[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 134 (Friday, July 14, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32528-32529]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-14812]


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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. 82, No. 134 / Friday, July 14, 2017 / 
Notices  

[[Page 32528]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2017-0034]


Notice of Request for Approval of an Information Collection; 
Changes to the National Poultry Improvement Plan Program Standards

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: New 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 approval of a new information collection 
associated with changes we are making to the National Poultry 
Improvement Plan Program Standards pertaining to the 
compartmentalization of primary poultry breeding establishments and 
approval of compartment components such as farms, feedmills, 
hatcheries, and egg depots.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
September 12, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2017-0034.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2017-0034, 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-2017-
0034 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 National 
Poultry Improvement Plan Program Standards, contact Dr. Denise Brinson, 
DVM, Senior Coordinator, National Poultry Improvement Plan, VS, APHIS, 
USDA, 1506 Klondike Road, Suite 101, Conyers, GA 30094-5104; (770) 922-
3496. For copies of more detailed information on the information 
collection, contact Ms. Kimberly Hardy, APHIS' Information Collection 
Coordinator, at (301) 851-2483.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Changes to the National Poultry Improvement Plan Program 
Standards.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-XXXX.
    Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
    Abstract: The National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) is a 
voluntary Federal-State-industry mechanism for controlling certain 
poultry diseases and for improving poultry breeding flocks and products 
through disease control techniques.
    The cooperative work is carried out through Memoranda of 
Understanding with the participating States. Specific NPIP provisions 
are contained at parts 56, 145, 146, and 147 of Title 9, Code of 
Federal Regulations. Veterinary Services (VS) within the Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) administers these regulations.
    The NPIP has an existing information collection under Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval number 0579-0007. This 
supplemental information collection, which will be merged into 0579-
0007 at its next renewal, covers activities added by amending the NPIP 
Program Standards.
    On July 12, 2016, we published a notice \1\ in the Federal Register 
(81 FR 45121-45122, Docket No. APHIS-2016-0013) advising the public 
that we had prepared updates to the NPIP Program Standards. 
Specifically, we proposed to add provisions for compartmentalization of 
primary poultry breeding establishments and approval of compartment 
components, such as farms, feedmills, hatcheries, and egg depots. These 
proposed provisions included requirements for applying for 
compartmentalization of facilities and for facility design and 
management, as well as an outline of the auditing system APHIS proposed 
to use to evaluate compartments and their component operations.
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    \1\ To view the notice and comments we received, go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2016-0013.
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    Compartmentalization is a procedure a country may implement to 
define and manage animal subpopulations of distinct health status and a 
common biosecurity program within its territory, in accordance with the 
guidelines in the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) 
Terrestrial Animal Health Code for the purpose of disease control and 
international trade. Compartmentalization may also enable continued 
interstate movement of breeding stock to domestic customers and 
operations if future low pathogenic avian influenza and/or highly 
pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks occur.
    Under the amended NPIP Standards proposed in the July 2016 notice, 
APHIS would recognize companies and associated entities as compartments 
on its receipt and review of application forms. These forms would be 
reviewed and signed by the Official State Agency administering the NPIP 
on APHIS' behalf at the State level and approved by the NPIP national 
office. Once the application was approved, an auditor would be assigned 
to assess and inspect all components of the compartment. If all 
components passed inspection, NPIP would notify the company of its 
compartment certification and the list of certified components within 
the compartment. Recertification of components would take place every 
year.
    Prospective auditors would have to meet defined criteria and apply 
to the NPIP for acceptance as certified auditors to conduct assessments 
of prospective compartments.
    In the July 2016 notice we indicated that in accordance with 
section 3507(d) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), we had determined that there were reporting and recordkeeping 
burdens associated with the proposed compartmentalization requirements. 
We also stated that we would publish a

[[Page 32529]]

separate document in the Federal Register announcing our determination 
of burden and soliciting comments on it.
    APHIS is asking OMB to approve, for 3 years, its use of these 
information collection activities in connection with APHIS' efforts to 
continually improve the health of the U.S. poultry population and the 
quality of U.S. poultry products.
    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: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 2.22 hours per response.
    Respondents: Official State Agencies, prospective auditors, 
certified auditors, and breeding-hatchery companies and associated 
entities.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 25.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 26.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses: 660.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,463 hours.
    (Due to rounding, the total annual burden hours may not equal the 
product of the annual number of responses multiplied by the average 
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, on July 10, 2017.
Michael C. Gregoire,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-14812 Filed 7-13-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P