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[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 247 (Thursday, December 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80357-80359]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32515]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0715; FRL-9939-33]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Renewal of 
Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), this 
document announces that EPA is planning to submit an Information 
Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 
The ICR, entitled: ``Tolerance Petitions for Pesticides on Food/Feed 
Crops and New Food Use Inert Ingredients'' and identified by EPA ICR 
No. 0597.12 and OMB Control No. 2070-0024, represents the renewal of an 
existing ICR that is scheduled to expire on August, 31, 2016. Before 
submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting 
comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection 
that is summarized in this document. The ICR and accompanying material 
are available in the docket for public review and comment.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 22, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0715, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit 
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute.
     Mail: OPP Docket, Environmental Protection Agency Docket 
Center (EPA/DC), (28221T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 
20460-0001.
     Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand 
delivery or

[[Page 80358]]

delivery of boxed information, please follow the instructions at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
    Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along 
with more information about dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amaris Johnson, Field and External 
Affairs Division (7506P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 305-9542; email address: 
johnson.amaris@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. What information is EPA particularly interested in?

    Pursuant to PRA section 3506(c)(2)(A) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), 
EPA specifically solicits comments and information to enable it to:
    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 the Agency's estimates 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.
    4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from 
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of 
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork 
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.

II. What information collection activity or ICR does this action apply 
to?

    Title: Tolerance Petitions for Pesticides on Food/Feed Crops and 
New Food Use Inert Ingredients.
    ICR number: EPA ICR No. 0597.12.
    OMB control number: OMB Control No. 2070-0024.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on August 31, 
2016. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not 
required to respond to, a collection of information, unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's 
regulations in title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), after 
appearing in the Federal Register when approved, are listed in 40 CFR 
part 9, are displayed either by publication in the Federal Register or 
by other appropriate means, such as on the related collection 
instrument or form, if applicable. The display of OMB control numbers 
for certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: The use of pesticides to increase crop production often 
results in pesticide residues in or on the crop. To protect the public 
health from unsafe pesticide residues, EPA sets limits on the nature 
and level of residues permitted pursuant to section 408 of the Federal 
Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). A pesticide may not be used on 
food or feed crops unless the Agency has established a tolerance 
(maximum residue limit) for the pesticide residues on that crop, or 
established an exemption from the requirement to have a tolerance.
    Under the law, EPA is responsible for ensuring that the maximum 
residue levels likely to be found in or on food/feed are safe for human 
consumption through a careful review and evaluation of residue 
chemistry and toxicology data. In addition, EPA must ensure that 
adequate enforcement of the tolerance can be achieved through the 
testing of submitted analytical methods. If the data are adequate for 
EPA to determine that there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will 
result from aggregate exposure, the Agency will establish the tolerance 
or grant an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.
    This ICR only applies to the information collection activities 
associated with the submission of a petition for a tolerance action. 
While EPA is authorized to set pesticide tolerances, the Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA) is responsible for their enforcement. Food or feed 
commodities found to contain pesticide residues in excess of 
established tolerances are considered adulterated, and are subject to 
seizure by FDA, and may result in civil penalties.
    Trade secret or CBI is frequently submitted to the EPA in support 
of a tolerance petition because submissions usually include the 
manufacturing process, product formulation, and supporting data. When 
such information is provided to the Agency, the information is 
protected from disclosure under FIFRA Section 10. CBI data submitted to 
the EPA is handled strictly in accordance with the provisions of the 
``FIFRA Confidential Business Information Security Manual.''
    Burden statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1,726 
hours per response. Burden is defined in 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
    The ICR, which is available in the docket along with other related 
materials, provides a detailed explanation of the collection activities 
and the burden estimate that is only briefly summarized here:
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this ICR are Pesticide manufacturers and IR-4.
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 165.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 285,128 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $27,475,223.58. This is the estimated 
burden cost; there is no cost for capital investment or maintenance and 
operational costs in this information collection request.

III. Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

    There is an increase of 48,328 hours in the total estimated 
respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This increase is a result of an increase from 137 to 
165 in the estimated average number of tolerance petitions submitted 
annually, which resulted in a change to the annual burden hours for 
respondents from 236,800 in the previous renewal to 285,128 in the 
current renewal. There is no change in burden per tolerance petition; 
burden for respondents increased as a result of the estimated increase 
in the average number of petitions submitted annually. This change is 
an adjustment.

IV. What is the next step in the process for this ICR?

    EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as 
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for 
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. EPA will issue another 
Federal Register document pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to 
announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit 
additional comments to OMB. If you have any questions about this ICR or 
the approval process, please contact the person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

[[Page 80359]]

    Dated: December 4, 2015.
 Jim Jones,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2015-32515 Filed 12-23-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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