Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Importation of Hass Avocados From Peru

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 117 (Thursday, June 18, 2015)

Federal Register Volume 80, Number 117 (Thursday, June 18, 2015)

Notices

Pages 34881-34882

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov

FR Doc No: 2015-15008

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Docket No. APHIS-2015-0020

Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Importation of Hass Avocados From Peru

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revision to and extension of approval of an information collection; comment request.

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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 to and extension of approval of an information collection associated with the regulations for the importation of Hass avocados from Peru into the continental United States.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before August 17, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:

Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2015-0020.

Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2015-0020, 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-2015-

0020 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 (202) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the regulations for the importation of Hass avocados from Peru, contact Mr. Juan (Tony) Romaacuten, Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist, RCC, RPM, PHP, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-2242. For copies of more detailed information on the information collection, contact Ms. Kimberly Hardy, APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 851-2727.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Importation of Hass Avocados From Peru.

Page 34882

OMB Control Number: 0579-0355.

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

Abstract: The Plant Protection Act (PPA, 7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to restrict the importation, entry, or interstate movement of plants, plant products, and other articles to prevent the introduction of plant pests into the United States or their dissemination within the United States. Regulations authorized by the PPA concerning the importation of fruits and vegetables into the United States from certain parts of the world are contained in ``Subpart--Fruits and Vegetables'' (7 CFR 319.56-1 through 319.56-72).

Section 319.56-50 of the regulations provides the requirements for the importation of Hass avocados from Peru into the continental United States. The regulations require the use of information collection activities, including phytosanitary certificates, trust funds, workplans, recordkeeping, production site registration, monitoring and oversight of registered production sites, packinghouse registration, survey protocols, box markings, and shipping documents with the official registration number of the place of production and identification of packing shed.

When comparing the regulations to the information collection activities that were previously approved, we found that production site and packinghouse registration, box markings, and the time it takes for businesses to escort inspectors for the required monitoring were omitted from the previous collection. We also adjusted the burden hours for the trust fund and workplan activities to more accurately capture the time needed for these activities. Lastly, we increased the estimated annual number of respondents from two to eight to reflect an increase in trade and additional companies participating in the export of Hass avocados from Peru into the continental United States.

We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve our use of these information collection activities, as described, 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 0.0026 hours per response.

Respondents: National plant protection organization officials of Peru and growers, shippers, and importers of Hass avocados from Peru.

Estimated annual number of respondents: 8.

Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 50,127.

Estimated annual number of responses: 401,019.

Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 1,048 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 12th day of June 2015.

Kevin Shea,

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

FR Doc. 2015-15008 Filed 6-17-15; 8:45 am

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