E7-13686. Notice of Request for Revision and Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Pseudorabies

AGENCY:

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Revision 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 and extension of approval of an information collection associated with regulations for the Pseudorabies Eradication Program.

DATES:

We will consider all comments that we receive on or before September 11, 2007.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments by either of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov,, select “Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service” from the agency drop-down menu, then click “Submit.” In the Docket ID column, select APHIS-2007-0082 to submit or view public comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically. Information on using Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing documents, submitting comments, and viewing the docket after the close of the comment period, is available through the site's “User Tips” link.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0082, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0082.

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 [phone] before coming.

Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For information regarding an information collection associated with regulations for the Pseudorabies Eradication Program, contact Dr. John Korslund, Senior Staff Veterinarian, Aquaculture, Swine, Equine, and Poultry Programs, NCAHP, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 46, 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: Pseudorabies.

OMB Number: 0579-0070.

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

Abstract: Under the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has authority for, among other things, preventing the interstate spread of pests and diseases of livestock within the United States and for conducting eradication programs. In connection with this mission, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA, regulates the interstate movement of swine in order to carefully control the movement of swine that are infected with or exposed to pseudorabies. The most common method of pseudorabies transmission is through the movement of infected swine from one herd to another.

The regulations in 9 CFR part 85 govern the interstate movement of swine and other livestock (cattle, sheep, and goats) in order to help prevent the spread of pseudorabies. Regulating the interstate movement of these animals requires the use of certain information collection activities, including the completion of documents attesting to the health status of the swine being moved, the number of swine being moved in a particular shipment, the shipment's point of origin, and the shipment's destination.

With this information, we are able to carefully monitor the location of infected or exposed animals and prevent them from coming into contact with healthy animals.

These documents also provide useful “traceback” information in the event an infected animal is discovered and an investigation must be launched to determine where the animal originated, as well as the number and location of other animals with which it may have had contact during its interstate movement.

The information provided by these documents is critical to our ability to prevent the interstate spread of pseudorabies, and therefore plays a vital role in our Pseudorabies Eradication Program.

We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve our use of these information collection activities for 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, 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 0.232342 hours per response.

Respondents: U.S. producers and shippers, State animal health protection authorities, and accredited veterinarians.

Estimated annual number of respondents: 100.

Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 134.5.

Estimated annual number of responses: 13,450.

Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 3,125 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 5th day of July 2007.

Kevin Shea,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.