2011-15888. Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Virus-Serum-Toxin Act and Regulations

AGENCY:

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION:

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 an extension of approval of an information collection associated with the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act and regulations.

DATES:

We will consider all comments that we receive on or before August 23, 2011.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments by either of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/​#!documentDetail;​D=​APHIS-2011-0061-0001.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2011-0061, 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-2011-0061 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 Virus-Serum-Toxin Act and regulations, contact Dr. Albert Morgan, Section Leader, Operational Support Staff, Center for Veterinary Biologics, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 148, Riverdale, MD 20737; [phone]. For copies of more detailed information on the information collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles, APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Virus-Serum-Toxin Act and Regulations.

OMB Number: 0579-0013.

Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information collection.

Abstract: Under the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act (21 U.S.C. 151-159), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is authorized to promulgate regulations designed to prevent the importation, preparation, sale, or shipment of harmful veterinary biological products. These regulations are contained in title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, subchapter E, parts 102 to 124.

Veterinary biological products include viruses, serums, toxins, and analogous products of natural or synthetic origin, such as vaccines, antitoxins, or the immunizing components of microorganisms intended for the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of diseases in domestic animals.

APHIS issues licenses to qualified establishments that produce veterinary biological products and issues permits to importers of such products. We also enforce requirements concerning production, packaging, labeling, and shipping of these products and set standards for the testing of these products.

To help ensure that veterinary biological products used in the United States are pure, safe, potent, and effective, APHIS requires certain information collection activities, including establishment license applications, product license applications, product import permit applications, product and test report forms, and field study summaries.

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 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 3.42359 hours per response.

Respondents: U.S. importers, exporters, and shippers of veterinary biological products; State veterinary authorities; and operators of establishments that produce or test veterinary biological products or that engage in product research and development.

Estimated annual number of respondents: 200.

Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 108.63.

Estimated annual number of responses: 21,726.

Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 74,381 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 20th day of June 2011.

Kevin Shea,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.