[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 38 (Monday, February 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11481-11482]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-4560]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2011-0127]


Notice of Request for Approval of an Information Collection; 
Importation of Fresh (Frozen or Chilled) Pork or Pork Products Into the 
United States

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: 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 approval of an information collection associated 
with regulations for the importation of fresh (frozen or chilled) pork 
or pork products into the United States.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before April 
27, 2012.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0127-0001.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2011-0127, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may 
be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2011-
0127 or in our reading room, which 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the importation of 
hams into the United States, contact Dr. Dawn Hunter, Staff 
Veterinarian, Technical Trade Services--Products, NCIE, VS, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 40, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-6245. 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: Title: Importation of Fresh (Frozen or Chilled) Pork or Pork 
Products Into the United States.
    OMB Number: 0579-xxxx.
    Type of Request: Approval of an information collection.
    Abstract: Under the authority of the Animal Health Protection Act 
(7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS) regulates the importation of certain animal and poultry 
products and byproducts to prevent the introduction of pests and 
diseases of livestock and poultry into the United States. These 
regulations are found at 9 CFR parts 94, 95, 96, and 122.
    The regulations require a number of information collection 
activities to prevent the introduction of livestock and poultry 
diseases and pests via the

[[Page 11482]]

importation of animal and poultry products and byproducts, including 
fresh (frozen or chilled) pork and pork products, into the United 
States. For fresh pork and pork products, these include certification 
of the pork or pork products by foreign national governments; 
application of seals; if a seal is broken, information on where and 
why; requests for approval of defrost facilities and for hearings 
regarding denial or termination of approval; applications for importing 
small amounts of pork or pork products for analysis, testing, or 
examination; cooperative service (trust fund) agreements; notifications 
to Federal inspectors of the arrival in the United States of pork or 
pork products from foreign regions; and recordkeeping.
    These activities are currently approved by the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) under OMB control number 0579-0015, which also covers 
information collection activities for a variety of other animal and 
poultry products imported into the United States. We are proposing to 
separate the commodities previously approved under OMB control number 
0579-0015 into individual collections to better reflect the 
commodities' specific collection activities and account for the 
information APHIS collects. Once approved by OMB, only information 
collection activities associated with the importation of nonfood animal 
and poultry products and byproducts will be under OMB control number 
0579-0015. Information collection activities for fresh pork or pork 
products and other commodities now covered under OMB control number 
0579-0015 will receive new numbers when approved.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of the information collection activities related to importation 
of fresh (frozen or chilled) pork or pork products 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 84.96126418 hours per response.
    Respondents: Foreign national governments; shippers' crews; 
inspectors; defrost facility operators; processing facility operators; 
laboratories, museums, and States; and meat processing facility 
operators.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 93.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 66.344086.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 6,170.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 524,211 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 February 2012.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-4560 Filed 2-24-12; 8:45 am]
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