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

48209

Vol. 62, No. 178

Monday, September 15, 1997

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 97–074–1]

Notice of Request for Extension of a

Currently Approved 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 in support of the

Acute Porcine Reproductive and

Respiratory Syndrome study.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by November 14, 1997 to be

assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding

the accuracy of burden estimate, ways to

minimize the burden (such as through

the use of automated collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology), or any other aspect of this

collection of information to: Docket No.

97–074–1, Regulatory Analysis and

Development, PPD, APHIS, suite 3C03,

4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale,

MD 20737–1238. Please send an original

and three copies, and state that your

comments refer to Docket 97–074–1.

Comments received may be inspected at

USDA, room 1141, South Building, 14th

Street and Independence Avenue SW.,

Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and

4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,

except holidays. Persons wishing to

inspect comments are requested to call

ahead on (202) 690–2817 to facilitate

entry into the comment reading room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: For

information regarding Porcine

Reproductive and Respiratory

Syndrome, contact Dr. Larry White,

Veterinary Medical Officer, Emergency

Programs Staff, VS, APHIS, 555 S.

Howes, Suite 300, Fort Collins, CO

80521, (970) 490–7824. For copies of

more detailed information on the

information collection, contact Ms.

Cheryl Jenkins, Agency Support Service

Specialist, at (301) 734–5360.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Acute Porcine Reproductive and

Respiratory Syndrome

OMB Number: 0579–0125.

Expiration Date of Approval:

December 31, 1997.

Type of Request: Extension of a

currently approved information

collection.

Abstract: The mission of the Animal

and Plant Health Inspection Service

(APHIS), Veterinary Services, is to

protect and improve the health, quality,

and marketability of our Nation’s

animals and animal products by

preventing, controlling, and monitoring

animal diseases. Veterinary Services’

Emergency Programs is charged with

coordinating APHIS’ roles and

responsibilities in planning for and

responding to emerging or exotic animal

diseases.

During the last 12-to-15 months, a

severe form of Porcine Reproductive

and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) has

appeared in the United States. It is not

known if this is a new emerging

pathogen, a more virulent strain of the

conventional PRRS virus, or if risk

factors have changed resulting in a more

severe clinical expression of

conventional PRRS virus. Based on

information reported by the American

Association of Swine Practitioners

(AASP) and the National Pork Producers

Council (NPPC), approximately 100

herds in 7 States have experienced an

episode prior to January 1997, of what

APHIS and the swine industry are

calling acute PRRS.

Conventional PRRS is an Office

International des Epizooties (OIE) List B

disease and was first described in the

United States in 1987 and reported

shortly thereafter in Europe and Asia.

Data from the APHIS, Veterinary

Services, National Animal Health

Monitoring Systems’ Swine ’95 study

showed that 68.5 percent of hog

operations had conventional PRRS virus

on the premises.

When acute PRRS strikes a producer’s

herd, the herd experiences immediate

and severe production losses. Losses

due to abortion as great as 25 percent of

the annual pig crop have been reported,

with an associated loss of adult breeding

animals as great as 5 percent, and

preweaning piglet mortality up to 75

percent. Should acute PRRS reach the

same level of herd infection as

conventional PRRS, producer surplus

could decrease by $583 million per year.

Consumer surplus could decrease $121

million per year. The price of pork

could increase by $15.93 per metric ton.

The hog and pork export market is

severely threatened by the existence and

spread of this undefined pathogen.

Cases of acute PRRS are being

reported to Veterinary Services’

Emergency Programs Staff. It is

imperative that data on management

practices and environmental conditions,

along with blood and tissue samples,

continue to be collected and analyzed

during the seasonal episodes. Analysis

could identify the transmission

mechanism and risk factors and provide

a means to prevent disease spread to

other herds and States. Information

provided by this study would aid in the

early control or eradication of acute

PRRS and could save millions of dollars

of lost production and increased

regulatory costs associated with a later

control or eradication program.

Samples from herds experiencing

high abortion rates will be submitted by

private practitioners to seven

participating diagnostic laboratories. If

the herd for which the samples were

submitted qualifies for the study, the

diagnostic laboratory will contact the

submitting private practitioner. If the

private practitioner agrees to participate

in the study, he or she will contact the

producer. If the producer agrees to

participate, the private practitioner and

APHIS veterinary medical officer will

visit the premises to collect additional

data. If the private practitioner or

producer chooses not to participate, no

further contact will be made.

We are asking the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) to

approve the continued use of this

information collection activity.

The purpose of this notice is to solicit

comments from the public (as well as

affected agencies) concerning our

information collection. We need this

outside input to help us:
48210 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 178 / Monday, September 15, 1997 / Notices

(1) Evaluate whether the proposed

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 proposed

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 1.78

hours per response.

Respondents: Swine producers,

veterinary practitioners, State and

private diagnostic laboratories, and

swine-related industries.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

268.

Estimated Number of Responses Per

Respondent: 2.47.

Estimated Annual Number of

Responses: 662.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 1,179 hours. (Due to

rounding, the total annual burden hours

may not equal the product of the annual

number of responses multiplied by the

average 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 9th day of

September 1997.

Craig A. Reed,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 97–24391 Filed 9–12–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 96–016–23]

Agency Information Collection

Activities; OMB Approval Received

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the Office of

Management and Budget’s approval of a

collection of information contained in

the Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service final rule amending the

regulations pertaining to compensation

for Karnal bunt in the 1995–1996 crop

season.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Cheryl Jenkins, APHIS Information

Collection Coordinator, AIM, APHIS,

suite 2C42, 4700 River Road Unit 103,

Riverdale, MD 20737–1235, (301) 734–

5360.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On May 6, 1997, we published in the

Federal Register (62 FR 24745–24753,

Docket No. 96–016–17) a final rule

amending the regulations at 7 CFR

301.89, ‘‘Subpart—Karnal Bunt.’’ This

rule contains information collection

requirements. On August 6, 1997, the

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) approved the collection of

information requirements with respect

to this final rule under OMB control

number 0579–0121 (expires April 30,

2000).

Done in Washington, DC, this 9th day of

September 1997.

Craig A. Reed,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 97–24389 Filed 9–12–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation

Notice of Request for Extension of a

Currently Approved Information

Collection

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the intention of the

Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to

reduce the number of information

collection dockets assigned to CCC by

requesting an extension and revision of

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) docket number 0560–0052 and

consolidate with 0560–0052 those

collections cleared under OMB docket

number 0560-0009 and 0560–0010.

These information collections are

authorized by 7 CFR part 1421,

Standards for Approval of Warehouses

for Grain, Rice, Dry Edible Beans, and

Seed, 7 CFR part 1423, Standards for

Approval of Dry and Cold Storage

Warehouses for Processed Agricultural

Commodities, Extracted Honey, and

Bulk Oils, and 7 CFR part 1427,

Standards for Approval of Warehouses

for Cotton or Cotton Linters.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received on or before November 14,

1997, to be assured consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS:

Contact Shirlene Engle, USDA, Farm

Service Agency, Warehouse and

Inventory Division, Storage Contract

Branch, STOP 0553, 1400 Independence

Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250–

0553, (202) 720–7397; e-mail

sengle@wdc.fsa.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Standards for Approval of

Warehouses, Reporting and

Recordkeeping Requirements.

OMB Control Number: 0560–0052.

Expiration Date: January 31, 1998.

Type of Request: Extension and

revision of a currently approved

information collection.

Abstract: The information collected

under OMB Control Number 0560–0052,

as identified above, allows CCC to

effectively administer storage

agreements authorized by the CCC

Charter Act. The information collected

allows CCC to contract for warehouse

storage and related services and to

monitor and enforce all provisions of 7

CFR parts 1421, 1423, and 1427. The

forms approved by this information

collection are furnished to interested

warehouse operators or used by

warehouse examiners employed by CCC

to secure and record information about

the warehouse operator and the

warehouse. The information collected is

necessary to provide those charged with

executing contracts for CCC a basis to

determine whether the warehouse and

the warehouse operator meet applicable

standards for a contract and to

determine compliance once the contract

is approved.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this information collection is

estimated to average .7 hours per

response.

Respondents: Warehouse Operators.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

3,580.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 2.3.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 461,400 hours.

Proposed topics for comment include:

(a) Whether the continued collection of

information is necessary for the proper

performance of the functions of the

agency, including whether the

information will have practical utility;

(b) the accuracy of the CCC’s estimate of