Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2021-0287-0009
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Certification of Pesticide Applicators
Posted Date: 2022-02-25T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 38 (Friday, February 25, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10783-10784]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-03989]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2021-0287; FRL-9612-01-OMS]

Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; Certification of Pesticide Applicators 
(Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), Certification of Pesticide 
Applicators (EPA ICR No. 2499.03, OMB Control No. 2070-0196) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. The is a proposed 
extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through February 28, 
2022. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal 
Register on June 30, 2021 during a 60-day comment period. This notice 
allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller 
description of the ICR is given below, including its estimated burden 
and cost to the public. 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.

DATES: Additional comments must be received on or before March 28, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to EPA, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-
HQ-OPP-2021-0287, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method), by email to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket 
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
docket without change, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information claimed to 
be Confidential Business Information (CBI), or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute.
    Submit written comments and recommendations to OMB for the proposed 
information collection within 30 days of publication of this notice to 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information 
collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carolyn Siu, Regulatory Support 
Branch, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, 
Environmental Protection Agency (Mailcode: 7101M), 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566-1205; email 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents, which explain in 
detail the information that the EPA will be collecting, are available 
in the public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at 
www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. The telephone 
number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Abstract: EPA administers certification programs for pesticide 
applicators under section 11 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq. FIFRA allows EPA to 
classify a pesticide as ``restricted use'' if the pesticide meets 
certain toxicity or risk criteria. The regulations in 40 CFR part 171 
include procedures for certification programs for States, Federal 
agencies, Indian tribes, or U.S. territories who wish to develop and 
implement their own certification plans and programs, after obtaining 
EPA approval. This ICR addresses the information collection activities 
contained in the final rule revisions to 40 CFR part 171, issued in the 
Federal Register on January 4, 2017 (82 FR 952) (FRL-9956-70). The ICR 
estimates the incremental burden of the changes that were not already 
included in the ICR entitled ``Certification of Pesticide Applicators'' 
as approved under OMB No: 2070-0029.
    The final rule revised 40 CFR part 171 to include new and revised 
standards for certification for commercial and private applicators, 
provisions for recertification of applicators, and training for 
noncertified applicators applying restricted use pesticides (RUPs) 
under the supervision of certified applicators. The rule also includes 
changes to improve the clarity

[[Page 10784]]

and organization of 40 CFR part 171 and overall program operation. The 
changes are intended to ensure that all persons who use RUPs--i.e., 
private applicators, commercial applicators, and noncertified 
applicators using RUPs under the direct supervision of certified 
applicators--are competent to use RUPs in a manner that will not result 
in unreasonable adverse effects to themselves, others, or the 
environment.
    This ICR estimates the burden and costs of the rule-related 
information collection activities, including burden and cost estimates 
related to initial rule familiarization activities.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Agricultural establishments, pest 
control officials, pesticide registrants, pesticide dealers, and 
administrators of environmental protection programs, governmental pest 
control programs, pesticide applicator certification programs (e.g., 
authorized agencies), and RUP dealers (only for EPA administrated 
programs).
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory, FIFRA sections 3 and 
11.
    Estimated number of respondents: 1,860,974 (total).
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Total estimated burden: 2,280,849 hours (per year). Burden is 
defined at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
    Total estimated cost: $108,061,898 (per year), includes $0 
annualized capital or operation and maintenance costs.
    Changes in the estimates: Apart from updating the format of the ICR 
to meet current format standards and a few minor changes, there are no 
substantive changes from the ICR currently approved by OMB.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2022-03989 Filed 2-24-22; 8:45 am]
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