does this Action Apply 
to?

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes 
assigned to the parties responding to this information, which are 
pesticide, fertilizer, and other agricultural chemical manufacturing 
(325300).
    Title: Application for New and Amended Pesticide Registration.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 0277.15, OMB Control No. 2070-0060.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on November 
30, 2008. 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 data collection program is designed to provide EPA 
with necessary data to evaluate an application of a pesticide product 
as required under section 3 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act 
(FFDCA), as amended. Under FIFRA, EPA must evaluate pesticides 
thoroughly before they can be marketed and used in the United States to 
ensure that they will not pose unreasonable adverse effects to human 
health and the environment. Pesticides that meet this test are granted 
a license or ``registration'' which permits their distribution, sale, 
and use according to requirements set by EPA to protect human health 
and the environment. An individual or entity wanting to obtain a 
registration for a pesticide product must submit an application package 
consisting of information relating to the identity and composition of 
the product, proposed labeling, and supporting data (or compensation 
for others' data) for the product as outlined in 40 CFR part 158. EPA 
bases registration decisions for pesticides on its evaluation of a 
battery of test data provided primarily by applicants for registration. 
Required studies include testing to show whether a pesticide has the 
potential to cause unreasonable adverse human health or environmental 
effects. The Agency currently collects data on physical chemistry, 
toxicology, environmental fate, ecological effects, worker exposure, 
residue chemistry, environmental chemistry, and product performance. If 
EPA's evaluation of the data shows that the statutory requirements of 
FIFRA are met, then a registration is approved. Under FIFRA all 
pesticides must be registered by EPA before they may be sold or 
distributed in U.S. commerce.
    Burden statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to range between 
14 to 646 hours 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.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of this estimate, which is 
only briefly summarized here:

[[Page 17975]]

    Estimated total number of respondents: 2,100.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Estimated total average burden per response: Ranges from 14 to 646; 
depending on type of registration activity.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 75,922 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $ 5,561,258.

IV. Are There Changes in the Estimates from the Last Approval?

    There is a decrease of 77,052 hours (from 152,974 to 75,922) in the 
total estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in the 
ICR currently approved by OMB. This decrease reflects a decline in the 
number of estimated responses, and is due, in part, to EPA's enhanced 
ability to more accurately track registration activities via upgraded 
database systems. This enhancement has enabled EPA to identify and 
eliminate some double-counting of submitted responses. This change is 
an adjustment.

V. What is the Next Step in the Process for this ICR?

    EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as 
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for 
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. EPA will issue another 
Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce 
the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit 
additional comments to OMB. If you have any questions about this ICR or 
the approval process, please contact the person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.


    Dated: March 24, 2008.
James B. Gulliford,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic 
Substances.

[FR Doc. E8-6672 Filed 4-1-08; 8:45 am]
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