[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29990-29991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-14589]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6105-9]


Pesticides; Submission of EPA ICR No. 0596.06 to OMB; Agency 
Information Collection Activities

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of submission to OMB.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), this document announces that the Information Collection 
Request (ICR) entitled: Application and Summary Report for an Emergency 
Exemption for Pesticides, [EPA ICR No. 0596.06, OMB No. 2070-0032] has 
been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and approval pursuant to the OMB procedures in 5 CFR 1320.12. The ICR 
which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information 
collection and its estimated cost and burden.
    The Agency is requesting that OMB renew for 3 years the existing 
approval for this ICR, which is scheduled to expire on May 31, 1998 
(However, an expiration date extension request through August 31, 1998 
is pending OMB approval). A Federal Register notice announcing the 
Agency's intent to seek OMB approval for this ICR and a 60-day public 
comment opportunity, requesting comments on the request and the 
contents of the ICR, was issued on March 4,1998 (63 FR 10606). EPA did 
not receive any comments on this ICR during the comment period. 
Additional comments may be submitted on or before July 2, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandy Farmer at EPA (202) 260-2740, 
and refer to EPA ICR No 0596.06 and OMB Control No. 2070-0032, to the 
following address:

ADDRESSES: Send comments, referencing EPA ICR No. 0596.06 and OMB 
Control No. 2070-0032, to the following addresses:

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Regulatory 
Information Division (Mail Code: 2137), 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, 
DC 20460
    And to:
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, N.W., 
Washington, DC 20503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Review Requested: This is a request to renew a currently approved 
information collection pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12.
    ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 0596.06; OMB Control No. 2070-0032.
    Current Expiration Date: Current OMB approval expires on May 31, 
1998 (However, an expiration date extension request through August 31, 
1998 is pending OMB approval).
    Title: Application and Summary Report for an Emergency Exemption 
for Pesticides.
    Abstract: Under section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide 
and Rodenticide Act, the EPA may temporarily authorize states, 
territories, and Federal agencies to ship and use unregistered 
pesticides in emergency situations. To ensure that an emergency 
situation actually exists, and that use of the pesticide will not pose 
an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment, the EPA 
requires exemption applicants to explain the circumstances 
necessitating the emergency use and to provide details on the pesticide 
and its proposed application. Following the application of the 
pesticide, applicants must submit a report to the EPA describing the 
pesticide treatment, and its effectiveness as well as any adverse 
effects.
    Burden Statement: The information covered by this request is 
collected when an emergency situation becomes apparent and only upon 
receipt of an emergency exemption application. Small businesses are not 
eligible to apply to this program. The public burden for this 
collection of information is estimated to average 103 hours per 
response for reporting and 2 hours per record keeper annually. This 
estimate includes the initial request for an emergency exemption and 
the time needed to complete and submit the summary report after the 
pesticide application. It also includes time needed to review 
instructions; develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and 
systems for the purposes of collecting, validating and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information and disclosing and 
providing information; adjust the existing ways to comply with any 
previously applicable instructions and requirements; train personnel to 
be able to respond to a collection of information, search data sources; 
complete and review the collection of information; and transmit or 
otherwise disclose the information. No person is 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 are 
displayed in 40 CFR part 9.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are states, territories and Federal agencies.
    Estimated No. of Respondents: 422.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 43,466 hours.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Changes in Burden Estimates: There is an increase of 12,978 hours 
in the total estimated respondent burden as compared with that 
identified in the

[[Page 29991]]

information collection request most recently approved by OMB, from 
30,488 hours currently to an estimated 43,466 hours. At the time of the 
last clearance of this ICR in May 1995, EPA estimated the burden for 
respondents to be 30,488 hours annually, an increase of 12,978 hours 
from the burden total in the OMB inventory at the time. The increase in 
burden reflects the increase in the number of petitions requesting a 
FIFRA section 18 exemption. Based on currently available information, 
this change represents an increase in annual respondents from 296 to 
422.
    According to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12, EPA has 
submitted this ICR to OMB for review and approval. Any comments related 
to the renewal of this ICR should be submitted within 30 days of this 
document, as described above.

    Dated: May 27, 1998.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 98-14589 Filed 6-1-98; 8:45 am]
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