[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 246 (Wednesday, December 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66238-66239]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27940]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2018-0086]
Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an
Information Collection; Importation of Tomatoes From Certain Central
American Countries
ACTION: Revision to and extension of approval of an 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 a revision to and extension of approval of an
information collection associated with the regulations for the
importation of tomatoes from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before
February 25, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2018-0086.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2018-0086, 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-2018-
0086 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 regulations
related to the importation of tomatoes from certain Central American
countries, contact Ms. Claudia Ferguson, Senior Regulatory Policy
Coordinator, Plant Protection and Quarantine, APHIS, 4700 River Road
Unit 40, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 851-2352. For more detailed
information on the information collection, contact Ms. Kimberly Hardy,
APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 851-2483.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Importation of Tomatoes From Certain Central American
Countries.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0286.
Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an
information collection.
Abstract: The Plant Protection Act (PPA, 7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.)
authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to restrict the importation,
entry, or interstate movement of plants, plant products, and other
articles to prevent the introduction of plant pests into the United
States or their dissemination within the United States. As authorized
by the PPA, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service regulates
the importation of fruits and vegetables into the United States from
certain parts of the world as provided in the regulations in
``Subpart--Fruits and Vegetables'' (7 CFR 319.56-1 through 319.56-12,
referred to below as the regulations).
In accordance with the regulations, tomatoes from Costa Rica, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama may be imported
into the United States under certain conditions to prevent the
introduction of plant pests into the United States. These conditions
require the use of certain information collection activities including
development and monitoring of an insect trapping and quality control
plan; registration and recertification of production sites; production
site and insect trap inspections and recordkeeping; export
certifications; box labelling; notices of arrival to ports; responses
to emergency action notifications; and permit applications. Also, each
consignment of tomatoes must be accompanied by a phytosanitary
certificate issued by the country's national plant protection
organization (NPPO). Depending on the Mediterranean fly (Medfly) status
of the region of origin, the certificate must contain an additional
declaration stating that the tomatoes were either grown in an approved
production site and the consignment has been inspected and found free
of the pests listed in the requirements or grown in an area recognized
to be free of Medfly and the consignment has been inspected and found
free of the pests listed in the requirements. These information
collection activities allow the importation of tomatoes from these
countries while continuing to protect the United States against the
introduction of plant pests.
We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve
our use of these information collection activities, as described, for
an additional 3 years.
[[Page 66239]]
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: The public burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 0.18 hours per response.
Respondents: The NPPOs of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama; import brokers; and commercial tomato
producers in the countries of origin.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 49.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 142.
Estimated annual number of responses: 6,937.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 1,242 hours. (Due to
averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of
the annual number of responses multiplied by the 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, this 19th day of December 2018.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-27940 Filed 12-21-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P