Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 64 / Monday, April 6, 2009 / Notices 15431 

practice referred to as ‘‘soring.’’ This 

practice causes a horse to suffer pain in 

any of its limbs for the purpose of 

affecting the horse’s performance in 

competition. All breeds of horses are 

covered under the Act, although 

enforcement emphasis has historically 

been placed on Tennessee Walking 

horses and other gaited breeds due to 

the prevalence of soring documented in 

that industry. 

To carry out the Act, the Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service of the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

administers and enforces regulations at 

9 CFR part 11. The regulations prohibit 

devices and methods that might sore 

horses. They also contain provisions 

under which show management may, to 

avoid liability for any sore horses that 

are shown, hire private individuals 

trained to conduct preshow inspections. 

These individuals are referred to as 

designated qualified persons (DQPs). 

DQPs must be trained and licensed 

under USDA-certified and monitored 

programs that are sponsored by horse 

industry organizations (HIOs). 

Enforcement of the Act and its 

regulations relies on horse inspections 

conducted by APHIS veterinarians and 

by DQPs. To ensure that DQP 

enforcement and USDA-certified DQP 

programs are effective, APHIS requires 

DQPs, HIOs, and horse show 

management to maintain or submit to 

APHIS records related to these 

inspections, their DQP programs, and 

the horse events. No official government 

form is necessary for the reporting and 

recordkeeping required. 

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 

0.6280487 hours per response. 

Respondents: Designated qualified 

persons, horse industry organizations, 

and horse show management. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Respondents: 1,514. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Responses per Respondent: 2.3830911. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Responses: 3,608. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 2,266 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 31st day of 

March 2009. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–7625 Filed 4–3–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2009–0019] 

Notice of Request for Extension of 

Approval of an Information Collection; 

Peer Reviewer’s Certification 

Regarding Conflict of Interest 

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 related to peer 

review of scientific information 

disseminated to the public by the 

Agency. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before June 5, 

2009. 

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-2009-0019 to submit or view 

comments and to view supporting and 

related materials available 

electronically. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Please send two copies of your comment 

to Docket No. APHIS–2009–0019, 

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– 

2009–0019. 

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 APHIS’ peer review 

process or the peer reviewer’s 

certification regarding conflict of 

interest, contact Dr. Natalie Roberts, 

APHIS Peer Review Officer, Planning 

Evaluation and Monitoring, PPD, 

APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 120, 

Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734–8937. 

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: APHIS Peer Reviewer’s 

Certification Regarding Conflict of 

Interest. 

OMB Number: 0579–0304. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

approval of an information collection. 

Abstract: The Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

protects and promotes U.S. agricultural 

health, administers the Animal Welfare 

Act, and carries out wildlife damage 

management activities. In carrying out 

its mission, APHIS collects, generates, 

and disseminates a wide variety of 

scientific information. 

Some of the information APHIS 

disseminates is ‘‘influential’’—that is, it 

has a clear and substantial impact on 

important public policies or important 

private sector decisions. A very small 

portion of APHIS’ scientific information 

takes the form of ‘‘highly influential 

scientific assessments,’’ which have a 

potential impact of more than $500 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
15432 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 64 / Monday, April 6, 2009 / Notices 

million in any year, or are novel, 

controversial, precedent-setting, or of 

significant interagency interest. 

In order to ensure the objectivity and 

highest level of quality of such scientific 

information, APHIS arranges for these 

documents to be peer reviewed in 

accordance with the Office of 

Management and Budget’s (OMB’s) 

‘‘Final Information Quality Bulletin for 

Peer Review,’’ which is available on the 

Web at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ 

omb/fedreg/2005/011405_peer.pdf. 

To ensure the effectiveness and 

integrity of the peer review process, 

APHIS pays careful attention to 

potential conflicts of interest when 

selecting peer reviewers. APHIS has 

developed a standard letter to 

prospective peer reviewers, which, 

among other things, asks them to 

consider whether they may have a 

conflict of interest related to review of 

a specific scientific document and, if no, 

asks them to sign a form certifying that 

they have no conflicting interests. 

We are asking 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 0.25 

hours per response. 

Respondents: Peer reviewers for 

agency scientific documents. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Respondents: 50. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Responses per Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Responses: 50. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 12.5 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 31st day of 

March 2009. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–7626 Filed 4–3–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2009–0012] 

Notice of Request for Extension of 

Approval of an Information Collection; 

Specimen Submission 

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 

livestock disease surveillance programs. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before June 5, 

2009. 

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=APHIS2009-0012 to submit or view comments 

and to view supporting and related 

materials available electronically. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Please send two copies of your comment 

to Docket No. APHIS–2009–0012, 

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– 

2009–0012. 

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 regarding livestock disease 

surveillance programs, contact Ms. 

Connie J. Osmundson, Financial 

Analyst, National Veterinary Services 

Laboratories, VS, APHIS, P.O. Box 844, 

Ames, IA 50010; (515) 663–7571. 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: Specimen Submission. 

OMB Number: 0579–0090. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

approval of an information collection. 

Abstract: Under the Animal Health 

Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.), 

the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture is authorized, among 

other things, to carry out activities to 

detect, control, and eradicate pests and 

diseases of livestock within the United 

States. 

In connection with this mission, 

APHIS’ Veterinary Services (VS) 

conducts disease surveillance programs. 

The VS form 10–4 and its supplemental 

sheet (VS form 10–4A) are critical 

components of these programs. They are 

routinely used whenever specimens 

(such as blood, milk, tissue, or urine) 

from any animal (including cattle, 

swine, sheep, goats, horses, and poultry) 

are submitted to our National Veterinary 

Services Laboratories for testing. 

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 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES