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

44562 

Vol. 83, No. 170 

Friday, August 31, 2018 

1To view the notice and the comment we 

received, go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!

docketDetail;D=APHIS-2018-0012. 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2018–0012] 

Concurrence With OIE Risk 

Designations for Bovine Spongiform 

Encephalopathy 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public of 

our decision to concur with the World 

Organization for Animal Health’s (OIE) 

bovine spongiform encephalopathy 

(BSE) risk designations for four regions. 

The OIE recognizes these regions as 

being of negligible risk for BSE. We are 

taking this action based on our review 

of information supporting the OIE’s risk 

designations for these regions. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Rebecca Gordon, Senior Staff 

Veterinarian, Regionalization Evaluation 

Services, National Import Export 

Services, VS, APHIS, 920 Main Campus 

Drive, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27606; 

(919) 855–7741. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

regulations in 9 CFR part 92 subpart B, 

‘‘Importation of Animals and Animal 

Products; Procedures for Requesting 

BSE Risk Status Classification With 

Regard To Bovines’’ (referred to below 

as the regulations), set forth the process 

by which the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) classifies 

regions for bovine spongiform 

encephalopathy (BSE) risk. Section 92.5 

of the regulations provides that all 

countries of the world are considered by 

APHIS to be in one of three BSE risk 

categories: Negligible risk, controlled 

risk, or undetermined risk. These risk 

categories are defined in § 92.1. Any 

region that is not classified by APHIS as 

presenting either negligible risk or 

controlled risk for BSE is considered to 

present an undetermined risk. The list 

of those regions classified by APHIS as 

having either negligible risk or 

controlled risk can be accessed on the 

APHIS website at https://

www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/ 

animalhealth/animal-and-animalproduct-import-information/animalhealth-status-of-regions. The list can 

also be obtained by writing to APHIS at 

National Import Export Services, 4700 

River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 

20737. 

Under the regulations, APHIS may 

classify a region for BSE in one of two 

ways. One way is for regions that have 

not received a risk classification from 

the World Organization for Animal 

Health (OIE) to request classification by 

APHIS. The other way is for APHIS to 

concur with the classification given to a 

country or region by the OIE. 

If the OIE has recognized a country as 

either BSE negligible risk or BSE 

controlled risk, APHIS will seek 

information to support our concurrence 

with the OIE classification. This 

information may be publicly available 

information, or APHIS may request that 

countries supply the same information 

given to the OIE. APHIS will announce 

in the Federal Register, subject to 

public comment, its intent to concur 

with an OIE classification. 

In accordance with that process, we 

published a notice 1 in the Federal 

Register on April 24, 2018 (83 FR 

17789, Docket No. APHIS–2018–0012), 

in which we announced our intent to 

concur with the OIE recognition of 

Croatia, Poland, Northern Ireland, and 

Scotland as being regions of negligible 

risk for BSE. We solicited comments on 

the notice for 60 days ending on June 

25, 2018. We received one comment by 

that date, from a private citizen. 

The commenter voiced doubts about 

the efficacy of the BSE minimal risk 

region policy, concerns about other 

prion diseases such as chronic wasting 

disease circulating in the United States 

and the world, and skepticism that the 

ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban has been 

effectively enforced. The commenter did 

not, however, address our preliminary 

concurrence with the OIE’s risk 

designations for the four regions or the 

documentation made available to 

support that action. 

Therefore, in accordance with the 

regulations in § 92.5, we are announcing 

our decision to concur with the OIE risk 

classifications of the following 

countries: 

• Regions of negligible risk for BSE: 

Croatia, Poland, Northern Ireland 

(region of United Kingdom), and 

Scotland (region of United Kingdom). 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1622 and 8301–8317; 

21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 

CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 27th day of 

August 2018. 

Kevin Shea, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2018–18962 Filed 8–30–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

Notice of Intent To Request Revision 

and Extension of a Currently Approved 

Information Collection 

AGENCY: National Agricultural Statistics 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 this 

notice announces the intention of the 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

(NASS) to request revision and 

extension of a currently approved 

information collection, the Stocks 

Reports. Revision to burden hours will 

be needed due to changes in the size of 

the target population, sampling design, 

and/or questionnaire length. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by October 30, 2018 to be 

assured of consideration. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by docket number 0535–0007, 

by any of the following methods: 

• Email: OMBofficer@nass.usda.gov. 

Include docket number above in the 

subject line of the message. 

• E-fax: (855) 838–6382. 

• Mail: Mail any paper, disk, or CD– 

ROM submissions to: David Hancock, 

NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Room 5336 

South Building, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250– 

2024. 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 170 / Friday, August 31, 2018 / Notices 44563 

• Hand Delivery/Courier: Hand 

deliver to: David Hancock, NASS 

Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Room 5336 South Building, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW, 

Washington, DC 20250–2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kevin L. Barnes, Associate 

Administrator, National Agricultural 

Statistics Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, (202) 720–2707. Copies of 

this information collection and related 

instructions can be obtained without 

charge from David Hancock, NASS— 

OMB Clearance Officer, at (202) 690– 

2388 or at ombofficer@nass.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Stocks Reports. 

OMB Control Number: 0535–0007. 

Expiration Date of Approval: January 

31, 2019. 

Type of Request: Intent to Seek 

Approval to Revise and Extend an 

Information Collection for 3 years. 

Abstract: The primary objective of the 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

is to prepare and issue State and 

national estimates of crop and livestock 

production, stocks, disposition, and 

prices. The Stocks Report surveys, 

provide estimates of stocks of grains, 

hops, oilseeds, peanuts, potatoes, and 

rice that are stored off-farm. These offfarm stocks are combined with on-farm 

stocks to estimate stocks in all positions. 

The grain Stocks Reports are a principle 

economic indicator as defined by OMB. 

Stocks statistics are used by the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture to help 

administer programs; by State agencies 

to develop, research, and promote the 

marketing of products; and by producers 

and buyers to find their best market 

opportunity(s). The Stocks Reports are 

instrumental in providing timely, 

accurate data to help grain market 

participants. Since the previous 

approval, NASS has made several 

adjustments to the number of 

respondents contacted and the overall 

respondent burden. The largest 

adjustment to sample size is for the offfarm grain and oilseed operations that 

has been decreased by approximately 

600 operations (quarterly), due to 

numerous mergers of operations over 

the last three years. 

The current expiration date for this 

docket is January 31, 2019. NASS 

intends to request that the survey be 

approved for another 3 years. 

Authority: These data will be 

collected under the authority of 7 U.S.C. 

2204(a). Individually identifiable data 

collected under this authority are 

governed by Section 1770 of the Food 

Security Act of 1985 as amended, 7 

U.S.C. 2276, which requires USDA to 

afford strict confidentiality to nonaggregated data provided by 

respondents. This Notice is submitted in 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104– 

13 (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.), and Office 

of Management and Budget regulations 

at 5 CFR part 1320. 

NASS also complies with OMB 

Implementation Guidance, 

‘‘Implementation Guidance for Title V 

of the E-Government Act, Confidential 

Information Protection and Statistical 

Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA),’’ 

Federal Register, Vol. 72, No. 115, June 

15, 2007, p. 33362. 

Estimate of Burden: This information 

collection comprises 14 individual 

surveys that are conducted either 1, 4, 

5, or 12 times a year for an estimated 

total of 24,700 responses. Average 

reporting burden for this collection of 

information ranges from 10 to 25 

minutes per response. 

Respondents: Farms and businesses. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

6,300. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 5,300 hours. 

Comments: Comments are invited on: 

(a) 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; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of the burden of the proposed collection 

of information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 

and clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, through 

the use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, technological, or 

other forms of information technology 

collection methods. 

All responses to this notice will 

become a matter of public record and be 

summarized in the request for OMB 

approval. 

Signed at Washington, DC, August 23, 

2018. 

Kevin L. Barnes, 

Associate Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2018–18958 Filed 8–30–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–20–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

Notice of Intent To Seek Approval To 

Revise and Extend a Currently 

Approved Information Collection 

AGENCY: National Agricultural Statistics 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the intention of the 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

(NASS) to request revision and 

extension of a currently approved 

information collection, the Egg, 

Chicken, and Turkey Surveys. A 

revision to burden hours will be needed 

due to changes in the size of the target 

population, sampling design, and/or 

questionnaire length. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by October 30, 2018 to be 

assured of consideration. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by docket number 0535–0004, 

by any of the following methods: 

• Email: ombofficer@nass.usda.gov. 

Include docket number above in the 

subject line of the message. 

• E-fax: (855) 838–6382. 

• Mail: Mail any paper, disk, or CD– 

ROM submissions to: David Hancock, 

NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Room 5336 

South Building, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250– 

2024. 

• Hand Delivery/Courier: Hand 

deliver to: David Hancock, NASS 

Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Room 5336 South Building, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW, 

Washington, DC 20250–2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kevin L. Barnes, Associate 

Administrator, National Agricultural 

Statistics Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, (202) 720–2707. Copies of 

this information collection and related 

instructions can be obtained without 

charge from David Hancock, NASS— 

OMB Clearance Officer, at (202) 690– 

2388 or at ombofficer@nass.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Egg, Chicken, and Turkey 

Surveys. 

OMB Number: 0535–0004. 

Expiration Date of Approval: January 

31, 2019. 

Type of Request: Intent to seek 

approval to revise and extend an 

information collection for 3 years. 

Abstract: The primary objective of the 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 


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