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Notices Federal Register

13300 

Vol. 78, No. 39 

Wednesday, February 27, 2013 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2013–0001] 

Notice of Request for Extension of 

Approval of an Information Collection; 

Importation of Fruits and Vegetables 

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 associated with 

the regulations for the importation of 

certain fruits and vegetables into the 

United States. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before April 29, 

2013. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/ 

#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0001- 

0001. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2013–0001, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

Supporting documents and any 

comments we receive on this docket 

may be viewed at http:// 

www.regulations.gov/ 

#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0001 or 

in our reading room, which 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) 799–7039 

before coming. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on the importation of fruits 

and vegetables, contact Mr. Tony 

Roma ́n, Regulatory Policy Specialist, 

PHP, PPQ, 4700 River Road Unit133, 

Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851–2242. 

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: Importation of Fruits and 

Vegetables. 

OMB Number: 0579–0316. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

approval of an information collection. 

Abstract: The Plant Protection Act 

(PPA, 7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) authorizes 

the Secretary of Agriculture to restrict 

the importation, entry, or interstate 

movement of plants, plant products, and 

other articles to prevent the 

introduction of plant pests into the 

United States or their dissemination 

within the United States. As authorized 

by the PPA, the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

regulates the importation of certain 

fruits and vegetables in accordance with 

the regulations in ‘‘Subpart—Fruits and 

Vegetables’’ (319.56–1 through 

319.5658). 

Under these regulations, certain fruits 

and vegetables may be imported into the 

United States under specific conditions 

to prevent the introduction of plant 

pests into the United States. These 

conditions involve the use of 

information collection activities, 

including the issuance of phytosanitary 

certificates, trapping surveys, 

inspections by the exporting country, 

labeling of boxes, and recordkeeping. 

An additional information collection is 

the completion of the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, APHIS, Plant Protection 

and Quarantine (PPQ), Application for 

Permit to Import Plants or Plant 

Products (PPQ Form 587). 

We are asking the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to 

approve our use of these information 

collection activities 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 

1.4963 hours per response. 

Respondents: Importers and exporters 

of fruits and vegetables, and national 

plant protection organizations of 

exporting countries. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 2,959. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 28.18. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 83,389. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 124,779 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 20th day of 

February 2013. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–04495 Filed 2–26–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 


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