[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 249 (Tuesday, December 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78385-78386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30501]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2014-0107]


Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an 
Information Collection; Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Importation 
of Animals and Animal Products

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 associated with the regulations for the 
importation of animals and animal products and byproducts to protect 
against the introduction of bovine spongiform encephalopathy into the 
United States.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before March 
2, 2015.

[[Page 78386]]


ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0107.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2014-0107, 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-2014-
0107 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 regulations for 
the importation of animals and animal products and byproducts to 
prevent the introduction of bovine spongiform encephalopathy into the 
United States, contact Dr. Langston Hull, Senior Staff Veterinarian, 
Veterinary Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 39, Riverdale, MD 
20737; (301) 851-3363. For copies of more detailed information on the 
information collection, contact Ms. Kimberly Hardy, APHIS' Information 
Collection Coordinator, at (301) 851-2727.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Importation of Animals and 
Animal Products.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0234.
    Type of Request: Revision to 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 of the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture regulates the importation of animals and 
animal products into the United States to guard against the 
introduction of animal diseases. The regulations in 9 CFR parts 93, 94, 
95, and 96 (referred to below as the regulations) govern the 
importation of certain animals, birds, poultry, meat, other animal 
products and byproducts, hay, and straw into the United States in order 
to prevent the introduction of animal diseases, including bovine 
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a chronic degenerative disease 
affecting the central nervous system of cattle.
    To help ensure that BSE is not introduced into the United States, 
the regulations place specified conditions on the importation of 
certain live ruminants and ruminant products and byproducts. These 
requirements necessitate the use of several information collection 
activities, including Veterinary Services (VS) Form 16-3, permit 
application; certification statements for the importation of ruminants 
and ruminant products; certificate for inedible processed animal origin 
materials and products from BSE-free regions; cooperative service 
agreements with foreign facilities that process and store regulated 
materials and products destined for importation into the United States; 
VS Form 17-33, Animals Imported for Immediate Slaughter; the placing of 
seals on conveyances from the exporting region; agreement with 
slaughter facilities on use of seals on conveyances transporting 
animals from BSE minimal-risk regions; notification regarding 
conditions of sealed shipments; and notification of designated 
individuals authorized to break seals.
    In addition to the above information collection activities, we are 
adding VS Form 17-130, Ruminants Imported to Designated/Approved 
Feedlots; and VS Form 1-27, Permit for Movement of Restricted Animals. 
As a result of adding these two activities and the increase in 
importations from Canada, the estimated annual number of responses has 
increased by 110,463, and the estimated total annual burden on 
respondents has increased by 160,983 hours.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities, as described, 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 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 1 hour per response.
    Respondents: Herd owners, U.S. importers of regulated animal 
products, salaried veterinarians in BSE-free regions and BSE-affected 
regions, foreign exporters of processed animal protein and other 
regulated materials and products, accredited veterinarians, feedlot 
managers, and slaughter facility managers.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 4,500.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 52.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 235,752.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 231,307 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 22nd day of December 2014.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-30501 Filed 12-29-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P