[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 250 (Monday, December 31, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77003-77004]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-31346]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 250 / Monday, December 31, 2012 / 
Notices  

[[Page 77003]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2012-0083]


Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an 
Information Collection; Animal Disease Traceability Information 
Systems, Agreements, and Reports

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revision to 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 request a revision to and extension of approval of an 
information collection that will help the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service to strengthen its animal disease prevention and 
response capabilities.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before March 
1, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0083-0001.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2012-0083, 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-2012-
0083 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) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the animal disease 
traceability data systems, contact Mr. Neil Hammerschmidt, Program 
Manager, Animal Disease Traceability, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 
200, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-3539. 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: Animal Disease Traceability Information Systems, Agreements, 
and Reports.
    OMB Number: 0579-0259.
    Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an 
information collection.
    Abstract: Under the Animal Health Protection Act (AHPA, 7 U.S.C. 
8301 et seq.), the Secretary of Agriculture has the authority to issue 
orders and promulgate regulations to prevent the introduction into the 
United States and the dissemination within the United States of any 
pest or disease of livestock. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service's (APHIS') regulations in 9 CFR subchapter B govern cooperative 
programs to control and eradicate communicable diseases of livestock. 
The regulations in 9 CFR subchapter C establish requirements for the 
interstate movement of livestock to prevent the dissemination of 
diseases of livestock within the United States. Knowing where diseased 
and at-risk animals are, where they have been, and when, is 
indispensable in emergency response and in ongoing disease control and 
eradication programs. To provide a system that could provide for animal 
traceability, APHIS developed the Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) 
framework and ADT information systems. The basic data APHIS acquires 
through the ADT information systems will help APHIS obtain timely 
information on animal movement tracebacks and trace forwards when 
responding to an animal disease of concern.
    The framework for ADT provides the basic tenets of an improved 
animal disease traceability capability in the United States and will 
only apply to animals moved in interstate commerce, be administered by 
the States and Tribal Nations to provide more flexibility, encourage 
the use of lower-cost technology, and be implemented transparently 
through Federal regulations. APHIS is adopting these tenets for animal 
disease traceability while using investments previously made on 
information systems, such as official animal identification devices and 
other areas where States and Tribes had achieved progress through 
cooperative agreements.
    The ADT information systems involve a number of previously approved 
collection and recordkeeping activities, including animal 
identification; premises registration; nonproducer participant 
registration; updates submitted by animal identification number 
manufacturers and managers; cooperative agreements; cooperative 
agreement applications; cooperator (State/Tribe) quarterly 
accomplishment reports; and an identification number management system. 
These information collection activities were approved by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) under control number 0579-0259. The ADT 
information systems require updates to information provided. In 
addition, producers and operators of feedlots, markets, buying 
stations, and slaughter plants will have to maintain records associated 
with their animal movement activities for 2 to 5 years, although these 
records are already routinely maintained by these entities.
    Other activities are being discontinued. APHIS has discontinued the 
evaluation and listing of animal tracking databases since the activity 
is now managed by the States and Tribes. APHIS no longer requires 
reporting of animal movements to premises, so we no longer track 
individual and group/lot movement records, resulting in a 450,000-hour 
decrease in the overall burden. APHIS has removed the animal tracking 
database and movement record entries from the forms of burden. APHIS 
will no longer require producers to file quarterly progress reports. 
Finally, APHIS has consolidated its tracking methods for issuance of 
the various forms of identification. The overall result of 
discontinuing many of the previously approved activities has led to an 
overall decrease in estimated annual

[[Page 77004]]

burden on respondents from 2,832,437 hours to 47,051 hours. In 
addition, the estimated annual number of respondents has decreased from 
500,472 to 106,890.
    We are asking OMB to approve our use of these information 
collection activities for an additional 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 information collection 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 0.44 hours per response.
    Respondents: State and Tribal animal health authorities; animal 
producers; operators of markets, buying stations, and feedlots; 
laboratory staff; device manufacturers; and slaughter plant personnel.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 60,315.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.77.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 106,890.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 47,051 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 20th day of December, 2012 .
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-31346 Filed 12-28-12; 8:45 am]
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