2015-10392. Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Requirements for Requests To Amend Import Regulations

AGENCY:

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Revision to and extension of approval of an information collection; comment request.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request a revision to and extension of approval of an information collection associated with the requirements for requests to amend import regulations for plants, plant parts, and plant products.

DATES:

We will consider all comments that we receive on or before July 6, 2015.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments by either of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/​#!docketDetail;​D=​APHIS-2015-0017.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2015-0017, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.

Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/​#!docketDetail;​D=​APHIS-2015-0017 or in our reading room, which 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 [phone] before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For information on the requirements for requests to amend import regulations, contact Ms. Nicole Russo, Assistant Director, RCC, RPM, PHP, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737; [phone]. For copies of more detailed information on the information collection, contact Ms. Kimberly Hardy, APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Requirements for Requests to Amend Import Regulations.

OMB Control Number: 0579-0261.

Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an information collection.

Abstract: The Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to restrict the importation, entry, or interstate movement of plants, plant products, and other articles to prevent the introduction of plant pests into the United States or their dissemination within the United States. Regulations governing the importation of plants, fruits, vegetables, roots, bulbs, seeds, unmanufactured wood articles, and other plant products are contained in 7 CFR part 319, “Foreign Quarantine Notices.”

Persons who request changes to the import regulations and who wish to import plants, plant parts, or plant products that are not allowed importation into the United States, must file a request with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for consideration to determine whether the new commodity may be safely imported. Section 319.5 provides the requirements for the submission of these requests. This request process requires the use of information collection activities, including information about the requestor, information about the commodity to be imported, shipping information, a description of pests and diseases associated with the commodity, risk mitigation or management strategies, and additional information as determined by APHIS to complete a pest risk analysis in accordance with international standards.

To assist importers who are interested in requesting the importation of plants for planting that are not allowed importation under the regulations in part 319, we are adding to this information collection a new form, Plant Protection and Quarantine Form 595, Request to Develop a Pest Risk Assessment for Plants for Planting. We estimate that this new form will account for 20 respondents, 20 total annual responses, 0.25 hours per response, and 5 estimated total annual burden hours.

We have also decreased the estimated total annual burden on respondents from 2,960 hours to 26 hours to more accurately reflect the total number of hours importers need to complete and submit a request to change the import regulations. Although the estimated annual number of respondents increased from 37 to 62, there has been a large decrease in the time (hours per response) that it takes for each respondent to prepare a request to change the import regulations. The hours per response decreased from 40 hours per response to 0.42 hours, which is a more accurate estimate.

We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve our use of these information collection activities, as described, 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 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 0.42 hours per response.

Respondents: Importers.

Estimated annual number of respondents: 62.

Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.

Estimated annual number of responses: 62.

Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 26 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 28th day of April 2015.

Kevin Shea,

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.