[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 207 (Friday, October 25, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57385-57386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23344]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2019-0072]
Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an
Information Collection; Introduction of Organisms and Products Altered
or Produced Through Genetic Engineering
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
introduction of organisms and products altered or produced through
genetic engineering.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before
December 24, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2019-0072.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2019-0072, 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-2019-
0072 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 regarding the
regulations for the introduction of organisms and products altered or
produced through genetic engineering, contact Ms. Cynthia A. Eck,
Document Control Officer, Communications Group, BRS, APHIS, 4700 River
Road, Unit 146, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-3892. For more detailed
information on the information collection, contact Mr. Joseph Moxey,
APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 851-2483.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: 7 CFR part 340; Introduction of Organisms and Products
Altered or Produced Through Genetic Engineering.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0085.
Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an
information collection.
Abstract: Under the Plant Protection Act (PPA, 7 U.S.C. 7701 et
seq.), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to prohibit or
restrict the importation, entry, or movement in interstate commerce of
any plant, plant product, biological control organism, noxious weed,
article, or means of conveyance, if the Secretary determines that the
prohibition or restriction is necessary to prevent the introduction or
the dissemination of a plant pest into the United States.
Under this authority, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has established regulations
in 7 CFR part 340, ``Introduction of Organisms and Products Altered or
Produced Through Genetic Engineering Which Are Plant Pests or Which
There is Reason to Believe Are Plant Pests,'' that govern the
introduction (importation, interstate movement, or release into the
environment) of covered genetically engineered organisms and products
(``regulated articles''). A permit must be obtained or a notification
acknowledged before a regulated article may be introduced. The
regulations set forth the permit application requirements and the
notification procedures for the introduction of a regulated article and
necessitate certain activities including APHIS-issued permits,
petitions, appeals, labeling containers, applicants' field testing
records, documentation for approved training programs, submission of
protocols to ensure compliance, memorandums of understanding, grants,
and recordkeeping.
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.
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;
[[Page 57386]]
(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 1.48 hours per response.
Respondents: State and Tribal government agricultural
representatives and applicants from agricultural companies.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 483.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 18.
Estimated annual number of responses: 8,780.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 12,983 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 21st day of October 2019.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-23344 Filed 10-24-19; 8:45 am]
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