[Federal Register: December 5, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 234)]
[Notices]
[Page 63210-63211]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05de01-26]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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[[Page 63210]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 01-097-1]
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 regulations governing the importation of
fruits and vegetables.
DATES: We invite you to comment on this docket. We will consider all
comments we receive that are postmarked, delivered, or e-mailed by
February 4, 2002.
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. 01-097-1, 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. 01-097-1. 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.
01-097-1'' 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 on regulations
governing the importation of fruits and vegetables, contact Ms. Cynthia
Stahl, Program Analyst, Port Operations, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road
Unit 60, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 734-5281. 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 Fruits and Vegetables.
OMB Number: 0579-0136.
Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information
collection.
Abstract: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is
responsible for, among other things, the control and eradication of
plant pests. The Plant Protection Act authorizes the Department to
carry out this mission.
The Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program of USDA's Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is responsible for
implementing the regulations that carry out the intent of the Act.
Under the regulations in 7 CFR 319.56 through 319.56-8, a number of
fruits and vegetables may be imported into the United States, under
specified conditions, from certain parts of the world. These fruits and
vegetables include cole and mustard crops from Ecuador, El Salvador,
Nicaragua, and Peru; rhubarb from Guatemala; parsley from Israel and
Nicaragua; salicornia from Mexico; mint and rosemary from Nicaragua;
Swiss chard from Peru; Belgian endive, chicory, and endive from Panama;
pineapple from South Africa; cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and watermelon
from Brazil and Venezuela; and peppers from Spain.
Before entering the United States, all of these fruits and
vegetables are subject to inspection and disinfection at their port of
first arrival to ensure that no plant pests are inadvertently brought
into the United States. These precautions, along with other
requirements, ensure that these items can be imported into the United
States with minimal risk of introducing exotic plant pests such as
fruit flies.
Allowing these fruits and vegetables to be imported requires the
use of certain information collection activities, including the
completion of import permits, phytosanitary inspection certificates,
and fruit fly monitoring records.
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 0.73227 hours per response.
Respondents: U.S. importers of fruits and vegetables and plant
health officials of exporting countries.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 822.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 2.2311.
Estimated annual number of responses: 1,834.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 1,343 hours. (Due to
[[Page 63211]]
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 29th day of November 2001.
W. Ron DeHaven,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 01-30107 Filed 12-4-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P