Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 20 / Thursday, January 30, 2014 / Notices 4865 

Done in Washington, DC, this 23rd day of 

January 2014. 

Kevin Shea, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–01751 Filed 1–29–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2013–0108] 

Notice of Request for Extension of 

Approval of an Information Collection; 

Environmental Monitoring 

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 

environmental monitoring. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before March 31, 

2014. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/#!document

Detail;D=APHIS-2013-0108-0001. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2013–0108, 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-2013-0108 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 environmental 

monitoring, contact Dr. Robert Baca, 

Environmental Compliance Lead, RPM, 

PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 150, 

Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851–2292. 

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: Environmental Monitoring. 

OMB Control Number: 0579–0117. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

approval of an information collection. 

Abstract: The mission of the Animal 

and Plant Health Inspection Service 

(APHIS) of the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) is to provide 

leadership in ensuring the health and 

care of animals and plants, to improve 

agricultural productivity and 

competitiveness, and to contribute to 

the national economy and the public 

health. 

APHIS is committed to accomplishing 

its mission in a manner that promotes 

and protects the integrity of the 

environment. This includes APHIS’ 

compliance with all applicable 

environmental statutes and regulations, 

including the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et 

seq.), the regulations of the Council on 

Environmental Quality implementing 

the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 

CFR parts 1500–1508), USDA 

regulations implementing NEPA (7 CFR 

part 1b), and APHIS’ NEPA 

Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 

372). APHIS engages in environmental 

monitoring for certain activities that we 

conduct to control or eradicate certain 

pests and diseases. We monitor those 

activities that have the greatest potential 

for harm to the human environment to 

ensure that the mitigation measures 

developed to avoid that harm are 

enforced and effective. In many cases, 

monitoring is required where APHIS 

programs are conducted close to 

habitats of endangered and threatened 

species. This monitoring is developed in 

coordination with the U.S. Department 

of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife 

Service, in compliance with the 

Endangered Species Act (50 U.S.C. 

17.11 and 17.12). 

APHIS field personnel and State 

cooperators jointly use an 

Environmental Monitoring Form 

(APHIS Form 2060) to collect 

information concerning the effects of 

pesticide use in these sensitive areas. 

The goal of environmental monitoring is 

to track the potential impact that APHIS 

activities may have on the environment 

and to use this knowledge in making 

any necessary adjustments in future 

program actions. 

This information collection activity 

was previously approved by the Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB) with 

an estimated annual number of 

respondents of 150. However, since the 

last approval, we no longer gather 

information from individual 

households. As a result, we have 

adjusted the estimated annual number 

of respondents, the estimated annual 

number of responses, and the estimated 

total annual burden on respondents. 

We are asking OMB to approve our 

use of this information collection 

activity 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 0.50 

hours per response. 

Respondents: Growers, appliers of 

pesticides, State department of 

agriculture personnel. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 110. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 20. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 2,200. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 1,100 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 23rd day of 

January 2014. 

Kevin Shea, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–01754 Filed 1–29–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

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