[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 228 (Monday, November 29, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66604-66605]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-30948]
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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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Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 228 / Monday, November 29, 1999 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Docket Number LS-99-16]
Notice of Request for Extension and Revision of a Currently
Approved Information Collection
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing
Service's (AMS) request for comments on an extension for and revision
to a currently approved information collection related to the
assessment of State and private organic certifying agencies by the Meat
Grading and Certification (MGC) Branch. The assessment program was
established to verify that State and private organic certifying
agencies comply with the requirements prescribed under the
International Organization for Standardization International
Electrotechnical Commission Guide 65 ``General Requirements for
Agencies Operating Product Certification Systems'' (ISO Guide 65). This
enables organic certifying agencies to comply with European Union (EU)
requirements in a consistent and reliable manner thereby, facilitating
uninterrupted exports of U.S. organic agricultural commodities to the
EU.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before January
28, 2000 to be assured of consideration.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Mark Bradley, Quality Systems
Manager, Meat Grading and Certification Branch, Livestock and Seed
Program, AMS, USDA, STOP 0248, Room 2628-S, 1400 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20250-0248, Telephone (202) 720-1246, or Fax (202)
690-4119.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The voluntary assessment program at 7 CFR
Part 37 was established under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7
U.S.C. 1621-1627) to verify that State and private organic certifying
agencies comply with the requirements prescribed under ISO Guide 65. To
be assessed under this program, an organic certifying agency must
submit an application to AMS requesting an assessment. Also a manual
documenting the organic certifying agency's quality system and
associated quality certification procedures used to certify organic
producers and handlers of organically produced agricultural commodities
(including those involved with wild crop harvesting) in accordance with
applicable industry standards must be submitted to AMS.
According to the most complete data available to AMS, there are 11
State and 33 private organic certifying agencies currently providing
organic certification for agricultural commodities in the United
States. These certifying agencies provide service to approximately
4,000 organic producers and 600 handlers of agricultural commodities in
the United States. ISO Guide 65 assessment will ensure that State and
private organic certifying agencies operating third-party certification
systems are doing so in a consistent and reliable manner; thereby,
facilitating their acceptance on an international basis. Assessing
organic certifying agencies under ISO Guide 65 enables U.S. organic
producers and handlers of U.S. organically produced agriculture
commodities to continue to export to the EU.
Title: Program to Accredit Organic Certifying Agencies.
OMB Number: 0581-0183.
Expiration Date of Approval: 11/30/99 (extension sought).
Type of Request: Extension and revision of a currently approved
collection.
Abstract: The information collection and recordkeeping requirements
in this notice are essential to the voluntary assessment program which
verifies State and private organic certifying agencies compliance with
the requirements of the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO) Guide 65.
Based on information available, the Agency has determined that
there are currently 11 State and 33 private organic certifying
agencies. These certifying agencies conduct their certification of
organic farms and handling operations in a similar manner and have
similar recordkeeping systems and business operation practices. The
agency also determined that most of the information required to conduct
the assessment process could be collected from certifying agencies'
existing materials without creating new forms, and that the information
currently used by certifying agencies to certify organic producers and
handlers could be adapted to comply with this program. The Paperwork
Reduction Act also requires the agency to measure the recordkeeping
burden. These organic certifying agencies have documented review and
auditing procedures and maintain appropriate records and documents for
up to 5 years on each certified organic farm or handler of organic
products. The recordkeeping burden is the amount of time needed to
store and maintain records.
The information collection requirements include: (1) Submission of
an application requesting to be assessed to ISO Guide 65, (2) the
preparation and submission of a quality manual documenting the
procedures that certifying agencies use to provide certification
services, and (3) an on-site audit of certifying agencies certification
operation programs to determine whether the certifying agencies have
implemented the provisions of the quality manual and are in compliance
with the requirements of ISO Guide 65. These information collection
requirements have been designed to minimize disruption to the normal
business practices of organic certifying agencies.
The application form requires the minimal amount of information
necessary including: (1) Firm name, address, telephone number, and
other information necessary to identify the certifying agency and its
location, and (2) other pertinent information to determine that a firm
is eligible to apply and receive services available through the program
to assess organic certifying agencies. Such information can be supplied
without data processing equipment or outside technical expertise.
The on-site audit consists of a review and evaluation of a
certifying agency's
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process for certifying organic farms and handlers. Verifying
implementation of the provisions of a certifying agency's quality
manual and compliance with the requirements of ISO Guide 65, includes a
review and evaluation of existing records and documents described in
the quality manual, interviews of certifiers' employees and customers,
and observation of certification activities.
On June 9, 1999, an interim final rule with request for comments
was published in the Federal Register. That rule established the
assessment program under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946. Since
the interim final rule contained recordkeeping and submission
requirements that were subject to public comment and to review by the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995, AMS included in the rulemaking the description of the
reporting and recordkeeping requirements and an estimate of the annual
burden on organic certifying agencies. Further, because there was
insufficient time for normal clearance procedures, AMS received
temporary approval from OMB for use of the information collection and
recordkeeping requirements in order to implement the assessment program
for organic certifying agencies on an expedited basis. AMS is seeking
an extension of the approval that expires on November 30, 1999. AMS is
also publishing for comment this notice of a request for extension and
revision of a currently approved information collection. One comment
was received that addressed the information collection and
recordkeeping requirements as a result of the June 9, 1999, rulemaking.
This comment was made concerning a paragraph in the Regulatory
Flexibility Act section of the rule stating that ``We estimate the cost
of providing and obtaining the information required in this rule to
assess State and private organic certifying agencies is $590 per
certifying agency.'' The commentor stated that ``The above statement
combined with the financial contained in the Paperwork Reduction Act
section, shows that the AMS is seriously underestimating the time
needed for certifying agents to prepare for and complete an ISO Guide
65 audit. Certifiers who have completed such audits were consulted
prior to the publishing of the Federal Register notice. They estimated
that approximately 10 times the figure $590 would be needed to prepare,
conduct and come into compliance with an ISO 65 audit.'' However, the
commentor did not specify separately the number of hours required to
apply for service, complete a quality manual, and maintain records for
on-site audits. Based on this comment AMS has reviewed the estimated
burden contained in the interim final rule.
The estimated annual reporting and recordkeeping burden hours in
the interim final rule were the agency's best estimates, based on
information available at the time, of the costs associated with
completing the request for application, preparing and submitting a
quality manual, and maintaining records. The revised figures in this
notice are based on costs obtained from organic certifying agencies who
have been using the service for approximately the last 6 months,
thereby giving AMS more information about the time to apply for
service, completing and submitting a quality manual, and maintaining
records for on-site audits. Three organic certifying agencies provided
information. This information indicated that the time required to
complete an application ranged from 5 minutes to 30 minutes; time
required to complete and submit a quality manual ranged from 5 hours to
40 hours; and time required for maintenance of records ranged from 0 to
40 hours. Therefore, taking into account this information the agency
has decided to revise the estimated annual reporting and recordkeeping
burden based on the maximum hours provided by the organic certifying
agencies. Accordingly, the annual reporting and recordkeeping burden
hours have been increased from 1024 to 1760 for the quality manual and
from 264 to 1760 for the maintenance of records. The total average cost
increased from approximately $590 per certifying agency to
approximately $1,605 per certifying agency.
1. Application for Service--Form LS-314.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average .25 hours per response.
Respondents: State and private organic certifying agencies.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 44.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 11 hours.
Total Cost: $220.
2. Quality Manual.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 40 hours per response.
Respondents: State and private organic certifying agencies.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 44.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1760 hours.
Total Cost: $35,200.
3. Maintenance of records for an on-site audit.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 40 hours per response.
Recordkeepers: State and private organic certifying agencies.
Estimated Number of Recordkeepers: 44.
Estimated Total Recordkeeping Hours: 1760 hours.
Total Cost: $35,200.
The total average cost of the estimated annual reporting burden per
certifying agency would be approximately $1,605.
Comments are invited on: (1) 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) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology. Comments may be sent to Mark Bradley,
Quality Systems Manager, Meat Grading and Certification Branch,
Livestock and Seed Program, AMS, USDA, STOP 0248, Room 2628-S, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0248 or by E-mail to
Mark.Bradley@usda.gov. Comments should reference docket number LS-99-
16. All comments received will be available for public inspection
during regular business hours at the same address.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public
record.
Dated: November 22, 1999.
Barry Carpenter,
Deputy Administrator, Livestock and Seed Program.
[FR Doc. 99-30948 Filed 11-26-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P
