E7-16319. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Recordkeeping Requirements for Producers of Pesticides Under Section 8 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA ICR Number 0143....

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit a continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2007. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before October 19, 2007.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OECA-2007-0558 by one of the following methods:

1. Electronic Submission: Access http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

2. E-mail: [e-mail].

3. Fax: [phone].

4. Mail: Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center (ECDIC), Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Mail Code: 2201T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460.

5. Hand Delivery: Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center (ECDIC), Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. Deliveries are only accepted during the Docket Center's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.

Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID Number: EPA-HQ-OECA-2007-0558. It is EPA's policy that all comments received will be included in the public docket without change and may be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site is an “anonymous access” system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without going through http://www.regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/​epahome/​dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Robin Nogle, tel: [phone]; fax: [phone]; e-mail: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

How can I access the docket and/or submit comments?

EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID number OECA-2007-0558. This docket is available for online viewing at http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center (ECDIC), in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading Room is [phone], and the telephone number for the Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center (ECDIC) docket is [phone].

Use http://www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft collection of information, submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are available electronically. When in the system, select “search,” then key in the docket ID number identified in this document.

What information is EPA particularly interested in?

Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), EPA is soliciting comments and information to enable it to:

(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collections of information are 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 burdens of the proposed collections of information.

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected.

(4) Minimize the burden of the collections of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated or electronic collection technologies or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

What should I consider when I prepare my comments for EPA?

You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing comments:

1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific examples.

2. Describe any assumptions that you used.

3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used that support your views.

4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you arrived at the estimate that you provide.

5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.

6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified under DATES.

7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal Register citation.

Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are those which produce pesticides.

Title: Recordkeeping Requirements for Producers of Pesticides under Section 8 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) as amended. ICR Number 0143.10, OMB Control Number 2070-0028. Expires 12/31/07.

Abstract: Section 8 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) states that the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency may prescribe regulations requiring producers, registrants and applicants for registration to maintain such records with respect to their operations and the effective enforcement of this Act as the Administrator determines are necessary for the effective enforcement of FIFRA and to make such records available for inspection and copying as specified in the statute. The regulations at 40 CFR part 169 (Books and Records of Pesticide Production and Distribution) specify the following records that producers must keep and the disposition of those records: Production data for pesticides, devices, or active ingredients (including pesticides produced pursuant to an experimental use permit); receipt by the producer of pesticides, devices, or active ingredients used in producing pesticides; delivery, moving, or holding of pesticides; inventory; domestic advertising for restricted use pesticides; guarantees; exports; disposal; human testing; and tolerance petitions. Additionally, section 8 gives the Agency inspectional authority to monitor the validity of research data (including raw data), including data developed in accordance with Good Laboratory Practice Standards, and used to support pesticide registration. The EPA or States/Indian Tribes operating under Cooperative Enforcement Agreements make use of the records required by section 8 through periodically inspecting them to help determine FIFRA compliance of this subject to the provisions of the Act. In addition, producers themselves make use of such records in order to comply with reporting requirements under FIFRA section 7 and 40 CFR 167.85. (Those reporting requirements are addressed in the ICR entitled “Pesticide Report for Pesticide-Producing Establishments.”)

Since most of the records required to be maintained are likely to be collected and maintained in the course of good business practice, the records are generally stored on site at either the establishment producing the pesticide or at the place of business of the person holding the registration. However, the registrant may decide to transfer records relating to disposal of pesticides and human testing to EPA for storage because of a twenty year retention requirement for the records. 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 are listed in 40 CFR part 9.

Burden: The average annual burden to the industry over the next three years is estimated to be 2 person hours per response.

Respondents/Affected Entities: 13,400.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 13,400.

Frequency of Response: 1.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 26,800.

There are no capital/startup costs or operating and maintenance (O&M) costs associated with this ICR since all equipment associated with this ICR is present as part of ordinary business practices.

Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed to review instructions; develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements; train personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information; search data sources; complete and review the collection of information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.

EPA will consider any comments received and may amend the ICR, as appropriate. Then the final ICR packages will be submitted to OMB for review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, EPA will issue one or more Federal Register notices pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR(s) to OMB and the opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any questions about any of the above ICRs or the approval process, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

Dated: August 10, 2007.

Richard Colbert,

Director, Agriculture Division, Office of Compliance, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.