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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 22, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15934-15935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-6604]

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Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

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.

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 55 / Tuesday, March 22, 2011 / 
Notices

[[Page 15934]]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2010-0122]

Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information 
Collection; Karnal Bunt; Importation of Wheat and Related Articles

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Extension of approval of an information collection; comment 
request.

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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 regulations for the importation of wheat and 
related articles from regions affected with Karnal bunt.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before May 
23, 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-2010-0122 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-2010-0122, 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-2010-0122.
    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 regulations for the 
importation of wheat and related articles from regions affected with 
Karnal bunt, contact Mr. William Aley, Senior Import Specialist, Risk 
Management and Plants for Planting Policy, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road 
Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-5057. 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: Karnal Bunt; Importation of Wheat and Related Articles.
    OMB Number: 0579-0240.
    Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: As authorized by the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 
et seq.) (PPA), the Secretary of Agriculture may prohibit or restrict 
the importation, entry, exportation, or movement in interstate commerce 
of any plant, plant product, biological control organism, noxious weed, 
means of conveyance, or other article if the Secretary determines that 
the prohibition or restriction is necessary to prevent a plant pest or 
noxious weed from being introduced into or disseminated within the 
United States. This authority has been delegated to the Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which administers regulations 
to implement the PPA.
    Karnal bunt is a fungal disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum), durum 
wheat (Triticum durum), and triticale (Triticum aestivum X Secale 
cereale), a hybrid of wheat and rye. Karnal bunt is caused by the smut 
fungus Tilletia indica (Mitra) Mundkhur and is spread by spores, 
primarily through the movement of infected seed. Karnal bunt is found 
in Afghanistan, India, Iraq, Pakistan, and portions of Mexico and the 
United States.
    To prevent the introduction and spread of various wheat diseases, 
including Karnal bunt, APHIS's regulations in Subpart--Wheat Diseases 
(7 CFR 319.59-1 through 319.59-4) prohibit the importation of wheat 
seed, straw, and other products into the United States from regions 
affected with Karnal bunt.
    The regulations require that certain regulated articles imported 
from Karnal bunt-free areas within regions regulated for Karnal bunt be 
accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate that must be completed by an 
official of the national plant protection organization of the region of 
origin. The certificate must include a declaration stating that the 
regulated articles originated in areas where Karnal bunt is not known 
to occur, as attested to either by survey results or by testing for 
bunted kernals or spores.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (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 1.2 hours per response.
    Respondents: U.S. importers/exporters of wheat, foreign Federal 
officials.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 500.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.

[[Page 15935]]

    Estimated annual number of responses: 500.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 600 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 16th day of March 2011.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-6604 Filed 3-21-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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