Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0902-0006
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Consumer Research through Focus Groups to Develop Improved Labeling for Pesticide Products
Posted Date: 2012-07-20T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 140 (Friday, July 20, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42725-42726]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-17748]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0902; FRL-9520-8]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Consumer Research through Focus 
Groups to Develop Improved Labeling for Pesticide Products

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)(44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection 
Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing 
approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the 
nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before August 20, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPP-
2011-0902, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method), or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection 
Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs Regulatory Public Docket (28221T), 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail 
to: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ryne Yarger, Field and External 
Affairs Division (7506P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 605-1193; fax number: (703) 305-5884; 
email address: yarger.ryne@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On December 7, 2011 (76 FR 76399), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. Any 
additional comments on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB 
within 30 days of this notice.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0902, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the OPP Regulatory 
Public Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 
1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading 
Room is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding 
legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading Room is 202-566-
1744, and the telephone number for the OPP Regulatory Public Docket is 
703-305-5805.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://www.regulations.gov to submit or view public comments, access the index 
listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those documents in 
the docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, 
select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number identified 
above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public comments, whether 
submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public 
viewing at http://www.regulations.gov as EPA receives them and without 
change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, confidential 
business information (CBI), or other information whose public 
disclosure is restricted by statute. For further information about the 
electronic docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Consumer Research through Focus Groups to Develop Improved 
Labeling for Pesticide Products.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2367.02, OMB Control No. 2070-0175.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on August 31, 2012. 
Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor 
the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 
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 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 in certain EPA regulations is 
consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: EPA intends to renew a voluntary information collection 
for consumer research involving the use of focus groups to test various 
versions of pesticide product labels and other informational materials 
intended for the general public. Every pesticide product must bear a 
label containing the

[[Page 42726]]

information specified by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act as established in EPA's labeling regulations at 40 CFR 
156.10. Pesticide product labels provide critical safety information 
and directions for use to avoid harm to human health and the 
environment. The purpose of this research is to identify the consumer's 
understanding of the information on a pesticide product label to assure 
that the consumer can effectively use this information to select the 
pesticide product most likely to meet their needs, and to assure that 
the consumer can readily understand label instructions regarding the 
safe use, handling, storage, and disposal of a pesticide product.
    Without knowledge concerning the consumer's perspective and 
interpretation of the information on the label, EPA cannot judge if the 
proposed content and design of the label is effectively conveying 
useful safety and performance information to the consumer. Testing of 
existing and/or proposed label statements in realistic situations with 
typical consumers via focus groups can provide valuable qualitative 
information about the clarity and understandability of a pesticide 
product label, what these label statements are likely to communicate to 
consumers, and how consumers use the information to make purchasing 
decisions. The collected information will be used to inform the Agency 
on the need for and nature of potential revisions to EPA's policy, 
guidance, and regulations related to pesticide label language and 
design label metrics, and to aid in the creation of other user-friendly 
consumer information materials.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2 
hours per response. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial 
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or 
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This 
includes the 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 which have subsequently changed; 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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this ICR are members of the general public who volunteer to participate 
in a focus group.
    Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 100.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 200.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $6,014. There are no operational or 
maintenance costs associated with the collection of this activity.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 120 hours in the 
total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. This increase reflects EPA's actual costs of 
conducting a series of 10 focus groups in 2010. This change is an 
adjustment.

John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-17748 Filed 7-19-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P