This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

56988

Vol. 69, No. 184

Thursday, September 23, 2004

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

September 17, 2004. 

The Department of Agriculture has 

submitted the following information 

collection requirement(s) to OMB for 

review and clearance under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13. Comments 

regarding: (a) 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; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of burden including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; (d) ways to 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 should be addressed to: Desk 

Officer for Agriculture, Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB), Pamela_Beverly_OIRA

_Submission@OMB.EOP.GOV or fax 

(202) 395–5806 and to Departmental 

Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail 

Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250–

7602. Comments regarding these 

information collections are best assured 

of having their full effect if received 

within 30 days of this notification. 

Copies of the submission(s) may be 

obtained by calling (202) 720–8681. 

An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor a collection of information 

unless the collection of information 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number and the agency informs 

potential persons who are to respond to 

the collection of information that such 

persons are not required to respond to 

the collection of information unless it 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. 

Animal Plant and Health Inspection 

Service 

Title: Mexicali Valley-Karnal Bunt. 

OMB Control Number: 0579–0132. 

Summary of Collection: The 

Department of Agriculture is 

responsible for preventing plant 

diseases or insect pests from entering 

the United States, preventing the spread 

of pests not widely distributed in the 

United States, and eradicating those 

imported when eradication is feasible. 

The Plant Protection Act authorizes the 

Department to carry out this mission. 

Regulations in 7 CFR 319.59 through 

319.59–2 restrict the importation into 

the U.S. of certain seeds, plants, and 

plant products from certain countries or 

localities in order to prevent an 

incursion of Karnal bunt (a fungal 

disease of wheat) into the U.S. Wheat 

and other wheat-related articles offered 

for entry from the Karnal bunt free zone 

of the Mexicali Valley would need to be 

accompanied by a phytosanitary 

certificate issued by the Mexican plant 

protection authorities. This certificate 

would state that the wheat or other 

articles were grown in the designated 

Karnal bunt free area of the Mexicali 

Valley. 

Need and Use of the Information: The 

collected information contained on the 

signed phytosanitary certificate by 

Mexico’s national plant protection 

official is used to ensure that wheat 

imported into the U.S. is free of Karnal 

bunt. If the information is not collected, 

introduction of Karnal bunt into the 

United States could cause millions of 

dollars in damage to U.S. wheat crops, 

as well as additional millions of dollars 

to eradicate. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for profit; Individuals or 

households; Farms. 

Number of Respondents: 20. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

On occasion. 

Total Burden Hours: 120. 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

Title: Animal Welfare; Transportation 

of Animals on International Carriers. 

OMB Control Number: 0579–0247. 

Summary of Collection: Under the 

Animal Welfare Act (AWA) (U.S.C. 2131 

et seq.), the Secretary of Agriculture is 

authorized to promulgate standards and 

other requirements governing the 

humane handling, care, treatment, and 

transportation of certain animals by 

dealers, research facilities, exhibitors, 

and carriers and intermediate handlers. 

The Secretary has delegated the 

responsibility for administering the 

AWA to the Administrator of the 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS). APHIS intends to 

begin applying the AWA regulations 

and standards for the human 

transportation of animals in commerce 

to all international carriers operating 

within the United States, its territories, 

possessions, or the District of Columbia. 

APHIS believes that animals being 

transported by international carriers 

should be afforded the same protection 

under the AWA as if domestic carriers 

were transporting them. 

Need and Use of the Information:

APHIS will collect information using 

APHIS forms 7001, United States 

Interstate and International Certificate of 

Health Examination for Small Animals 

and 7011, Application for Registration. 

The information collected from the 

forms is necessary for carriers and 

intermediate handlers to properly care 

for and deliver the animals to 

destination in a speedy and humane 

manner. The information is also used in 

documenting instances of violations for 

possible legal action and for locating 

facilities or person who are evading 

regulations under the law. If the 

information were not collected, full 

enforcement of the AWA would be 

limited or totally ineffective. 

Description of Respondents:

Individuals or households; Not-forprofit institutions. 

Number of Respondents: 20. 

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion. 

Total Burden Hours: 175.

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

Title: Marking, Labeling, and 

Packaging of Meat, and Egg Products. 

OMB Control Number: 0583–0092. 

Summary of Collection: These statues: 

Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (21 

U.S.C. 601 seq.), the Poultry Products 

Inspection Act (PPIA) (21 U.S.C. 451 et 

seq.), and the Egg Products Inspection 

Act (EPIA) (21 U.S.C. 1031, et seq.) 

mandate that Food Safety and 

Inspection Service (FSIS) protect the 

public by ensuring that meat, poultry, 

and egg products are safe, wholesome, 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 184 / Thursday, September 23, 2004 / Notices 56989

unadulterated, and properly labeled and 

packaged. To control the manufacture of 

marking devices bearing official marks, 

FSIS requires that official meat and 

poultry establishments and the 

manufacturers of such marking devices 

complete FSIS form 5200–7, 

Authorization Certificate, and FSIS form 

7234–1, Application for Approval of 

Labels, Marking or Device. 

Need and Use of the Information:

FSIS will collect information to ensure 

that meat and poultry product are 

accurately labeled. FSIS will also collect 

the following information: 

Establishment number, company name 

and address, name of product, action 

requested of FSIS, size of label, product 

formulation, special processing 

procedures, and a signature on the form. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit. 

Number of Respondents: 7,444. 

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion. 

Total Burden Hours: 82,348. 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

Title: Value-Added Producer Grants. 

OMB Control Number: 0570–0039. 

Summary of Collection: The Rural 

Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), an 

agency within the USDA Rural 

Development mission area, will 

administer the Value-Added Producer 

Grants Program. The program is 

authorized by the Agriculture Risk 

Protection Act of 2000 (Public Law 106–

224) as amended by the Farm Security 

and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Farm 

Bill) (Public Law 107–171). The 

objective of this program is to encourage 

producers of agricultural commodities 

and products of agricultural 

commodities to further refine these 

products increasing their value to end 

users of the product. These grants will 

be used for two purposes: (1) To fund 

feasibility studies, marketing and 

business plans, and similar 

development activities; (2) to use the 

grant as part of the venture’s working 

capital fund. Grants will only be 

awarded if projects or ventures are 

determined to be economically viable 

and sustainable. 

Need and Use of the Information: RBS 

will use the information collected to 

determine: (1) Eligibility; (2) the specific 

purpose for which the funds will be 

utilized; (3) time frames or dates by 

which activities are to be accomplished; 

(4) feasibility of the project; (5) 

applicants’ experience in managing 

similar activities; and (6) the 

effectiveness and innovation used to 

address critical issues vital to valueadded ventures development and 

sustainability. Without this information, 

there would be no basis on which to 

award funds. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit. 

Number of Respondents: 800. 

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion. 

Total Burden Hours: 34,040. 

Rural Utilities Service 

Title: Weather Radio Transmitter 

Grant Program. 

OMB Control Number: 0572–0124. 

Summary of Collection: The National 

Weather Service operates an All 

Hazards Early Warning System that 

alerts people in areas covered by its 

transmissions of approaching dangerous 

weather and other emergencies. The 

National Weather Service can typically 

provide warnings of specific weather 

dangers up to fifteen minutes prior to 

the event. At present, many rural areas 

lack National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration’s Weather Radio and 

Alert System (NOAA) Weather Radio 

coverage. The Weather Radio 

Transmitter Grant Program will provide 

grant funds for use in rural areas and 

communities of 50,000 or less 

inhabitant. The grant funds will be 

processed on a first-come basis until the 

appropriation is used in its entirety. 

Need and Use of the Information:

RUS will use the information from the 

submission to determine the following: 

(1) That adequate coverage in the area 

does not already exist and that the 

proposed coverage will meet the needs 

of the community; (2) that design 

requirements are met; and (3) that the 

funds needed to complete the project 

are adequate based on the grant and the 

matching portion from the applicant. 

Description of Respondents: Not forprofit institutions; State, Local or Tribal 

Government. 

Number of Respondents: 113. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

On occasion. 

Total Burden Hours: 678.

Rural Utilities Service 

Title: 7 CFR 1777, Section 306C Water 

& Waste Disposal (WWD) Loans & 

Grants. 

OMB Control Number: 0572–0109. 

Summary of Collection: Rural Utilities 

Service is authorized to make loans and 

grants under Section 306C of the 

Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926c). This 

program funds facilities and projects in 

low income rural communities whose 

residents face significant health risks. 

These communities do not have access 

to or are not served by adequate 

affordable water supply systems or 

waste disposal facilities. The loans and 

grants will be available to provide water 

and waste disposal facilities and 

services to these communities. 

Need and Use of the Information:

Eligible applicants submit an 

application package and other 

information to Rural Development field 

offices. Applicants may use the funds in 

two ways: (1) To develop or improve 

community water and waste disposal 

systems; (2) to make loans or grants to 

individuals for extending service lines 

to residences, connecting residence 

plumbing to the applicant’s system, or 

improving residences to use the water or 

waste disposal system. 

Description of Respondents: Not-forprofit institutions; Individuals or 

households. 

Number of Respondents: 1. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

Annually. 

Total Burden Hours: 9. 

Rural Housing Service 

Title: Form RD 1940–59, Settlement 

Statement. 

OMB Control Number: 0575–0088. 

Summary of Collection: The Real 

Estate Settlement Procedures Act 

(RESPA), as amended, requires the 

disclosure of real estate settlement costs 

to real estate buyers and sellers. 

Disclosure of the nature and costs of a 

mortgage transaction enables the 

borrower to be a more informed 

customer and protects the public from 

unnecessarily high settlement charges. 

Failure to collect and disclose the 

information would be a violation of the 

RESPA. Form RD 1940–59, ‘‘Settlement 

Statement,’’ provides the buyer and the 

seller with a statement detailing the 

actual costs of the settlement services 

involved in certain Agency financed 

real estate transactions. 

Need and Use of the Information:

Form RD 1940–49 is completed by 

Settlement Agents, Closing Attorneys, 

and Title Insurance Companies 

performing the closing of RHS loans and 

credit sales used to purchase or 

refinance Section 502 Housing, Rural 

Rental Housing, and Farm Laboring 

Housing. The same parties performing 

the closing of FSA Farm Ownership 

loans and credit sales complete the 

form. Without this information, the 

agency would be unable to determine, if 

RESPA requirements are met. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other profit. 

Number of Respondents: 14,909. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

On occasion. 

56990 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 184 / Thursday, September 23, 2004 / Notices 

Total Burden Hours: 7,455.

Sondra Blakey, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 04–21352 Filed 9–22–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODES 3410–34–P, 3410–DM–P, 3410–XT–P, 

3410–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. 04–048–1] 

Notice of Request for Emergency 

Approval of an Information Collection

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: New information collection; 

comment request. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces that the Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Services has 

submitted to the Office of Management 

and Budget a request for emergency 

review and approval of an information 

collection associated with a national 

animal identification system.

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before October 3, 

2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:

Please send four copies of your 

comment (an original and three copies) 

to Docket No. 04–048–1 Regulatory 

Analysis and Development, PPD, 

APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River Road 

Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

Please state that your comment refers to 

Docket No. 04–048–1. 

E-mail: Address your comment to 

regulations@aphis.usda.gov. Your 

comment must be contained in the body 

of your message; do not send attached 

files. Please include your name and 

address in your message and ‘‘Docket 

No. 04–048–1’’ on the subject line. 

Agency Web Site: Go to http://

www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/

cominst.html for a form you can use to 

submit an e-mail comment through the 

APHIS Web site. 

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 (202) 690–2817 before 

coming. 

Other Information: You may view 

APHIS documents published in the 

Federal Register and related 

information, including the names of 

groups and individuals who have 

commented on APHIS dockets, on the 

Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/

ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on the national animal 

identification system, contact Mr. Neil 

Hammerschmidt, Animal Identification 

Coordinator, Eradication and 

Surveillance Team, National Center for 

Animal Health Programs, VS, APHIS, 

4700 River Road Unit 43, Riverdale, MD 

20737; (301) 734–5571, or Dr. John 

Wiemers, National Animal 

Identification Coordinator, Eradication 

and Surveillance Team, National Center 

for Animal Health Programs, VS, 

APHIS, 2100 S. Lake Storey Road, 

Galesburg, IL 61401; (309) 344–1942. 

For copies of more detailed information 

on the information collection, contact 

Mrs. Celeste Sickles, APHIS’

Information Collection Coordinator, at 

(301) 734–7477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: National Animal Identification 

System. 

OMB Number: 0579–XXXX. 

Type of Request: Emergency approval 

of a new information collection. 

Abstract: The Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of 

the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) regulates the importation and 

interstate movement of animals and 

animal products and conducts various 

other activities to protect the health of 

our Nation’s livestock and poultry. 

Animal disease outbreaks around the 

globe over the past decade, and the 

detection of an imported cow infected 

with bovine spongiform encephalopathy 

in Washington State in December 2003, 

have intensified the public interest in 

developing a national animal 

identification program for the purpose 

of protecting animal health. 

Fundamental to controlling any 

disease threat, foreign or domestic, to 

the Nation’s animal resources is to have 

a system that can identify individual 

animals or groups, the premises where 

they are located, and the date of entry 

to each premises. Further, in order to 

achieve optimal success in controlling 

or eradicating an animal health threat, 

the timely retrieval of this information 

and implementation of intervention 

strategies after confirmation of a disease 

outbreak is necessary. 

While there is currently no 

nationwide animal identification system 

in the United States for all animals of a 

given species, some segments of certain 

species are required to be identified as 

part of current program disease 

eradication activities. In addition, some 

significant regional voluntary 

identification programs are in place, and 

others are currently being developed 

and tested. 

A national animal identification 

system, being implemented by USDA at 

present on a voluntary basis, is intended 

to identify all livestock, as well as 

record their movements over the course 

of their lifespans. USDA’s goal is to 

create an effective, uniform, consistent, 

and efficient national system that, when 

fully implemented, will allow traces to 

be completed within 48 hours of 

detection of a disease, ensuring rapid 

containment of the disease. 

This program will involve a number 

of information collection and 

recordkeeping activities including 

nonproducer participant, individual 

animal, and animal group 

identifications; premises identifications; 

individual transaction records; and 

group/lot movement records. APHIS has 

submitted a request to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

emergency approval of the information 

collection activities associated with the 

national animal identification system. 

Please send written comments on the 

emergency approval request to the 

following addresses: (1) Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 

APHIS, Washington, DC 20503; and (2) 

Docket No. 04–048–1, Regulatory 

Analysis and Development, PPD, 

APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River Road 

Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

Please state that your comments refer to 

Docket No. 04–048–1 and send your 

comments within 10 days of publication 

of this notice. All comments will 

become a matter of public record. 

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