[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 8, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20812-20813]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09774]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0619; FRL-9973-40]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Renewal of an 
Existing 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: ``Pesticide Program Public Sector Collections (FIFRA 
Sections 18 & 24(c))'' and identified by EPA ICR No. 2311.03 and OMB 
Control No. 2070-0182, represents the renewal of an existing ICR that 
is scheduled to expire on October 31, 2018. 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 April 30, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0619, 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

[[Page 20813]]

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: Connie Hernandez, Field and External 
Affairs Division (7506P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 605-5190; 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: Pesticide Program Public Sector Collections (FIFRA Sections 
18 & 24(c)).
    ICR number: EPA ICR No. 2311.03.
    OMB control number: OMB Control No. 2070-0182.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on October 
31, 2018. 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 covers the paperwork burden associated with two 
types of pesticide registration requests made by states, U.S. 
Territories, or Federal agencies under the Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. 136a et seq.: (1) 
Emergency exemption requests, which allow for an unregistered use of a 
pesticide; and (2) Requests by states to register a pesticide use to 
meet a special local need (SLN).
    FIFRA section 18 allows EPA to grant emergency exemptions to 
states, U.S. Territories, and Federal agencies to allow an unregistered 
of a pesticide for a limited time if EPA determines that emergency 
conditions exists. Section 18 requests include unregistered pesticide 
use exemptions for specific agricultural, public health and quarantine 
purposes. FIFRA section 24(c) allows EPA to grant permission to a 
particular state to register additional uses of a federally registered 
pesticide for distribution and use within that state to meet a SLN.
    Burden statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this combined collection of information is estimated to 
average 25,753 hours per response. 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 pesticides registrants, which may be identified by North 
American Classification System (NAICS) codes 325320 (pesticide and 
other agricultural chemical manufacturing), and 9241 (governments that 
administer environmental quality programs).
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 669.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 25,753 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $1,829,103. There are no capital 
operation & maintenance costs associated with this information 
collection.

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

    For Section 18, there is a decrease of 4,158 hours in the total 
estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR 
currently approved by OMB. This decrease corresponds with a decrease in 
the average number of Section 18s requested per year, from 185 to143. 
This change is an adjustment.
    For Section 24(c), there is a decrease of 4,264 hours in the total 
estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR 
currently approved by OMB. This decrease reflects EPA's significant 
decrease in the average number of petitions received annually, from 
about 305 to 223. 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: April 24, 2018.
Charlotte Bertrand,
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical 
Safety and Pollution Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2018-09774 Filed 5-7-18; 8:45 am]
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