49958 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 185 / Wednesday, September 24, 1997 / Notices

Estimated annual number of

responses: 45.

Estimated total annual burden on

respondents: 21 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

respondent.)

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 18th day of

September 1997.

Craig A. Reed,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 97–25326 Filed 9–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 97–078–1]

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 in support of the

State-Federal Brucellosis Eradication

Program.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by November 24, 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.

97–078–1, 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 97–078–1.

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 the State-Federal

Brucellosis Eradication Program, contact

Dr. James Davis, Senior Staff

Veterinarian, National Animal Health

Programs, VS, APHIS, Suite 3B08, 4700

River Road Unit 43, Riverdale, MD

20737–1236, (301) 734–5970. For copies

of more detailed information on the

information collection, contact Ms.

Celeste Sickles, Agency Support Service

Specialist, at (301) 734–7477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: State-Federal Brucellosis

Eradication Program.

OMB Number: 0579–0047.

Expiration Date of Approval: January

31, 1998.

Type of Request: Extension of

approval of an information collection.

Abstract: The State-Federal

Brucellosis Eradication Program is a

national program to eliminate this

serious disease of livestock. Brucellosis

also affects humans through contacts

with infected animals or their

byproducts. The program is conducted

under the various States’ authorities,

and by Federal authorities regulating

interstate movement of affected animals.

Uniform program standards

(Brucellosis Eradication Recommended

Uniform Methods and Rules) are

developed by organizations representing

the livestock industry, State animal

health agencies, and the U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Recommendations affecting the program

standards are submitted by the

executive committee of the U.S. Animal

Health Association for consideration

and approval by USDA. If the

recommendations are accepted as part

of the program standards, the

Brucellosis Eradication Recommended

Uniform Methods and Rules (UMR) are

amended to incorporate the change.

The UMR forms the basis for the

program in each State. The UMR states,

in part, that a ‘‘concerted effort through

effective screening programs and

extensive epidemiologic investigations

to locate infection and to eradicate the

disease is required.’’ A national

epidemiology form is needed to fulfill

an individual State’s commitment to

report and review epidemiologic data.

The information for report forms is

obtained from State veterinarians,

livestock inspectors, and herd owners.

The information obtained is used to

continue the search for other infected

herds, maintain identification of

livestock, monitor deficiencies in

identification of animals for movement,

and monitor program deficiencies in

suspicious and infected herds. This

information is used to determine

brucellosis area status and aids herd

owners by speeding up the detection

and elimination of serious disease

conditions in their herds.

In most instances, information is

collected at the time of testing, herd

tagging, or branding of infected animals.

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:

(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: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average .00855 hours per

response.

Respondents: State veterinarians,

livestock inspectors, and herd owners.

Estimated number of respondents:

7,278.

Estimated number of responses per

respondent: 858.5119.

Estimated annual number of

responses: 6,248,250.

Estimated total annual burden on

respondents: 52,395 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 18th day of

September 1997.

Craig A. Reed,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 97–25327 Filed 9–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P