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 

### 50991

Vol. 76, No. 159

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

**DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE**

**Animal and Plant Health Inspection**
**Service**

**[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0083]**

**Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information Collection;**  **User Fee Regulations**

**AGENCY :**  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

**ACTION :**  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 an extension of approval of an
information collection associated with
the collection of user fees.

**DATES :**  We will consider all comments that we receive on or before October 17,

2011.

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

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/ #!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0083-

0001.

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS–2011–0083, 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-2011-0083 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) 690–2817 before coming. **FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  For information on user fees, contact Ms. Kris Caraher, User Fees Section Head, Financial Management Division, MRPBS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 55, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734– 5743. For copies of more detailed
information on the information collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles,
APHIS’ Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 851–2908.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :** 

Title: User Fee Regulations.
OMB Number: 0579–0094. Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information collection.

Abstract: Section 2509 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, as amended, authorizes the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to collect user fees for agricultural quarantine and inspection (AQI) services, for providing for the inspection and certification of plants and plant products offered for export or transiting the United States, and for providing veterinary diagnostic services and services related to the importation and exportation of animals and animal products.

Although certain AQI functions, but not the laws or regulations upon which they are premised, were transferred
from APHIS to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) bureau of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002, APHIS remains responsible for the regulations related to AQI activities, including the user fee regulations. APHIS also remains responsible for administration of the user fee programs.

Neither APHIS nor CBP receives an appropriation to fund these activities; instead, user fees are calculated and assessed to ensure full cost recovery of each user fee program. If the information was not collected, the agencies would not be able to perform
the services since the fees collected are necessary to fund the work.

Requesters of services usually are repeat customers, and, in many cases, request that we bill them for our services. Also, the 1996 Debt Collection Improvement Act requires that agencies collect tax identification numbers (TINs) from all persons doing business with the Government for purposes of collecting delinquent debts. Without a TIN, service cannot be provided on a credit basis.

The requests for services are in writing, by telephone, or in person. The information contained in each request identifies the specific service requested and the time in which the requester wishes the service to be performed. This information is necessary in order for the animal import centers and port offices
to schedule the work and to calculate
the fees due.

APHIS is responsible for ensuring that
the fees collected are correct and that they are remitted in full and in a timely manner. To ensure this, the party (ticketing agents for transportation companies) responsible for collecting and remitting fees must allow APHIS personnel to verify the accuracy of the fees collected and remitted, and otherwise determine compliance with the statute and regulations. We also require that whoever is responsible for making fee payments advise us of the name, address, and telephone number of a responsible officer who is authorized to verify fee calculations, collections,
and remittances.

This information collection is necessary for APHIS to effectively collect fees, ensure remittances in a timely manner, and determine proper credit for payment of international air passenger, aircraft clearance, commercial truck, commercial railroad car, commercial vessel, phytosanitary certificate, import/export, and veterinary diagnostic user fees.

We have reviewed the paperwork requirements of the user fee programs and have made every possible effort to streamline our processes and minimize the impact on the public. Whenever possible, we use existing billing/
collection methods to minimize the cost to the Agency.

We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve our use of these information
collection activities 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;


### 50992 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 159 / Wednesday, August 17, 2011 / Notices

(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 0.0541 hours per response.

Respondents: Arriving international passengers, owners and operators of arriving international means of conveyance, importers/exporters who wish to import or export plants and plant products, and importers/exporters who wish to import or export animals and animal products.

Estimated annual number of respondents: 51,957.

Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 5.69.

Estimated annual number of

responses: 295,881.

Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 15,997 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 10th day of August 2011.
Kevin Shea, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 2011–20883 Filed 8–16–11; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 3410–34–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE**

**Animal and Plant Health Inspection**
**Service**

**[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0078]**

**Notice of Availability of a Pest Risk Analysis for the Importation of**  **Shredded Lettuce From Egypt**

**AGENCY :**  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

**ACTION :**  Notice.

**SUMMARY :**  We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation into the
continental United States of fresh shredded lettuce from Egypt. Based on this analysis, we believe that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh shredded lettuce from Egypt. We are making the pest risk analysis available to the public for review and

comment.

**DATES :**  We will consider all comments that we receive on or before October 17,

2011.

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

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/ #!documentDetail;D=APHIS–2011–

0078–0001.

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS–2011–0078, 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–2011–0078 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) 690–2817 before coming.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Mr. Marc Phillips, Import Specialist, RCC, RPM, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301)

734–4394.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :** 
Background

Under the regulations in ‘‘Subpart— Fruits and Vegetables’’ (7 CFR 319.56– 1 through 319.56–51, referred to below as the regulations), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits or restricts the importation of fruits and vegetables into the United States from certain parts of the world to prevent plant pests from being introduced into and spread within the
United States.

Section 319.56–4 contains a performance-based process for approving the importation of commodities that, based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, can be safely imported subject to one or more of the designated phytosanitary measures listed in paragraph (b) of that section.

APHIS received a request from the Government of Egypt to allow the importation of fresh shredded lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) from Egypt into the continental United States. Currently,
fresh shredded lettuce is not authorized for entry from Egypt. We have completed a pest risk analysis for the purpose of evaluating the pest risks associated with the importation of fresh
shredded lettuce into the continental United States. The analysis consists of a pest list identifying pests of quarantine significance that are present in Egypt and could follow the pathway of importation into the United States and a risk management document identifying phytosanitary measures that could be applied to the commodity to mitigate the pest risk.

We have concluded that fresh shredded lettuce can be safely imported
into the continental United States from Egypt using one or more of the five designated phytosanitary measures listed in § 319.56–4(b). The measures we
selected are:

• Fresh shredded lettuce may be imported into the continental United States in commercial consignments only.

• Each consignment of shredded lettuce leaves must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of Egypt with an additional declaration stating the following: ‘‘Shredded lettuce leaves in this consignment were inspected and found free from quarantine pests.’’

Therefore, in accordance with § 319.56–4(c), we are announcing the availability of our pest risk analysis for public review and comment. The pest risk analysis may be viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site or in our reading room (see **ADDRESSES** above for a link to Regulations.gov and
information on the location and hours of the reading room). You may request paper copies of the pest risk analysis by calling or writing to the person listed
under **FOR FURTHER INFORMATION**

**CONTACT**. Please refer to the subject of the pest risk analysis you wish to review when requesting copies.

After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our decision regarding the import status of fresh shredded lettuce from Egypt in a subsequent notice. If the overall conclusions of the analysis and the
Administrator’s determination of risk remain unchanged following our consideration of the comments, then we will begin issuing permits for the importation of fresh shredded lettuce from Egypt into the continental United States subject to the requirements specified in the risk management
documents.