Notice2025-20072
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Renewal Collection and Request for Comment; Certification of Pesticide Applicators
Primary source
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Published
November 18, 2025
Issuing agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Abstract
In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), this document announces the availability of and solicits public comment on the following Information Collection Request (ICR) that EPA is planning to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): Certification of Applicators (EPA ICR No. 0155.17 and OMB Control No. 2070-0029). This ICR represents a renewal of an existing ICR that is currently approved through August 31, 2026. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval under the PRA, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the information collection that is summarized in this document. The ICR and accompanying material are available in the docket for public review and comment.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 220 (Tuesday, November 18, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 220 (Tuesday, November 18, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51748-51750]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-20072]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPP-2021-0288; FRL-12692-01-OCSPP]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Renewal
Collection and Request for Comment; Certification of Pesticide
Applicators
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), this
document announces the availability of
[[Page 51749]]
and solicits public comment on the following Information Collection
Request (ICR) that EPA is planning to submit to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB): Certification of Applicators (EPA ICR No.
0155.17 and OMB Control No. 2070-0029). This ICR represents a renewal
of an existing ICR that is currently approved through August 31, 2026.
Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval under the PRA,
EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the 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 January 20, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPP-2021-0288, online at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. 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. Additional instructions on
commenting or visiting the docket, along with more information about
dockets generally, is available at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/dockets">https://www.epa.gov/dockets</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carolyn Siu, Office of Program Support
(Mail Code 7602M), Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington,
DC 20460-0001; telephone number: 202-566-1205; email address:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#89fae0fca7eae8fbe6e5f0e7c9ecf9e8a7eee6ff"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d3a0baa6fdb0b2a1bcbfaabd93b6a3b2fdb4bca5">[email protected]</span></a>.
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: Certification of Pesticide Applicators
EPA ICR No.: 0155.17
OMB Control No.: 2070-0029
ICR Status: This ICR is currently approved through August 31, 2026.
Under the PRA, 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
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: EPA administers certification programs for pesticide
applicators under section 11 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). 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 paperwork activities performed by respondents to
comply with training and certification requirements associated with
applicators of restricted use pesticides (RUPs). Due to the potential
of improperly applied RUPs to harm human health or the environment,
pesticides under this classification may be purchased and applied only
by ``certified applicators'' or by persons under the direct supervision
of certified applicators. Currently all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, 6 territories, 4 tribes and 5 federal agencies are authorized
to run their own certification programs within their jurisdictions, but
each agency's certification plan must be approved by EPA before it can
be implemented. Agencies authorized by EPA to administer a
certification program are collectively referred to as ``authorized
agencies.'' In areas where no authorized agency has jurisdiction, EPA
may administer a certification program directly, (e.g., Federal
program). Federal programs require RUP dealers to maintain records of
RUP sales and to report and update their names and addresses with the
pesticide regulatory agency for enforcement purposes. This ICR also
addresses how registrants of certain pesticide products are expected to
perform specific, special paperwork activities, to comply with the
terms and conditions of the pesticide registration (e.g., registrants
of anthrax-related pesticide products).
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:
Form number(s): EPA Form 8500-017 and EPA Form EPA-PFN-3400-5.
Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by
this ICR include 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). North
American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes identified in
question 12 of the ICR.
Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory. FIFRA sections 3 and
11, and 40 CFR part 171
Estimated number of potential respondents: 2,722,244.
Frequency of response: On occasion.
Total estimated average number of responses for each respondent:
249.
Total estimated burden: 3,350,304 hours (per year). Burden is
defined at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
Total estimated costs: $165,574,065 (per year), includes $0
annualized capital investment or maintenance and operational costs.
III. Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?
There is a decrease of 315,095 hours in the total estimated
respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently
approved by OMB. This decrease primarily reflects EPA's updating of
burden estimates for this collection based upon respondents
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already having some familiarity with the regulations and certifying
authorities having completed the more burden-intensive process of
updating certification plans to comply with the updated 2017
requirements and shifting into the implementation phase of updating
their certification programs. During this phase, certifying authorities
may experience some paperwork burden if modifications to approved plans
are needed, though these changes would only occur on an as-needed basis
and are more limited in scale compared to the previous burden
estimates. Additionally, EPA's estimates include updates to the number
of total certified applicators, and associated noncertified applicators
under their supervision, based on information reported by certifying
authorities in their annual reports to the Agency. These changes are
adjustments.
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: October 18, 2025.
Nancy B. Beck,
Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and
Pollution Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2025-20072 Filed 11-17-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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