[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 38 (Monday, February 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12308-12309]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03967]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2023-0012]


Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an 
Information Collection; Swine Health Protection

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

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 swine health protection 
program.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before April 
28, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov. 
Enter APHIS-2023-0012 in the Search field. Select the Documents tab, 
then select the Comment button in the list of documents.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2023-0012, 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 regulations.gov or in our reading room, which is located 
in room 1620 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 swine health 
protection program, contact Dr. Nicki Humphrey, Swine Health Staff, 
Strategy & Policy, Veterinary Services, APHIS, 2150 Centre Avenue, 
Building B, Mailstop 3E13, Fort Collins, CO 80526; (615) 290-6146; 
[email protected]. For information on the information 
collection reporting process, contact Mr. Joseph Moxey, APHIS' 
Paperwork Reduction Act Coordinator, at (301) 851-2483; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Swine Health Protection.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0065.
    Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an 
information collection.
    Abstract: Under the Animal Health Protection Act (AHPA) of 2002 (7 
U.S.C. 8301 et seq.), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is authorized, among 
other things, to prohibit or restrict the interstate movement of 
animals and animal products to prevent the dissemination within the 
United States of animal diseases and pests of livestock and to conduct 
programs to detect, control, and eradicate pests and diseases of 
livestock.
    The Swine Health Protection Act (the Act) prohibits the feeding of 
garbage to swine intended for interstate movement or foreign commerce 
or that substantially affect such commerce unless the garbage has been 
treated to kill disease organisms. Untreated garbage is one of the 
primary media through which numerous infectious and communicable 
diseases can be transmitted to swine. The regulations promulgated under 
the Act in 9 CFR part 166 require that garbage intended to be fed to 
swine must be treated at a facility that holds a valid permit to treat 
the garbage and must be treated in accordance with the regulations.
    As part of its swine health protection program, APHIS conducts a 
pseudorabies (PRV) eradication program in cooperation with State 
governments, swine producers, swine shippers, herd owners, and 
accredited veterinarians. The program identifies PRV-affected swine, 
provides herd management techniques, and has eliminated PRV in 
commercial production herds. However, APHIS periodically finds infected 
swine when swine are exposed to feral swine or other swine that have 
had exposure to feral swine.
    The regulations in 9 CFR parts 71 and 85 facilitate the PRV 
eradication program and general swine health by providing requirements 
for moving swine interstate within a swine production system. (A 
production system consists of separate farms that each specialize in a 
different phase of swine production such as sow herds, nursery herds, 
and finishing herds. These separate farms, all members of the same 
production system, may be located in more than one State.)
    The regulations for the feeding of garbage to swine and for the PRV 
eradication program require the use of a number of information 
collection activities, including the completion of applications to 
operate garbage treatment facilities; an acknowledgement of the Swine 
Health Protection Act and implementing regulations; garbage treatment 
facility inspection; cancellation of license by State animal health 
officials; request for a hearing; cancellation of license by licensee; 
notification by licensee of sick or dead animals; notification by 
licensee of changes to name, address, or management; cooperative 
agreements, for States (currently four) that issue garbage feeding 
licenses under VS supervision but do not have primary enforcement 
responsibility; swine health protection program inspection summary; 
permit to move restricted animals; owner-shipper statement; certificate 
of veterinary inspection; accredited veterinarian's statement regarding 
embryo and semen shipments; identification for swine moving interstate; 
swine production system health plan; interstate movement report and 
notification; cancellation or withdrawal of a swine production system 
health plan; appeal of cancellation of a swine production system health 
plan; shipment to slaughter seal; appraisal and indemnity claim form; 
report of net salvage proceeds; herd management plans; and 
recordkeeping.
    The previous approval of this information collection incorporated 
collection activities associated with the APHIS Trichinae Certification 
Program, which appeared in 9 CFR part 149. However, APHIS eliminated 
the program in a final rule \1\ published on September 24, 2021 (86 FR 
52954-52955); therefore, those activities have been removed from Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 0579-0065.
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    \1\ Go to www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS-2020-0065 in the 
Search field.
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    We are asking OMB to approve our use of the above listed 
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;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and

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    (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 1.804 hours per response.
    Respondents: Owners/operators (licensees) of garbage treatment 
facilities, herd owners, food establishments, accredited veterinarians, 
and State animal health authorities.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 23,500.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 41.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 965,913.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 1,742,651 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 22nd day of February 2023.
Anthony Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-03967 Filed 2-24-23; 8:45 am]
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