[Federal Register: October 6, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 193)]
[Notices]
[Page 57654]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06oc03-22]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 03-079-1]
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 for the importation of fruits and
vegetables.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before
December 5, 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. 03-079-1, 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. 03-079-1. 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.
03-079-1'' 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 regulations
for the importation of fruits and vegetables, contact Dr. Paul Gadh,
Import Specialist, Phytosanitary Issues Management Team, PPQ, APHIS,
4700 River Road, Unit 140, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-5210. 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: 0579-0158.
Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information
collection.
Abstract: The United States Department of Agriculture is
responsible for preventing plant pests from entering the United States,
preventing the spread of pests not widely distributed within the United
States, and eradicating plant pests when feasible. Under the Plant
Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701-7772), the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, among other things, is responsible for carrying out
this mission.
The regulations in ``Subpart--Fruits and Vegetables'' (7 CFR 319.56
through 319.56-8) prohibit or restrict the importation of fruits and
vegetables into the United States from certain parts of the world to
prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests that are new to or
not widely distributed within the United States.
Before entering the United States, certain fruits and vegetables
from various foreign countries 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 articles
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 necessitates
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 in connection with our efforts to prevent an introduction of
fruit flies or other plant pests into the United States.
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 proposed 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
proposed 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 reporting burden for this collection
of information is estimated to average 0.2807 hours per response.
Respondents: U.S. importers of fruits and vegetables; plant health
officials of exporting countries.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 150.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 76.
Estimated annual number of responses: 11,400.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 3,200 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 30th day of September, 2003.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 03-25254 Filed 10-3-03; 8:45 am]
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