[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 8, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20812-20813]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09774]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0619; FRL-9973-40]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Renewal of an
Existing Collection; Comment Request
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), this
document announces that EPA is planning to submit an Information
Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
The ICR, entitled: ``Pesticide Program Public Sector Collections (FIFRA
Sections 18 & 24(c))'' and identified by EPA ICR No. 2311.03 and OMB
Control No. 2070-0182, represents the renewal of an existing ICR that
is scheduled to expire on October 31, 2018. Before submitting the ICR
to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific
aspects of the proposed information collection that is summarized in
this document. The ICR and accompanying material are available in the
docket for public review and comment.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 30, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0619, by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted
by statute.
Mail: OPP Docket, Environmental Protection Agency Docket
Center (EPA/DC), (28221T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC
20460-0001.
Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand
delivery or
[[Page 20813]]
delivery of boxed information, please follow the instructions at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along
with more information about dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Connie Hernandez, Field and External
Affairs Division (7506P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 605-5190; email address:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. What information is EPA particularly interested in?
Pursuant to PRA section 3506(c)(2)(A) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)),
EPA specifically solicits comments and information to enable it to:
1. Evaluate whether the proposed 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 the Agency's estimates of the burden of
the proposed 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.
4. 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, e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.
II. What information collection activity or ICR does this action apply
to?
Title: Pesticide Program Public Sector Collections (FIFRA Sections
18 & 24(c)).
ICR number: EPA ICR No. 2311.03.
OMB control number: OMB Control No. 2070-0182.
ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on October
31, 2018. 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 Code of Federal Regulations (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
for certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
Abstract: This ICR covers the paperwork burden associated with two
types of pesticide registration requests made by states, U.S.
Territories, or Federal agencies under the Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. 136a et seq.: (1)
Emergency exemption requests, which allow for an unregistered use of a
pesticide; and (2) Requests by states to register a pesticide use to
meet a special local need (SLN).
FIFRA section 18 allows EPA to grant emergency exemptions to
states, U.S. Territories, and Federal agencies to allow an unregistered
of a pesticide for a limited time if EPA determines that emergency
conditions exists. Section 18 requests include unregistered pesticide
use exemptions for specific agricultural, public health and quarantine
purposes. FIFRA section 24(c) allows EPA to grant permission to a
particular state to register additional uses of a federally registered
pesticide for distribution and use within that state to meet a SLN.
Burden statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this combined collection of information is estimated to
average 25,753 hours per response. Burden is defined in 5 CFR
1320.3(b).
The ICR, which is available in the docket along with other related
materials, provides a detailed explanation of the collection activities
and the burden estimate that is only briefly summarized here:
Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by
this ICR are pesticides registrants, which may be identified by North
American Classification System (NAICS) codes 325320 (pesticide and
other agricultural chemical manufacturing), and 9241 (governments that
administer environmental quality programs).
Estimated total number of potential respondents: 669.
Frequency of response: On occasion.
Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.
Estimated total annual burden hours: 25,753 hours.
Estimated total annual costs: $1,829,103. There are no capital
operation & maintenance costs associated with this information
collection.
III. Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?
For Section 18, there is a decrease of 4,158 hours in the total
estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR
currently approved by OMB. This decrease corresponds with a decrease in
the average number of Section 18s requested per year, from 185 to143.
This change is an adjustment.
For Section 24(c), there is a decrease of 4,264 hours in the total
estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR
currently approved by OMB. This decrease reflects EPA's significant
decrease in the average number of petitions received annually, from
about 305 to 223. This change is an adjustment.
IV. What is the next step in the process for this ICR?
EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. EPA will issue another
Federal Register document pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to
announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit
additional comments to OMB. If you have any questions about this ICR or
the approval process, please contact the person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.
Dated: April 24, 2018.
Charlotte Bertrand,
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical
Safety and Pollution Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2018-09774 Filed 5-7-18; 8:45 am]
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