[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 167 (Monday, August 29, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 59215]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-20598]
[[Page 59215]]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0715; FRL-9947-07-OEI]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submitted to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Tolerance Petitions for
Pesticides on Food or Feed Crops and New Food Use Inert Ingredients
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: EPA has submitted the following information collection request
(ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and
approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: ``Tolerance
Petitions for Pesticides on Food or Feed Crops and New Food Use Inert
Ingredients'' (EPA ICR No. 0597.12, OMB Control No. 2070-0024). This is
a request to renew the approval of an existing ICR, which is currently
approved through August 31, 2016. EPA did not receive any comments in
response to the previously provided public review opportunity issued in
the Federal Register of December 24, 2015 (80 FR 80357). With this
submission, EPA is providing an additional 30 days for public review.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 28, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OPP-2015-0715, to both EPA and OMB as follows:
[ssquf] To EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our
preferred method) or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental
Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.,
Washington, DC 20460, and
[ssquf] To OMB via email to [email protected]. Address
comments to OMB Desk Officer for EPA.
EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the
public docket without change including any personal information
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other
information for which disclosure is restricted by statute.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amaris Johnson, Field and External
Affairs Division (7506P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460;
telephone number: (703) 305-9542; email address:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Docket: Supporting documents, including the ICR that explains in
detail the information collection activities and the related burden and
cost estimates that are summarized in this document, are available in
the docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at http://www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, West William
Jefferson Clinton Bldg., Rm. 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW.,
Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is (202)
566-1744. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit
http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on August 31,
2016. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or
sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending
at OMB.
Under PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., 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 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: The use of pesticides to increase crop production often
results in pesticide residues in or on the crop. To protect the public
health from unsafe pesticide residues, EPA sets limits on the nature
and level of residues permitted pursuant to section 408 of the Federal
Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). A pesticide may not be used on
food or feed crops unless the Agency has established a tolerance
(maximum residue limit) for the pesticide residues on that crop or
established an exemption from the requirement to have a tolerance.
EPA is responsible for ensuring that the maximum residue levels
likely to be found in or on food/feed are safe for human consumption
through a careful review and evaluation of residue chemistry and
toxicology data. In addition, EPA must ensure that adequate enforcement
of the tolerance can be achieved through the testing of submitted
analytical methods. If the data are adequate for EPA to determine that
there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result from aggregate
exposure, the Agency will establish the tolerance or grant an exemption
from the requirement of a tolerance.
This ICR only applies to the information collection activities
associated with the submission of a petition for a tolerance action.
While EPA is authorized to set pesticide tolerances, the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) is responsible for their enforcement. Food or feed
commodities found to contain pesticide residues in excess of
established tolerances are considered adulterated, are subject to
seizure by FDA, and may result in civil penalties.
Form Numbers: None.
Respondents/affected entities: Pesticide manufacturers, IR-4, and
similar entities.
Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory under FIFRA section
408.
Estimated number of respondents: 165 (total).
Frequency of response: On occasion.
Total estimated burden: 285,128 hours (per year). Burden is defined
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
Total estimated cost: $27,475,223.58 (per year), there is no cost
for capital or operation & maintenance costs.
Changes in the estimates: There is an increase of 48,328 hours in
the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently
approved by OMB. This increase is a result of a change in the estimated
average number of tolerance petitions submitted annually (from 137 to
165), which changes the annual burden hours for respondents. There is
no change in the per tolerance petition burden. This change is an
adjustment.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.
Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2016-20598 Filed 8-26-16; 8:45 am]
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