[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 131 (Monday, July 9, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40320-40321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-16607]


 ========================================================================
 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
 appearing in this section.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 131 / Monday, July 9, 2012 / 
Notices  

[[Page 40320]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

 July 2, 2012.
    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 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 and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Treatment of Fruits and Vegetables.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0281.
    Summary of Collection: Under the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 
7701 et seq.) the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to regulate 
the importation of plants, plant product, and other articles to prevent 
the introduction of injurious plant pests. The Phytosanitary treatments 
regulations contained in Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) Part 305 set out standards and schedules for treatments required 
in 7 CFR parts 301, 318, and 319 for articles whose importation could 
introduce plant pests or noxious weeds into the United States or whose 
interstate movement could spread plant pests or noxious weeds within 
the United States. The fruits and vegetables regulations list the 
approved doses for irradiation treatment of imported fruits and 
vegetables including a minimum generic dose for the fruit fly family, 
the minimum dose of irradiation for some specific fruit fly species, 
and provides for the use of irradiation as a treatment for cut flowers 
and foliage.
    Need and Use of the Information: Certain fruits and vegetables 
moved interstate from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands 
must undergo irradiation treatment. These requirements involve 
information collection activities, including the use of permits, 
certificates, request for facility approval, and package marking. If 
this information were not collected, it would seriously affect APHIS' 
ability to ensure that certain fruit and vegetables entering the United 
States from numerous countries do not harbor fruit flies or other 
insect pests that could cause serious damage to American agriculture.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Federal 
Government.
    Number of Respondents: 23.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting; On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 6.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Importation of Baby Corn and Baby Carrots from Zambia.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0284.
    Summary of Collection: Under the Plant Protection Act (PPA) (7 
U.S.C. 7701--et seq.) 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. Regulations authorized by the PPA concerning the importation of 
fruits and vegetables into the United States from certain parts of the 
world are contained in ``Subpart Fruits and Vegetables'' (7 CFR 319.56-
8 through 319.56-50).
    The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulations 
allow the importation into the continental United States of fresh, 
dehusked immature (baby) sweet corn and fresh baby carrots from Zambia. 
As a condition of entry, both commodities are subject to inspection at 
the port of first arrival and must be accompanied by a phytosanitary 
certificate with an additional declaration stating that the commodity 
has been inspected and found free of the quarantine pest listed in the 
certificate.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS requires that some plants or 
plant products are accompanied by a photosanitary inspection 
certificate that is completed by plant health officials in the 
originating or transiting country. APHIS uses the information on the 
certificate to determine the pest condition of the shipment at the time 
of inspection in the foreign country. This information is used as a 
guide to the intensity of the inspection APHIS conducts when the 
shipment arrives. Without this information, all shipments would need to 
be inspected very thoroughly, thereby requiring considerably more time.
    Description of Respondents: Federal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 1.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 1.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Importation of Small Lots of Seeds Without Phytosanitary 
Certificates.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0285.
    Summary of Collection: Under the Plant Protection Act (PPA) (7 
U.S.C.

[[Page 40321]]

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 regulations contained 
in ``Subpart-Plants for Planting'' (7 CFR 319.37-1 through 319.37-14) 
prohibit or restrict, among other things, the importation of living 
plants, plant parts, and seed for propagation. These regulations allow 
small lots of seed to be imported into the United States under an 
import permit with specific conditions, including seed packet labeling, 
as an alternative to a phytosanitary certificate requirement.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS' Plant Protection and 
Quarantine program will issue a permit indicating the applicable 
conditions for importation if, after reviewing the application, the 
articles are deem eligible to be imported into the United States under 
the conditions specified in the permit. Permits would be issued at the 
discretion of APHIS to any importer, whether an individual or an 
organization, who would then send the permit to the overseas supplier. 
A certificate of inspection in the form of a label is required to be 
attached to each carton of the articles and to an airway bill of lading 
or delivery tick accompanying the articles. Each seed packet must be 
clearly labeled with the name of the collector/shipper, the country or 
origin, and the scientific name at least to the genus level, and 
preferably to the species level. Without the information APHIS could 
not verify that imported nursery stock does not present significant 
risk of introducing plant pests and plant disease into the United 
States.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; Business or 
other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 1,600.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 740.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Special Needs Request Under the Plant Protection Act.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0291.
    Summary of Collection: The Plant Protection Act (PPA) (7 U.S.C. 
7701 et seq.) gives authority to the Secretary of Agriculture to 
prohibit or restrict the importation, entry, exportation, or movement 
in interstate commerce of any plant, plant product, biological control 
organism, noxious weed, article, or means of conveyance if the 
Secretary determines that the prohibition or restriction is necessary 
to prevent the introduction of plant pests or noxious weed into the 
United States. The Secretary has delegated this authority to the 
Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS), which administers regulations to implement the PPA. 
Regulations governing the interstate movement of plants, plant 
products, and other articles are contained in 7 CFR part 301, 
``Domestic Quarantine Notices.'' The domestic quarantine regulations is 
a process by which a State or political subdivision of a State can 
request approval to impose prohibitions or restrictions on the movement 
in interstate commerce of specific articles that are in addition to the 
prohibitions and restrictions imposed by APHIS.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS believes that specific 
information, which would be considered along with more general 
information available to APHIS, would be necessary for the 
Administrator to be able to determine whether to grant or deny a 
request for a special need exemption. The administrator's determination 
would be based upon his or her review of the information submitted by 
the State or political subdivision in support of its request and would 
take into account any comments received.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 1.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 160.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-16607 Filed 7-6-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P