[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 194 (Friday, October 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60980-60981]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21889]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

[Docket No. RBS-22-Business-0023]


Notice of New Information Collection

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Rural Business-Cooperative Service's (RBCS or 
Agency), an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, 
Rural Development, requested that the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) conduct an emergency review by September 27, 2022, of a new 
information collection package for the Fertilizer Production Expansion 
Program (FPEP). In addition to the emergency clearance, the regular 
clearance process is hereby being initiated to provide the public with 
the opportunity to comment under a full comment period, as the Agency 
intends to request regular approval from OMB for this information 
collection. FPEP will support new and expanded supplies of fertilizer 
and nutrient alternatives that play the same role as fertilizer to 
United States farmers as a key input necessary for production of 
agricultural commodities.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by December 6, 2022 to 
be assured of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pamela Bennett, Regulations Management 
Division, Innovation Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Email: 
[email protected]. Telephone: (202) 720-9639.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) 
regulation (5 CFR part 1320) implementing provisions of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) requires that RBCS provide 
public notice of its request for emergency processing and the time 
period within which OMB should approve or disapprove the collection of 
information (see 5 CFR 1320.13(d)). This notice identifies this request 
for an emergency review by September 27, 2022. The regulation also 
requires that interested members of the public and affected agencies 
have an opportunity to comment on information collection and 
recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)). This notice identifies 
an information collection that RBCS will submit to OMB for regular 
approval.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Rural 
Business-Cooperative Service's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information including validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity 
of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to 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.
    Comments may be sent by the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 
https://www.regulations.gov and, in the ``Search'' box, type in the 
Docket No. RBS-22-Business-0023. A link to the Notice will appear. You 
may submit a comment here by selecting the ``Comment'' button or you 
can access the ``Docket'' tab, select the ``Notice,'' and go to the 
``Browse & Comment on Documents'' Tab. Here you may view comments that 
have been submitted as well as submit a comment. To submit a comment, 
select the ``Comment'' button, complete the required information, and 
select the ``Submit Comment'' button at the bottom. Information on 
using Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing documents, 
submitting comments, and viewing the docket after the close of the 
comment period, is available through the site's ``FAQ'' link at the 
bottom.
    A federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not 
required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for 
failure to comply with a collection of information subject to the 
requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection of 
information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. Data 
furnished by the applicants will be used to determine eligibility for 
program benefits. Furnishing the data is voluntary; however, failure to 
provide data could result in program benefits being withheld or denied.

[[Page 60981]]

    Title: Fertilizer Production Expansion Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0570-0081.
    Type of Request: New information collection.
    Abstract: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service administers the 
Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP). The purpose of the 
program is to expand capacity, improve competition, and increase supply 
chain resilience within the agricultural fertilizer and nutrient 
management sector, in connection with the production of agricultural 
commodities. To meet its purpose, FPEP will support the production of 
agricultural commodities through the manufacturing and processing of 
fertilizer and nutrient alternatives that are:
     Independent and outside the dominant fertilizer 
suppliers--The goal is to increase domestic competition. Consequently, 
entities that hold a Market Share (in either production or 
distribution) that is greater than or equal to the entity that holds 
the fourth largest share of the market for nitrogen, phosphate, or 
potash, or any combination therefore, will not be considered for 
funding;
     Made in America--Produced within Tribal Lands or in the 
U.S. and its territories by entities operating within Tribal Lands or 
in the U.S. and its territories, creating good-paying jobs at home, and 
reducing the reliance on potentially unstable or inconsistent foreign 
supplies;
     Innovative--To improve upon fertilizer production methods 
and efficient-use technologies to jump start the next generation of 
fertilizers and nutrient alternatives;
     Sustainable--Reduces the greenhouse gas impact of 
transportation, production, and use through renewable energy sources, 
feedstocks, formulations, and incentivizing greater precision in 
fertilizer use; and
     Farmer-focused--Like other CCC investments, a driving 
factor will be making sure the additional domestic capacity supported 
by USDA is dedicated to U.S. agricultural commodity production.
    The reporting burden covered by this collection of information 
consists of forms, documents and written burden to support a request 
for funding for an FPEP grant. This information collection will be used 
to obtain information necessary to evaluate grant applications to 
determine the eligibility of the applicant and the project for the 
program and to qualitatively assess the project's technical and 
financial merit to determine which projects should be funded.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 10.42 hours per response.
    Respondents: Respondents for this data included but are not limited 
to Tribes, Tribal entities, for-profit entities, corporations, non-
profit entities, producer-owned cooperatives and corporations, 
certified benefit corporations and state or local government entities.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 135.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 13.56.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 1,831.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 19,082 hours.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Pamela 
Bennett, Rural Development Innovation Center, Regulations Management 
Division, at (202) 720-9639. 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.

Mark Brodziski,
Acting Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-21889 Filed 10-6-22; 8:45 am]
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