[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47893-47894]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12139]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2024-0018]
Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information
Collection; Control and Eradication of African Swine Fever; Conditions
for Payment of Indemnity Claims
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: 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 an extension of approval of an information
collection associated with the payment of indemnity claims related to
African swine fever.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before
August 5, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov.
Enter APHIS-2024-0018 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-2024-0018, 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 www.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 foreign quarantine
notices, contact Ms. Lecresha King, Program Analyst, National
Preparedness and Incident Coordination, Strategy and Policy, VS, APHIS,
920 Main Campus Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606; email:
[email protected]; phone: (515) 380-5535. For more detailed
information on the information collection process, contact Mr. Joseph
Moxey, APHIS' Paperwork Reduction Act Coordinator, at (301) 851-2533.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Control and Eradication of African Swine Fever; Conditions
for Payment of Indemnity Claims.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0491.
Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information
collection.
Abstract: Under the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et
seq.), the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is
authorized to protect the health of the livestock, poultry, and
aquaculture populations in the United States by preventing the
introduction and interstate spread of serious diseases and pests of
livestock, poultry, and aquaculture, and for eradicating such diseases
and pests from the United States, when feasible. Within the USDA, this
authority and mission is delegated to the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS).
Part of the mission of the Veterinary Services (VS) business unit
of APHIS is preventing foreign animal disease outbreaks in the United
States, and monitoring, controlling, and eliminating a disease outbreak
should one occur. In the past several years, there have been
significant worldwide outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF). ASF is a
highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting both domestic and
feral (wild) pigs. Herd mortality can reach 100 percent and animals
contracting the disease can die in as little as a week, necessitating a
rapid response. The disease is also highly resistant to the
environment, meaning it can easily be spread by being on clothes,
shoes, wheels, or other materials, or in pork products. If ASF entered
the United States, it could halt U.S. pork exports, as trading partners
would not accept products from a country with ASF; cut pork and hog
prices by up to 50 percent; and cause widespread disruptions in hog and
pork production.
The disease has not been detected in the United States; however,
USDA is committed to working with State and industry partners to keep
the virus out of the country. In the event of an ASF detection, USDA
will declare an extraordinary emergency and establish an animal
movement standstill to coordinate a national control and eradication
approach. USDA will work with States and industry to depopulate
infected premises, compensate affected owners, and institute herd
plans.
To accomplish this, APHIS will implement various information
collection activities related to an outbreak such as processing
appraisal and indemnity requests and appraisal and indemnity claims,
assisting with preparing worksheets for calculating proceeds from
animals or materials sold
[[Page 47894]]
for slaughter, approving domestic herd plans and financial plans, and
administering an ASF response epidemiology questionnaire.
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;
(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 4.882 hours per response.
Respondents: Agricultural producers, animal scientists and
technicians, agricultural inspectors, and State animal health
officials.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 40,050.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 13.
Estimated annual number of responses: 519,950.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 2,538,300 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 2nd day of May 2024.
Michael Watson,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-12139 Filed 6-3-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P