[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 13, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77475-77477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-31862]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

December 7, 2011.
    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments 
regarding (a) 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; (b) the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate

[[Page 77476]]

of burden including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the 
information to be collected; (d) ways to 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 should be addressed to: Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office 
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB), [email protected] or fax (202) 395-5806 and to 
Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, 
DC 20250-7602. Comments regarding these information collections are 
best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of 
this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by 
calling (202) 720-8958.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service

    Title: Select Agent Registration.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0213.
    Summary of Collection: The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism 
Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 were signed into law June 12, 
2002. This law is designed to prevent, prepare for and respond to 
bioterrorism and other public health emergencies. The law requires 
individuals possessing agents or toxins deemed a severe threat to 
animal or plant health, or to animal or plant products, to be 
registered with the Secretary of Agriculture unless they have been 
specifically exempted. The registration process entail the use of a 
number of separate forms designed to obtain critical information 
concerning individuals or facilities in possession of certain agents or 
toxins, as well as the specific characteristics of the agents or 
toxins--including name, strain, and genetic information.
    Need and Use of the Information: The Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS) will collect information to determine the 
biosafety level of an entity as well as the entity's biosecurity 
situation. The collected information will also be used to ensure that 
appropriate safeguard, containment, and disposal requirements 
commensurate with the risk of the agent or toxin are present at the 
entity, thus preventing access to such agents and toxins for use in 
domestic or international terrorism. If the information were not 
collected, APHIS efforts to more aggressively prevent a bioterrorism 
event in the United States would be compromised.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for profit; State, 
Local and Tribal Government; Not-for-profit institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 1,163.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 2,290.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Pale Cyst Nematode; Quarantine and Regulations.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0322.
    Summary of Collection: Under the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 
7701-7772), The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to prohibit or 
restrict the importation, entry, or movement of plants and plant pests 
to prevent the introduction of plant pests into the United States or 
their dissemination within the United States. The Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) amended the ``Domestic Quarantine 
Notices'' in 7 CFR part 301, subpart titled ``Potato Cyst Nematode'' 
(Sec.  .86 through 301.86.9, referred to as the regulations) by 
quarantining parts of Bingham and Bonneville Counties, ID, due to the 
discovery of the Potato Cyst Nematode there and establishing 
restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles from the 
quarantined area.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information 
using certificates, limited permits and compliance agreements to 
prevent the spread of PCN and to ensure that regulated articles can be 
moved safely from the quarantined area without spreading PCN. If APHIS 
did not collect this information, the spread of PCN in the United 
States could result in a loss of domestic or foreign markets for U.S. 
potatoes and other commodities.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 152.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 342.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Importation of Baby Squash and Baby Courgettes from Zambia.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0347.
    Summary of Collection: Under the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C 
7701), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to carry out 
operations or measures to detect, eradicate, suppress, control, 
prevent, or retard the spread of plant pests new to the United States 
or not known to be widely distributed throughout the United States. 
APHIS amended the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the 
importation into the continental United States of baby squash and baby 
courgettes from Zambia. As a condition of entry, both commodities would 
have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach that would 
include requirements for pest exclusion at the production site, fruit 
fly trapping inside and outside the production site, and pest excluding 
packinghouse procedures. Both commodities would also be required to be 
accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional 
declaration stating that the baby squash and baby courgette have been 
produced in accordance with the proposed requirements.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information 
using the following: Physanitary Certificate, Records and Monitoring, 
Labeling on Cartons and Inspection of Greenhouses. Without this 
information, all shipments would need to be inspected very thoroughly, 
thereby requesting considerably more time.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profits; Federal 
Government.
    Number of Respondents: 2.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 4.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Revision of Hawaii and the Territories Fruits.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0346.
    Summary of Collection: Under the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 
7701), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to prohibit or 
restrict the importation, entry or movement of plants and plant pests 
to prevent the introduction of plant pests into the United States or 
their dissemination within the United States. The Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has amended the regulations 
pertaining to the interstate movement of fruits and vegetables to 
consolidate requirements of general applicability and eliminate 
redundant requirements, update terms and remove outdated requirements 
and references, and make various editorial and nonsubstantive changes 
to the regulations to make them easier to use.

[[Page 77477]]

    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will use the following forms 
and activities to collect information: PPQ 530, PPQ 586, PPQ 519, 
Labeling for Pest Free Area, and Inspection & Certification. If APHIS 
did not collect this information or if APHIS collected this information 
less frequently, the spread of dangerous plant diseases and pests that 
occur in Hawaii and the territories could cause millions of dollars in 
damage to U.S. agriculture.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profits; State, 
Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 600.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 8,646.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Importation of Longan from Taiwan.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0351.
    Summary of Collection: Under the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 
7701), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to carry out 
operations or measures to detect, eradicate, suppress, control, 
prevent, or retard the spread of plant pests new to the United States 
or not known to be widely distributed throughout the United States. 
APHIS amended the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the 
importation of commercial shipments of fresh longan with stems from 
Taiwan into the United States. As a condition of entry, the longan will 
be subject to cold treatment and special port-of-arrival inspection 
procedures for certain quarantine pests.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will use the following 
information collection activities to allow the import of commercial 
shipment of fresh longan with stems from Taiwan into the United States: 
Phytosanitary Certificate, Inspection by NPPOs in Taiwan and Stamping 
of Boxes. Failing to collect this information would cripple APHIS 
ability to ensure that longan from Taiwan are not carrying plant pests.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profits; Federal 
Government.
    Number of Respondents: 12,004.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 22.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-31862 Filed 12-12-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P