Notice2023-07571
Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Imported Seeds and Screening
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 11, 2023
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Abstract
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 the regulations for the importation of seeds and screenings from Canada into the United States.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 69 (Tuesday, April 11, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 11, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21603-21604]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07571]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2023-0020]
Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information
Collection; Imported Seeds and Screening
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Extension of approval of an information collection; comment
request.
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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 the regulations for the importation of seeds
and screenings from Canada into the United States.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before June
12, 2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>.
Enter APHIS-2023-0020 in the Search field. Select the Documents tab,
then select the Comment button in the list of documents.
<bullet> Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2023-0020, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may
be viewed at <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> or in our reading room, which is located
in room 1620 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) 799-7039 before coming.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the regulations
related to the importation of seeds and screenings, contact Mrs.
Heather Coady, Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist, PPQ, APHIS, USDA,
4700 River Road Unit 137, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (240) 935-1598;
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#68000d091c000d1a461b460b07090c11281d1b0c09460f071e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bed6dbdfcad6dbcc90cd90ddd1dfdac7fecbcddadf90d9d1c8">[email protected]</span></a>. For information on the information collection
reporting process, contact Mr. Joseph Moxey, APHIS' Paperwork Reduction
Act Coordinator, at (301) 851-2483; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#eb8184988e9b83c58684938e92ab9e988f8ac58c849d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2943465a4c5941074446514c50695c5a4d48074e465f">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 21604]]
Title: Imported Seeds and Screenings.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0124.
Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information
collection.
Abstract: Under the authority of the Federal Seed Act (FSA) of
1939, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1551 et seq.), the U.S. Department of
Agriculture regulates the importation and interstate movement of
certain agricultural and vegetable seeds and screenings. Title III of
the FSA, ``Foreign Commerce,'' requires shipments of imported
agricultural and vegetable seeds to be labeled correctly and to be
tested for the presence of the seeds of certain noxious weeds as a
condition of entry into the United States. The Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service's (APHIS') regulations implementing the provisions
of Title III of the FSA are found in 7 CFR part 361.
The regulations in 7 CFR part 361, ``Importation of Seed and
Screenings under the Federal Seed Act'' (Sec. Sec. 361.1 to 361.10,
referred to below as the regulations), prohibit or restrict the
importation of agricultural seed, vegetable seed, and screenings into
the United States. Section 361.7 provides the regulations for special
provisions for Canadian-origin seed and screenings, and Sec. 361.8
provides the regulations for the cleaning of imported seed and
processing of certain Canadian-origin screenings.
APHIS' Plant Protection and Quarantine program operates a seed
analysis program with Canada that allows U.S. companies that import
seed for cleaning or processing to enter into compliance agreements
with APHIS. This program eliminates the need for sampling shipments of
Canadian-origin seed at the U.S.-Canadian border and allows certain
seed importers to clean the seed without direct supervision of an APHIS
inspector. The program provides a safe and expedited process for the
importation of seed and screenings into the United States without
posing a plant pest or noxious weed risk.
The seed analysis program involves the use of information
collection activities, including a compliance agreement, seed analysis
certificate, declaration for importation, container labeling,
notification of seed location, a seed return request, seed identity
maintenance, documentation for U.S. origin exported seed returned to
the United States, written appeal for cancellation of a compliance
agreement and request for a hearing, and associated recordkeeping.
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 burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 0.36 hours per response.
Respondents: Commercial importers, seed cleaning/processing
facility personnel, seed laboratory personnel, and government food
inspection agency officials.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 1,153.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 23.
Estimated annual number of responses: 27,041.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 9,632 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 5th day of April 2023.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-07571 Filed 4-10-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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