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

25193

Vol. 63, No. 88

Thursday, May 7, 1998

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

May 1, 1998.

The Department of Agriculture has

submitted the following information

collection requirement(s) to OMB for

review and clearance under the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13. Comments

regarding (a) 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;

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate

of burden including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility and

clarity of the information to be

collected: (d) ways to 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 should be addressed to: Desk

Officer for Agriculture, Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB), Washington, D.C. 20503 and to

Departmental Clearance Office, USDA,

OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, D.C.

20250–7602. Comments regarding these

information collections are best assured

of having their full effect if received

within 30 days of this notification.

Copies of the submission(s) may be

obtained by calling (202) 720–6746.

An agency may not conduct or

sponsor a collection of information

unless the collection of information

displays a currently valid OMB control

number and the agency informs

potential persons who are to respond to

the collection of information that such

persons are not required to respond to

the collection of information unless it

displays a currently valid OMB control

number.

Economic Research Service

Title: USDA County Based Project

Customer Survey.

OMB Control Number: 0536–NEW.

Summary of Collection: The

Economic Research Service is managing,

on behalf of the Secretary of

Agriculture, a study of county-based

agency operations. The goal of the

project is the articulation of alternative

approaches to organizing and staffing

USDA’s county-based operations in

delivering services that are clearly

linked to the Federal policy and

program priorities and that can be

transparently managed to meet Federal

budget targets. During the study,

consultants under contract with ERS

will visit ten selected county office sites

around the county. The consultant also

plans to conduct a telephone survey of

USDA customers associated with each

site to gather a better understanding of

customer interaction with the offices’

business processes.

Need and Use of the Information:

ERS, through its contract consultant,

plans to conduct approximately 335

telephone interviews to gather

information on customer interactions

and experiences, and perceptions of

service. The survey will be conducted

one time only. The data collected from

the survey will be used primarily by the

project team as input to the workload

measurement and business process

modeling activities.

Description of Respondents: Farms;

Individuals or households.

Number of Respondents: 770.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

Other (one time collection).

Total Burden Hours: 254.

Food and Consumer Service

Title: The Integrity Profile.

OMB Control Number: 0584–0401.

Summary of Collection: The Food and

Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the

Woman, Infant, and Childrens (WIC)

Program on behalf of the Secretary of

Agriculture. In recent years, the Office

of Inspector General (OIG), has

performed audits of FNS’ vendor

management and recommended FNS (1)

develop criteria to identify vendors

suspected of abuse (high-risk vendors)

and (2) require State agencies to perform

a minimum number of compliance

investigations in order to provide

sufficient evidence on whether vendors

are overcharging the Program or

violating other regulatory requirements.

Accordingly, FNS requires State

agencies to report annually on their

vendor monitoring efforts. The data

collected from the States serves as a

management tool to provide Congress,

OIG senior program managers, as well as

the general public, assurances that

program funds are being spent

appropriately and that every reasonable

effort is being made to prevent, detect

and eliminate fraud, waste and abuse.

Need and Use of the Information: The

information collected is analyzed and a

report is prepared by FNS annually that

(1) assesses State agency progress in

eliminating abusive vendors, (2)

assesses the level of activity that is

being directed to ensuring program

integrity, and (3) analyzes trends over a

5-year period. The information is used

at the national level in formulating

program policy and regulations. At the

FNS regional office level, the data is

reviewed to identify possible vendor

management deficiencies so that

technical assistance can be provided to

States, as needed. At the State level, the

information is used to provide

assurances to the Governor’s office, and

other interested parties, that WIC issues

are being addressed.

Description of Respondents: State,

Local or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 88.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 1,836.

Agricultural Marketing Service

Title: Cotton Classing, Testing, and

Standards.

OMB Control Number: 0581–0008.

Summary of Collection: The U.S.

Cotton Standards Act, 7 U.S.C. 51, 53

and 55, directs and authorizes the

USDA to supervise the various activities

directly associated with the

classification or grading of cotton,

cotton linters, and cottonseed based on

official USDA Standards. The Cotton

Division of the Agricultural Marketing

Service carries out this supervision and

is responsible for the maintenance of the

functions to which these forms relate.

Need and Use of the Information: The

Agricultural Marketing Service uses the

following forms to collection

information: Form CN–357 is submitted

by owners of cotton to request cotton

classification services. The request
25194 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 88 /Thursday, May 7, 1998 / Notices

contains information for USDA to

ascertain proper ownership of the

samples submitted, distribute

classification results, and bill for

services. Information about the origin

and handling of the cotton is necessary

in order to properly evaluate and

classify the samples.

Form CN–246 is submitted by cotton

gins and warehouses seeking to serve as

licensed samplers. The license period is

five years. Licenses issued by the

USDA–AMS Cotton Division authorize

the warehouse/gin to draw and submit

samples to insure the proper application

of standards in the classification of

cotton and to prevent deception in their

use.

Form CN–383 is submitted to cotton

producers, ginners, warehousemen,

cooperatives, manufacturers, merchants,

and crushers interested in acquiring a

set of cotton grade and staple standards

for Upland and Pima cotton.

Description of Respondents: Business

or other for-profit; Individuals or

households.

Number of Respondents: 307.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

Annually; Other (every 5 yrs).

Total Burden Hours: 100.

Farm Service Agency

Title: Standards for Approval of

Warehouses-7 CFR 1421, 1423 and 1427

OMB Control Number: 0560–0052

Summary of Collection: The Farm

Service Agency (FSA), under Public

Law 80–806, the Commodity Credit

Corporation (CCC) Charter Act, is

authorized to enter into storage

contracts with commercial warehouse

operators. Specifically, the Act permits

FSA to enter into various types of

contracts as are necessary in the

conduct of its business and directs FSA

to utilize the usual and customary

channels, facilities and arrangements of

trade and commerce in its functions of

purchasing, warehousing, transporting,

processing, or handling of agricultural

commodities. FSA must collect

information in order to develop and

maintain a List of Approved

Warehouses (Approved List) to store

CCC-owned or loan commodities. The

use of warehouses on the Approved List

reduces the risk of loss faced by CCC by

using only those facilities which meet

the financial, physical, and managerial

requirements of CCC. The information

will be collected by mail which is

necessary because these agreements

must be legal and binding.

Need and Use of the Information: The

information collected on various forms

is necessary to establish and maintain

the Approved List, follow accepted

warehousing practices, and represent

the minimum burden to carry out

various mandatory price support

programs. The forms will be reviewed

by FSA contracting officers at the

Kansas City Commodity Office (KCCO)

in order to maintain an Approved List

for the storage of CCC-owned or CCCloan commodities.

Description of Respondents: Business

or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 3,380.

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion;

Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 423,864.

Farm Service Agency

Title: End-Use Certificate Program—7

CFR Part 782.

OMB Control Number: 0560–0151.

Summary of Collection: Public Law

103–182, Section 321 (f) of the North

American Free Trade Agreement

Implementation Act mandates that the

Secretary of Agriculture shall

implement, in coordination with the

Commissioner of Customs, a program

requiring that end-use certificates be

included in the documentation covering

the entry into the United States of any

wheat originating from Canada.

Need and Use of the Information: The

end-use certificate program was

designed to ensure that Canadian wheat

does not benefit from USDA or CCCassisted export programs. The

information collected on the end-use

certificate is used in conjunction with

USDA’s domestic origin compliance

review process doing quarterly audits of

contractors involved in foreign food

assistance programs. The form FSA–750

‘‘End-Use Certificate for Wheat’’ is used

by approximately 200 importers of

Canadian wheat to report entry into the

United States. The FSA–751 ‘‘Wheat

Consumption and Resale Report’’ is

used by approximately 225 millers,

exporters, and other users of Canadian

wheat to report final disposition of

Canadian wheat in the United States.

Description of Respondents: Business

or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 430.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

On occasion; Quarterly.

Total Burden Hours: 5,971.

Nancy Sternberg,

Departmental Information Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–12141 Filed 5–6–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 97–130–2]

AgrEvo USA Co.; Availability of

Determination of Nonregulated Status

for Sugar Beet Genetically Engineered

for Glufosinate Herbicide Tolerance

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: We are advising the public of

our determination that AgrEvo USA

Company’s sugar beet designated as

Transformation Event T120–7, which

has been genetically engineered for

tolerance to the herbicide glufosinate, is

no longer considered a regulated article

under our regulations governing the

introduction of certain genetically

engineered organisms. Our

determination is based on our

evaluation of data submitted by AgrEvo

USA Company in its petition for a

determination of nonregulated status

and an analysis of other scientific data.

This notice also announces the

availability of our written determination

document and its associated

environmental assessment and finding

of no significant impact.

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 28, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The determination, an

environmental assessment and finding

of no significant impact, and the

petition 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 those documents are asked to

call in advance of visiting at (202) 690–

2817 to facilitate entry into the reading

room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Ved Malik, Biotechnology and

Biological Analysis, PPQ, APHIS, 4700

River Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD

20737–1236; (301) 734–6774. To obtain

a copy of the determination or the

environmental assessment and finding

of no significant impact, contact Ms.

Kay Peterson at (301) 734–4885; e-mail:

mkpeterson@aphis.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On December 2, 1997, the Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

received a petition (APHIS Petition No.

97–336–01p) from AgrEvo USA

Company (AgrEvo) of Wilmington, DE,

seeking a determination that sugar beet