[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 114 (Monday, June 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34153-34154]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-14661]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0332; FRL-9928-19]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), this 
document announces that EPA is planning to submit an Information 
Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 
The ICR, entitled: Application for New and Amended Pesticide 
Registration and identified by EPA ICR No. 0277.17 and OMB Control No. 
2070-0060, represents the renewal of an existing ICR that is scheduled 
to expire on February 29, 2016. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for 
review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of 
the proposed information collection that is summarized in this 
document. The ICR and accompanying material are available in the docket 
for public review and comment.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 14, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0332, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit 
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute.
     Mail: OPP Docket, Environmental Protection Agency Docket 
Center (EPA/DC), (28221T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 
20460-0001.
     Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand 
delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the 
instructions at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
    Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along 
with more information about dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lily G. Negash, Field & External 
Affairs Division (7506P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 347-8515; email address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. What information is EPA particularly interested in?

    Pursuant to PRA section 3506(c)(2)(A) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), 
EPA specifically solicits comments and information to enable it to:
    1. Evaluate whether the proposed 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 the Agency's estimates of the burden of 
the proposed 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.
    4. 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, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from 
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of 
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork 
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.

II. What information collection activity or ICR does this action apply 
to?

    Title: Application for New and Amended Pesticide Registration.
    ICR number: EPA ICR No. 0277.17.
    OMB control number: OMB Control No. 2070-0060.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on February 
29,

[[Page 34154]]

2016. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not 
required to respond to, a collection of information, unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's 
regulations in title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), after 
appearing in the Federal Register when approved, are listed in 40 CFR 
part 9, are displayed either by publication in the Federal Register or 
by other appropriate means, such as on the related collection 
instrument or form, if applicable. The display of OMB control numbers 
for certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: This ICR renewal will allow EPA to collect necessary data 
to evaluate an application of a pesticide product as required under 
section 3 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act 
(FIFRA), and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as 
amended by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of August 3, 1996. 
Under FIFRA, EPA must evaluate pesticides thoroughly before they can be 
marketed and used in the United States, to ensure that they will not 
pose unreasonable adverse effects to human health and the environment. 
Pesticides that meet this test are granted a license or 
``registration'' which permits their distribution, sale and use 
according to requirements set by EPA to protect human health and the 
environment.
    The producer of the pesticide must provide data from tests done 
according to EPA guidelines or other test methods that provide 
acceptable data. These tests must determine whether a pesticide has the 
potential to cause adverse effects on humans, wildlife, fish and 
plants, including endangered species and non-target organisms, as well 
as possible contamination of surface water or groundwater from 
leaching, runoff and spray drift. EPA also must approve the language 
that appears on each pesticide label. A pesticide product can only be 
used according to the directions on the labeling accompanying it at the 
time of sale, through its use and disposal. Responses to the collection 
of information are mandatory (see 40 CFR 152).
    Respondents may claim all or part of a notice as CBI. EPA will 
disclose information that is covered by a CBI claim only to the extent 
permitted by, and in accordance with, the procedures in 40 CFR part 2.
    Burden statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to range from 14 
hours to 646 hours per response for registration application 
activities, and from 520 hours to 45,000 hours per response for 
activities associated with data generation. Burden is defined in 5 CFR 
1320.3(b).
    The ICR, which is available in the docket along with other related 
materials, provides a detailed explanation of the collection activities 
and the burden estimate that is only briefly summarized here:
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this ICR are individuals or entities engaged in activities related to 
the registration of pesticide products.
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 1,751.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 1,524,893 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $108,720,767. This includes an 
estimated burden cost of $12,471,401 for the pesticide application 
process, $96,249,367 for data generation, and no cost for capital 
investment or maintenance and operational costs.

III. Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

    Overall, there is a difference of 1,356,689 hours in the total 
estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in the 
current ICR approved by OMB. This change reflects EPA's updating of the 
methodology used to estimate the paperwork burden, and including a 
previously unaccounted for burden for study data generation. However, 
there is a decrease of approximately 23,000 hours in the total 
estimated respondent burden for the registration application process 
compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB. 
This decrease reflects EPA's receipt of fewer number of applications. 
This change is an adjustment.

IV. What is the next step in the process for this ICR?

    EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as 
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for 
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. EPA will issue another 
Federal Register document pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to 
announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit 
additional comments to OMB. If you have any questions about this ICR or 
the approval process, please contact the person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Authority:  44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

    Dated: June 9, 2015.
James Jones,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2015-14661 Filed 6-12-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P