[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 19 (Tuesday, January 31, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8842-8843]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-02123]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-MB-2017-N013; FF09M21200-167-FXMB1231099BPP0L2]


Information Collection Request Sent to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for Approval; Approval Procedures for Nontoxic Shot 
and Shot Coatings

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information 
Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. We summarize 
the ICR below and describe the nature of the collection and the 
estimated burden and cost. This information collection is scheduled to 
expire on January 31, 2017. We 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. However, under OMB 
regulations, we may continue to conduct or sponsor this information 
collection while it is pending at OMB.

DATES: You must submit comments on or before March 2, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments and suggestions on this information 
collection to the Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior at 
OMB-OIRA at (202) 395-5806 (fax) or [email protected] (email). 
Please provide a copy of your comments to the Service Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS BPHC, 
5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 (mail), or 
[email protected] (email). Please include ``1018-0067'' in the 
subject line of your comments. You may review the ICR online at http://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to review Department of the 
Interior collections under review by OMB.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madonna Baucum, at 
[email protected] (email) or (703) 358-2503 (telephone).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract:

    The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.) 
prohibits the unauthorized take of migratory birds and authorizes the 
Secretary of the Interior to regulate take of migratory birds in the 
United States. Under this authority, we control the hunting of 
migratory game birds through regulations in 50 CFR part 20. On January 
1, 1991, we banned lead shot for hunting waterfowl and coots in the 
United States.
    Regulations at 50 CFR 20.134 outline the application and approval 
process for new types of nontoxic shot. When considering approval of a 
candidate material as nontoxic, we must ensure that it is not hazardous 
in the environment and that secondary exposure (ingestion of spent shot 
or its components) is not a hazard to migratory birds. To make that 
decision, we require each applicant to provide information about the 
solubility and toxicity of the candidate material. Additionally, for 
law enforcement purposes, a noninvasive field detection device must be 
available to distinguish candidate shot from lead shot. This 
information constitutes the bulk of an application for approval of 
nontoxic shot. The Director uses the data in the application to decide 
whether or not to approve a material as nontoxic.

[[Page 8843]]

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1018-0067.
    Title: Approval Procedures for Nontoxic Shot and Shot Coatings (50 
CFR 20.134).
    Expiration Date: January 31, 2017.
    Service Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Extension of currently approved collection.
    Description of Respondents: Businesses that produce and/or market 
approved nontoxic shot types or nontoxic shot coatings.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 1.
    Completion Time per Response: 3,200 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,200 hours.
    Estimated Annual Non-hour Cost Burden: $26,630 ($1,630 application 
processing fee and $25,000 for solubility testing).

III. Comments

    On November 17, 2016, we published in the Federal Register (81 FR 
81153) a notice of our intent to request that OMB renew approval for 
this information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 
60 days, ending on January 17, 2017. We received the following comments 
in response to the notice:
    Comment 1: Olin/Winchester Ammunition requested clarification on 
the intent of our notice of intent.
    Service Response: The purpose of our notice was to inform the 
public of our intent to renew this information collection requirement 
and to invite comments concerning the current information collection 
burden (specific information sought further spelled out below).
    Comment 2: A commenter questioned the estimated burden of 3,200 
hours.
    Service Response: Our current estimate of burden comes from over 25 
years of experience dealing with nontoxic shot applications and the 
companies preparing them.
    Comment 3: The American Veterinary Medical Association expressed 
support for the information collection. Additionally, they encouraged 
us to change our terminology of ``nontoxic shot and shot coatings'' to 
``nontoxic ammunition and ammunition coatings'' thereby being more 
inclusive of ammunition types
    Service Response: We understand the desire to be more inclusive; 
however, our authority under the MBTA authorizes the Secretary of the 
Interior to regulate the take of migratory birds in the United States. 
Under this authority, we promulgate regulations controlling the hunting 
of migratory game birds through regulations in 50 CFR part 20. We do 
not have any authority over general nontoxic ammunition and ammunition 
coatings, only that which is used for the hunting and take of migratory 
birds.
    We again invite comments concerning this information collection on:
     Whether or not the collection of information is necessary, 
including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
     The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this 
collection of information;
     Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. Before including your address, phone number, email 
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you 
should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal 
identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. 
While you can ask OMB in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that it 
will be done.

Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy, Performance, and Management Programs, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-02123 Filed 1-30-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P