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

5946

Vol. 69, No. 26

Monday, February 9, 2004

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. 04–005–1] 

Notice of Request for 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 the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service’s intention to 

initiate a new information collection 

activity to support the export of animal 

products from the United States.

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before April 9, 

2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by postal mail/commercial delivery or 

by e-mail. If you use postal mail/

commercial delivery, please send four 

copies of your comment (an original and 

three copies) to: Docket No. 04–005–1, 

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. 04–005–1. If you 

use 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. 04–005–1’’ on the subject line. 

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. 

APHIS documents published in the 

Federal Register, and related 

information, including the names of 

organizations and individuals who have 

commented on APHIS dockets, are 

available on the Internet at http://

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

webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on the export of animal 

products from the United States, contact 

Dr. Joyce Bowling, Senior Staff 

Veterinarian, Technical Trade Services, 

National Center for Import and Export, 

VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 40, 

Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734–3277. 

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: Export of Animal Products from 

the United States. 

OMB Number: 0579–XXXX. 

Type of Request: Approval of a new 

information collection. 

Abstract: The export of agricultural 

commodities, including animals and 

animal products, is a major business in 

the United States and contributes to a 

favorable balance of trade. To facilitate 

the export of U.S. animals and products, 

the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS), U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA), maintains 

information regarding the import health 

requirements of other countries for 

animals and animal products exported 

from the United States. 

Many countries that import animal 

products from the United States require 

a certification from APHIS that the 

United States is free of certain diseases. 

These countries may also require that 

our certification statement contain 

additional declarations regarding the 

U.S. animal products being exported. 

This certification must carry the USDA 

seal and be endorsed by a Federal or 

approved APHIS representative (i.e., a 

Plant Protection and Quarantine port 

officer). Veterinary Services Form 16–4, 

Health Certificate—Export Certificate—

Animal Products, is used to meet these 

requirements. 

Regulations pertaining to export 

certification of animals and animal 

products are contained in 9 CFR parts 

91 and 156. 

We are asking the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to 

approve our use of this form. 

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 

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 0.5 

hours per response. 

Respondents: U.S. exporters of animal 

products. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 30,000. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 4. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 120,000. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 60,000 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 3rd day of 

February 2004. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 04–2689 Filed 2–6–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P