2018-02931. Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Recordkeeping Requirements for Producers, Registrants and Applicants of Pesticides and Pesticide Devices Under Section 8 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act ...

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), Recordkeeping Requirements for Producers, Registrants and Applicants of Pesticides and Pesticide Devices under Section 8 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (EPA ICR No. 0143.13, OMB Control No. 2070-0028) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through September 30, 2018. 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.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before April 16, 2018.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OECA-2017-0640, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by email to [e-mail], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460.

EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the public docket without change including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michelle Stevenson, Office of Compliance, Monitoring, Assistance, and Media Programs Division, Pesticides, Waste & Toxics Branch (2225A), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: [phone]; fax number: [phone]; email: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Supporting documents which explain in detail the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at www.regulations.gov,, or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/​dockets.

Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA is soliciting comments and information to enable it to: (i) 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; (ii) evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (iii) enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (iv) 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. 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. At that time, EPA will issue another Federal Register notice to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB.

Abstract: Producers of pesticides and pesticide devices must maintain certain records with respect to their operations and make such records available for inspection and copying as specified in Section 8 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and in regulations at 40 CFR part 169. This information collection is mandatory under FIFRA Section 8. It is used by the Agency to determine compliance with FIFRA. The information is used by EPA Regional pesticide enforcement and compliance staffs, the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), and the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) within the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other Federal agencies, States under Cooperative Enforcement Agreements, and the public. 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.

Form Numbers: None.

Respondents/affected entities: Producers of pesticides and pesticide devices for sale or distribution in or exported to the United States.

Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory (40 CFR 169).

Estimated number of respondents: 14,447 (total).

Frequency of response: Annual.

Total estimated burden: 28,894

T otal estimated cost: $3,500,508. There are no annualized capital or O&M costs associated with this ICR since all equipment associated with this ICR is present as part of ordinary business practices.

Changes in estimates: There is a decrease of 5,694 hours in the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens. This decrease is an adjustment due to a change in the number of respondents since the last ICR.

Dated: January 11, 2018.

Edward J. Messina,

Director, Office of Compliance/MAMPD.