[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 80 (Tuesday, April 26, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23272-23273]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-10088]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2011-0014]


Notice of Revision and Request for Extension of Approval of an 
Information Collection; Trichinae Certification Program

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revision and 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 revise an information collection associated with the 
voluntary Trichinae Certification Program and to request extension of 
approval of the information collection to enhance the ability of U.S. 
pork producers to export pork and pork products to overseas markets.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before June 
27, 2011.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2011-0014 to submit or view comments and 
to view supporting and related materials available electronically.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send one copy of 
your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2011-0014, Regulatory Analysis and 
Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to 
Docket No. APHIS-2011-0014.
    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: Additional information about APHIS and its 
programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the Trichinae 
Certification Program, contact Dr. Dave Pyburn, Staff Veterinarian, 
Aquaculture, Swine, Equine, and Poultry Programs, VS, APHIS, 210 Walnut 
Street, Room 891, Des Moines, IA 50309; (515) 284-4122. For copies of 
more detailed information on the information collection, contact Mrs. 
Celeste Sickles, APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 
851-2908.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Trichinae Certification Program.
    OMB Number: 0579-0323.
    Type of Request: Revision and extension of approval of an 
information collection.
    Abstract: Under the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et 
seq.), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is authorized, among other 
things, to prohibit or restrict the interstate movement of animals and 
animal products to prevent the dissemination within the United States 
of animal diseases and pests of livestock and to conduct programs to 
detect, control, and eradicate pests and diseases of livestock. In 
addition, under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1622), 
the APHIS

[[Page 23273]]

Administrator has authority with respect to voluntary inspection and 
certification of animal products and the inspection, testing, 
treatment, and certification of animals.
    APHIS regulations in 9 CFR part 149 contain certification 
requirements for the voluntary Trichinae Certification Program, a 
cooperative effort by APHIS and the U.S. pork industry. The program is 
intended to enhance the ability of swine producers, as well as 
slaughter facilities and other persons that handle or process swine 
from pork production sites that have been certified under the program, 
to export fresh pork and products to foreign markets.
    The current collection activities for the certification program 
include animal disposal plans, animal movement records, feed mill 
quality assurance affidavits, logbooks, recordkeeping, test results, 
documented procedures at slaughter facilities for certified swine and 
edible pork products, and written procedures at approved laboratories 
that pertain to the performance of process-verification testing. Other 
activities being combined with the current collection are spot audits; 
notification to APHIS of program withdrawal; and requests to APHIS for 
temporary program withdrawal, review of audit results or other 
determination, and certification site audits. Although we will collect 
additional information, we project our burden to decrease due to the 
decrease in the number of annual respondents.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities for 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 
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; 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 0.5280 hours per response.
    Respondents: Auditors (accredited veterinarians and State animal 
health officials), pork producers, mill managers, slaughter facility 
personnel, and personnel from approved laboratories.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 1,250.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 11.3512.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 14,189.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 7,492 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 21st day of April 2011.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-10088 Filed 4-25-11; 8:45 am]
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