[Federal Register: July 22, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 140)]
[Notices]
[Page 43800-43801]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22jy04-28]
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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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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 04-056-1]
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 that restrict the importation of
certain animal materials and their derivatives, and any products
containing those materials and derivatives, to prevent the introduction
of bovine spongiform encephalopathy into the United States.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before
September 20, 2004.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies
of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. 04-056-1,
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. 04-056-1.
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. 04-056-1'' on the subject
line.
Agency Web site: Go to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/cominst.html
for a form you can use to submit an e-mail comment through
the APHIS Web site.
Reading Room: 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.
Other Information: You may view APHIS documents published in the
Federal Register and related information, including the names of groups
and individuals who have commented on APHIS dockets, on the Internet at
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on regulations that
restrict the importation of animal materials and their derivatives, and
any products they are used in, contact Dr. Christopher Robinson, Senior
Staff Veterinarian, Technical Trade Services, National Center for
Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 40, Riverdale MD
20737-1231; (301) 734-7837. 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 Prohibitions Because of Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy.
OMB Number: 0579-0183.
Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information
collection.
Abstract: Under the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301-
8317), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department
of Agriculture, regulates the importation of animals and animals
products into the United States to prevent the introduction of animal
diseases, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), into the
United States. BSE is a progressive neurological disorder of cattle
that results from infection by an unconventional transmissible agent.
The regulations in 9 CFR parts 93, 94, 95, and 96 govern the
importation of certain animals, animal products, and animal byproducts
into the United States in order to prevent the introduction of various
animal disease, including BSE. Regulations in part 95 restrict the
importation of processed animal protein, offal, tankage, fat and oils,
and tallow; glands and unprocessed fat tissue from ruminants;
derivatives of these materials; and products containing these
materials, if they originate in or are stored, rendered, or otherwise
processed, in a region listed in Sec. 94.18(a). Section 94.18 lists
regions where BSE exists or that present an undue risk of introducing
BSE into the United States because of import requirements less
restrictive than would be acceptable for importation into the United
States or because of inadequate surveillance.
To help ensure that the restricted materials and products are not
moved from a BSE-affected region into a BSE-free region and then to the
United States, we require that such materials and products imported
from BSE-free regions be accompanied by certification that the
materials and products were derived only from animals that have never
been in a region listed in Sec. 94.18. The certification must state
the species from which the material was derived; the region where the
processing facility is located; a statement that the materials did not
originate in and were never stored, rendered, or otherwise processed in
a region listed in Sec. 94.18(a); and were not otherwise associated
with a facility located in a region listed in Sec. 94.18(a) or with
any materials that have been in a region listed in Sec. 94.18(a). This
certification is necessary to ensure that materials containing the BSE
agent are not imported into the United States.
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
[[Page 43801]]
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 0.16 hours per response.
Respondents: U.S. importers of regulated animal products, full-
time, salaried, government veterinary officials of exporting regions,
and foreign exporters of processed animal protein and other regulated
materials and products.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 1,000.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 9.
Estimated annual number of responses: 9,000.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 1,440 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 16th day of July, 2004.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 04-16707 Filed 7-21-04; 8:45 am]
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