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 

### 11751

Vol. 76, No. 42

Thursday, March 3, 2011

**DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE**

**Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service** 

**[Docket No. APHIS–2010–0118]**

**Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information Collection;**  **Environmental Monitoring Form**

**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 May 2,

2011.

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

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/ component/ main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS–

2010–0118 to submit or view comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically.

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send one copy of your comment to Docket No. APHIS–2010–0118, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS–

2010–0118.

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: Additional information about APHIS and its programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  For information on environmental monitoring, contact Dr. Robert Baca, Team Leader, Environmental Compliance, Emergency and Domestic Programs, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 150, Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) 734–7592. 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
Form.

OMB 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 United States Department of Agriculture 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.

Primary among these statutes is 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, 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 APHIS Form 2060, Environmental Monitoring Form, 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.

We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve our use of APHIS Form 2060 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 0.5 hours per response.

Respondents: Growers, appliers of pesticides, State department of agriculture personnel.

Estimated annual number of respondents: 150.

Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 20.

Estimated annual number of

responses: 3,000.

Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 1,500 hours. (Due to


### 11752 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2011 / Notices

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 25th day of February 2011. Kevin Shea, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 2011–4767 Filed 3–2–11; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 3410–34–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE**

**Food Safety and Inspection Service**

**[Docket No. FSIS–2009–0020]**

**Australia’s Meat Safety Enhancement Program; Notice of Affirmation of**  **Equivalence Decision**

**AGENCY :**  Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

**ACTION :**  Notice of affirmation of equivalence decision.

**SUMMARY :**  The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is affirming its 1999 decision that Australia’s Meat Safety Enhancement Program (MSEP), an alternative to the conventional meat inspection system also maintained by the Australian Government food regulatory authority [Australia Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS)], is equivalent to the FSIS domestic meat inspection system. MSEP has been renamed the Australian Export Meat Inspection System (AEMIS), but the system itself will remain the same as that determined to be equivalent by FSIS in 1999 when FSIS announced that slaughter inspection in MSEP establishments meets all requirements of U.S. law for the import of product to the United States, and provides the same level of public health protection as U.S. domestic slaughter inspection. In this notice, MSEP is used for events that occurred under that name, MSEP/ AEMIS for unchanging features of the program, and AEMIS for current and projected activities. In January 2011, Australia informed FSIS that AEMIS will be progressively implemented in all Australian beef, sheep, and goat establishments eligible to export to the United States.

**DATES :**  The Agency must receive comments by April 4, 2011.

**ADDRESSES :**  FSIS invites comments on this notice. Comments may be submitted by either of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on this Web page or attach a file for lengthier comments. Go

to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions at that site for submitting comments.

• Mail, including floppy disks or CD– ROMs, and hand- or courier-delivered
items: Send to Docket Clerk, USDA, FSIS, Room 2–2127 George Washington Carver Center, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Mailstop 5272, Beltsville, MD 20705–

5272.

Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must include the Agency name and docket number FSIS– 2009–0020. Comments received in response to this docket will be made available for public inspection and posted without change, including any personal information, to http:// www.regulations.gov.

Docket: All comments submitted in response to this notice, as well as research and background information used by FSIS in developing this document, will be available for public inspection in the FSIS Docket Room at the address listed above between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  For further information contact Dr. Ronald K. Jones, Assistant Administrator, Office of International Affairs, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, Room 3143– S, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250–0070; telephone(202) 720–3473, fax (202) 690–3856, email Ronald.Jones@fsis.usda.gov.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Background

The Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) stipulates that no carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat, or meat food products shall be imported into the United States unless the livestock from which they were produced was slaughtered and processed in accordance with all provisions and regulations applicable to such articles in commerce within the United States (21 U.S.C. 620). These provisions and regulations include standards for safety, wholesomeness, and labeling accuracy.

Foreign countries wanting to export meat to the United States must apply to FSIS, following procedures set out in § 327.2 of Title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). To be found eligible, a foreign country’s national government must operate an inspection system with legal authority for the inspection system. Its implementing regulations and other implementing documentation must be equivalent to those of the United States. Specifically, the national meat inspection system must impose equivalent requirements with respect to: (1) Ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection; (2) official controls by the national government over plant construction, facilities, and equipment; (3) direct and continuous supervision of slaughter activities and product preparation; (4) separation of establishments certified to export from those not certified; (5) maintenance of a single standard of inspection and sanitation throughout certified establishments; (6) requirements for sanitation at establishments certified to export and for sanitary handling of product; and (7) official controls over condemned product.

In order to achieve equivalence recognition, a foreign country must submit its inspection system to an evaluation by FSIS consisting of a document review and an on-site review. The document review is an evaluation of the laws, regulations, and other implementing documentation used by the country to enact its inspection program. The foreign country provides a self-assessment of its national meat or poultry inspection system, organized by six components: Government oversight, statutory authority and food safety regulations, sanitation, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems, chemical residue testing programs, and microbiological testing programs. FSIS evaluates theinformation submitted in these selfassessment documents and conducts an on-site review to verify all aspects of the country’s inspection program, including laboratories and the foreign government’s oversight of the individual establishments within the country. This comprehensive process is described fully on the FSIS Web site at http:// www.fsis.usda.gov/ Regulations

_&

_Policies/ equivalence

_ process/index.asp. If FSIS determines that a foreign country’s inspection system is equivalent, the Agency is required to conduct a rulemaking to list the country in the meat inspection regulations, at 9 CFR 327.2, as eligible to export meat and meat products to the United States. Once the rulemaking is final, the foreign country certifies appropriate establishments as having met required standards for export. This certification ensures that both establishments producing meat for export to the United States and the products of those establishments comply with requirements that are equivalent to those of the FMIA and the regulations that are promulgated under this statutory authority. To verify that