[Federal Register: April 15, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 72)]
[Notices]
[Page 18193-18194]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15ap03-47]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 03-007-1]
Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information
Collection
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 in support of the importation of animals and poultry, animal
and poultry products, and animal germ plasm.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before June
16, 2003.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by postal mail/commercial delivery
or by e-mail. If you use postal mail/commercial delivery, please send
four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to: Docket
No. 03-007-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station
3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state
that your comment refers to Docket No. 03-007-1. If you use e-mail,
address your comment to regulations@aphis.usda.gov. Your comment must
be contained in the body of your message; do not send attached files.
Please include your name and address in your message and ``Docket No.
03-007-1'' on the subject line.
You may read any comments that we receive on this docket in our
reading room. The reading room 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) 690-2817 before coming.
APHIS documents published in the Federal Register, and related
information, including the names of organizations and individuals who
have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information regarding the
importation of animals and poultry, animal and poultry products, and
animal germplasm, contact Dr. Gary Colgrove, Director, National Center
for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 38, Riverdale,
MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-4356. For copies of more detailed information
on the information collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles, APHIS''
Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 734-7477.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Importation of Animals and Poultry, Animal and Poultry
Products, Certain Animal Embryos, Semen, and Zoological Animals.
OMB Number: 0579-0040.
Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information
collection.
Abstract: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of
the United States Department of Agriculture is responsible for, among
other things, preventing the introduction of exotic animal diseases
into the United States and for rapidly identifying, containing, and
eradicating such diseases when feasible. In connection with this
mission, APHIS collects pertinent information from those individuals
who import animals or poultry, animal or poultry products, or animal
germplasm into the United States.
This information includes data such as the origins of the animals
or animal products to be imported, the health status of the animals or
the processing methods used to produce animal products to be imported,
and whether the animals or animal products were temporarily offloaded
in another country during their transit to the United States. We need
this information to help ensure that these imports do not introduce
exotic animal diseases into the United States.
We use a variety of information collection procedures, devices, and
forms including, but not limited to: Health certificates, import
permits, ear tags, leg bands, specimen submission forms, inspection
reports, cooperative and trust fund agreements, and certification
statements.
We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve
our use of these information collection activities 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
information collection, 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 information collection 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 reporting burden for this collection
of information is estimated to average 0.0369992 hours per response.
Respondents: Entities that import animals or poultry, animal or
poultry products, and animal embryos, germplasm, and semen.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 169,806.
[[Page 18194]]
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 9.618176.
Estimated annual number of responses: 1,633,224.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 60,428 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 10th day of April 2003.
Peter Fernandez,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 03-9175 Filed 4-14-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P