[Federal Register: January 28, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 18)]
[Notices]
[Page 4084-4085]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28ja05-47]
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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. 04-135-1]
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 for self-certification medical statements.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before March
29, 2005.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
EDOCKET: Go to http://www.epa.gov/feddocket to submit or view
public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the
official public docket, and to access those documents in the public
docket that are available electronically. Once you have entered
EDOCKET, click on the ``View Open APHIS Dockets'' link to locate this
document.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies of your
comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. 04-135-1,
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. 04-135-1.
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. 04-135-1'' on the subject line.
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 self-certification
medical statements, contact Ms. Linda L. Lane, Human Resources
Specialist, Human Resources Division, MRPBS, room 1726, South Building,
14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250; (202)
720-3519. 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: Self-Certification Medical Statement.
OMB Number: 0579-0196.
Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information
collection.
Abstract: The Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) agencies of
the U.S. Department of Agriculture facilitate the domestic and
international marketing of U.S. agricultural products and protect the
health of domestic animal and plant resources. The MRP agencies are the
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS), and the Grain Inspection, Packers and
Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). Resource management and
administrative services, including human resource management, for the
three MRP agencies are provided by the MRP Business Services unit of
APHIS, which is the lead agency in providing administrative support for
MRP.
In accordance with 5 CFR part 339, Federal agencies are authorized
to obtain medical information from applicants for positions that have
approved medical standards. Medical standards may be established for
positions for which the duties are arduous or hazardous or require a
certain level of health status or fitness.
Certain positions in MRP agencies have medical standards. An
example of such a position is the agricultural commodity grader
position in AMS. Each year, AMS hires a number of agricultural
commodity graders. These employees work under dusty conditions, around
moving machinery and slippery surfaces, and in areas with high noise
levels. They have direct contact with meat and dairy products, fresh
and processed fruits and vegetables, and poultry products intended for
human consumption or cotton and tobacco products intended for human
use.
The MRP agencies require a self-certification statement from
applicants for these positions regarding their fitness for the
positions. The MRP agencies need this information to determine whether
the applicants can perform the duties of the positions. Inability to
collect this information would adversely affect the MRP agencies'
ability to recruit and hire qualified individuals and carry out their
missions.
We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve
our use of this information collection activity 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,
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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 0.1666 hours per response.
Respondents: Applicants for MRP positions with approved medical
standards.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 300.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.
Estimated annual number of responses: 300.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 50 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 24th day of January 2005.
Elizabeth E. Gaston,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E5-329 Filed 1-27-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P