2013-14634. Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Pesticide Registration Fees Program

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The ICR, entitled, “Pesticide Registration Fees Program” and identified by EPA ICR No. 2330.02 and OMB Control No. 2070-0179, represents a renewal of an existing ICR that is scheduled to expire on February 28, 2014. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection that is summarized in this document. The ICR and accompanying material are available in the docket for public review and comment.

DATES:

Comments must be received on or before August 19, 2013.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0287, by one of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
• Mail: OPP Docket, Environmental Protection Agency Docket Center (EPA/DC), (28221T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
• Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the instructions at http://www.epa.gov/​dockets/​contacts.htm.

Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more information about dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/​dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cameo Smoot, Field and External Affairs Division (7506P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: [phone]; fax number: [phone]; email address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. What information is EPA particularly interested in?

Pursuant to PRA section 3506(c)(2)(A) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), EPA specifically solicits comments and information to enable it to:

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 the Agency's estimates 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.

4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.

II. What information collection activity or ICR does this action apply to?

Title: Pesticide Registration Fees Program.

ICR number: EPA ICR No. 2330.02.

OMB control number: OMB Control No. 2070-0179.

ICR status: This is a renewal for a currently approved ICR. This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on February 28, 2014. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's regulations in title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), after appearing in the Federal Register when approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed either by publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The display of OMB control numbers for certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.

Abstract: Pesticide registrants are required by statute to pay an annual registration maintenance fee for all products registered under Sections 3 and 24(c) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). In addition, the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA) amended FIFRA in 2004 to create a registration service fee system for applications for specific pesticide registration, amended registration, and associated tolerance actions (Section 33). This ICR specifically covers the activities related to the collection of the annual registration maintenance fees, the registration service fees and the burden associated with the submission of requests for fees to be waived.

Burden statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1.14 hours per respondent for the Pesticide Product Registration Maintenance Fee Program and 12, 27, and 37 hours per response for the three different types of applications for Pesticide Registration Service Fee Waivers. Burden is defined in 5 CFR 1320.3(b).

The ICR, which is available in the docket along with other related materials, provides a detailed explanation of the collection activities and the burden estimate that is only briefly summarized here:

Respondents/Affected Entities: 1744.

Estimated total number of potential respondents: 1744.

Frequency of response: Annual and on occasion.

Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.14 for Pesticide Product Maintenance fees and a range from 12-37 hours for the types of Pesticide Registration Service Fee Waivers.

Estimated total annual burden hours: 7,907 hours.

Estimated total annual costs: $535,728 for both programs.

III. Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

The total annual respondent burden increased by 342 hours for the Pesticide Product Maintenance fees program and also increased 303 hours for the Pesticide Registration Service Fee waivers compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB. This increase reflects a slight increase in the number of requests submitted to the agency. This change is an adjustment.

IV. What is the next step in the process for this ICR?

EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. EPA will issue another Federal Register document pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

List of Subjects

• Environmental protection
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements

Dated: June 7, 2013.

James Jones,

Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.