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

70215

Vol. 69, No. 232

Friday, December 3, 2004

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. 04–101–1] 

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 

associated with health certificates for 

the export of live crustaceans, finfish, 

mollusks, and related products.

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before February 1, 

2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

• EDOCKET: Go to http://

www.epa.gov/feddocket to submit or 

view public comments, access the index 

listing of the contents of the official 

public docket, and to access those 

documents in the public docket that are 

available electronically. Once you have 

entered EDOCKET, click on the ‘‘View 

Open APHIS Dockets’’ link to locate this 

document. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Please send four copies of your 

comment (an original and three copies) 

to Docket No. 04–101–1, 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. 04–101–1. 

• 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. 04–101–1’’ 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 health certificates for the 

export of live crustaceans, finfish, 

mollusks, and related products, contact 

Ms. Jill B. Rolland, Fishery Biologist, 

Certification and Control Team, 

National Center for Animal Health 

Programs, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road 

Unit 46, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 

734–6479. 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: Health Certificates for Export of 

Live Crustaceans, Finfish, Mollusks, and 

Related Products. 

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. The Animal 

and Plant Health Inspection Service 

(APHIS) of the 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 animals 

or animal products from the United 

States require a certification that the 

United States is free of certain diseases. 

These countries may also require the 

certification statement to contain 

additional declarations regarding the 

U.S. animals or products being 

exported. 

The regulations governing the export 

of animals and products from the 

United States are contained in 9 CFR 

part 91, subchapter D, ‘‘Exportation and 

Importation of Animals (Including 

Poultry) and Animal Products,’’ and 

apply to farm-raised aquatic animals 

and products, as well as other livestock 

and products. These regulations are 

authorized by the Animal Health 

Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301–8317). 

The National Marine Fisheries Service 

(NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, U.S. 

Department of Commerce, and the Fish 

and Wildlife Service (FWS), U.S. 

Department of the Interior, as well as 

APHIS, have legal authorities and 

responsibilities related to aquatic 

animal health in the United States. All 

three agencies have, therefore, entered 

into a memorandum of understanding 

delineating their respective 

responsibilities in the issuance of health 

certificates for the export of live aquatic 

animals and animal products. 

As a result of these shared 

responsibilities, three new health 

certificates have been developed that 

will bear the logo of all three agencies. 

The certificates can be used by all three 

agencies for export health certifications 

for live crustaceans, finfish, mollusks, 

and their related products from the 

United States. In order for the agencies 

to complete these certificates, exporters 

must provide the names of the species 

being exported from the United States, 

their age and weight, if applicable, 

whether they are cultured stock or wild 

stock, their place of origin, their country 

of destination, and the date and method 

of transport. The certificates will be 

completed by an accredited inspector 

(in the case of FWS or NMFS) or 

accredited veterinarian (in the case of 

APHIS) and must be signed by either the 

accredited inspector or accredited 

veterinarian who inspects the animals 

or products prior to their departure from 

the United States, as well as the 

appropriate Federal official (from either 

APHIS, FWS, or NMFS) who certifies 

the health status of the shipment being 

exported. 

70216 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 232 / Friday, December 3, 2004 / Notices 

By endorsing the health certificate, 

these officials are certifying that (1) the 

aquatic animals or products in the 

consignment have been produced in a 

country, zone, or aquaculture 

establishment that has been subjected to 

a health surveillance scheme 

recommended by the Office 

International des Epizooties (the world 

animal health organization); and (2) the 

country, zone, or aquaculture 

establishment is officially recognized as 

being free from all of the pathogens 

causing the diseases identified on the 

specific health certificate being 

endorsed. (Each of the three health 

certificates lists a variety of diseases, 

depending on whether the certificate is 

for crustaceans, finfish, or mollusks.) 

We are asking the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to 

approve our use of this information 

collection activity for 3 years. 

The purpose of this notice is to solicit 

comments from the public (as well as 

affected agencies) concerning this 

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: Accredited inspectors 

or accredited veterinarians who 

complete the health certificates and 

producers who provide information for 

the health certificates to the accredited 

inspectors or accredited veterinarians. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 100. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 30. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 3,000. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 1,500 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 24th day of 

November 2004. 

Elizabeth E. Gaston, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 04–26592 Filed 12–2–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. 04–125–1] 

Notice of Request for Extension of 

Approval of an Information Collection

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 

regulations for the possession, use, and 

transfer of biological agents and toxins 

that have the potential to pose a severe 

threat to human and animal health, to 

animal health, to plant health, or to 

animal products and plant products.

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before February 1, 

2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

• EDOCKET: Go to http://

www.epa.gov/feddocket to submit or 

view public comments, access the index 

listing of the contents of the official 

public docket, and to access those 

documents in the public docket that are 

available electronically. Once you have 

entered EDOCKET, click on the ‘‘View 

Open APHIS Dockets’’ link to locate this 

document. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Please send four copies of your 

comment (an original and three copies) 

to Docket No. 04–125–1, 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. 04–125–1. 

• 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. 04–125–1’’ 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 regarding the select agent 

registration process associated with the 

possession, use, or transfer of biological 

agents and toxins in 7 CFR part 331, 

contact Ms. Gwendolyn Burnett, 

Regulatory Permit Specialist, Biological 

and Technical Services, PPQ, APHIS, 

4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, 

MD 20737; (301) 734–7211. 

For information regarding the select 

agent registration process associated 

with the possession, use, or transfer of 

biological agents and toxins in 9 CFR 

part 121, contact Dr. Monica BrownReid, Select Agent Program Manager, 

National Center for Import and Export, 

VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 39, 

Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734–3399. 

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: Select Agent Registration. 

OMB Number: 0579–0213. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

approval of an information collection. 

Abstract: On June 12, 2002, the 

President signed into law the Public 

Health Security and Bioterrorism 

Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 

(Pub. L. 107–188). Title II of that Act 

provides for the regulation of certain 

biological agents and toxins by the 

Department of Health and Human 

Services (HHS) (subtitle A, sections