[Federal Register: October 14, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 198)]
[Notices]               
[Page 59159-59160]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14oc03-40]                         

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 03-093-1]

 
Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information 
Collection

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Extension of approval of an information collection; comment 
request.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 in support of regulations for the commercial transportation 
of equines to slaughtering facilities.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
December 15, 2003.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by postal mail/commercial delivery 
or by e-mail. If you use postal mail/commercial delivery, please send 
four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to: Docket 
No. 03-093-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 
3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state 
that your comment refers to Docket No. 03-093-1. If you use e-mail, address your comment to regulations@aphis.usda.gov. Your comment must 
be contained in the body of your message; do not send attached files. 
Please include your name and address in your message and ``Docket No. 
03-093-1'' on the subject line.
    You may read any comments that we receive on this docket in our 
reading room. The reading room is located in room 1141 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) 690-2817 before coming.
    APHIS documents published in the Federal Register, and related 
information, including the names of organizations and individuals who 
have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at 
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information regarding regulations 
for the commercial transportation of equines to slaughtering 
facilities, contact Dr. Tim Cordes, Senior Staff Veterinarian, National 
Center for Animal Health Programs, Certification and Control Team, VS, 
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 46, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-
3279. For copies of more detailed information on the information 
collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles, APHIS' Information Collection 
Coordinator, at (301) 734-7477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Commercial Transport of Equines to Slaughter.
    OMB Number: 0579-0160.
    Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: Under the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act 
of 1996 (``the Farm Bill''), Congress gave responsibility to the 
Secretary of Agriculture to regulate the commercial transportation 
within the United States of equines for slaughter. Sections 901-905 of 
the Farm Bill (7 U.S.C. 1901 note) authorized the Secretary to issue 
guidelines for the regulation of commercial transportation of equines 
for slaughter by persons regularly engaged in that activity within the 
United States. To fulfill this responsibility, the Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
established regulations in title 9, part 98, of the Code of Federal 
Regulations.
    The minimum standards cover, among other things, the food, water, 
and rest provided to such equines. The regulations require the owner/
shipper of the equines to take certain actions in loading and 
transporting the equines and to certify that the commercial 
transportation meets certain requirements. Our regulations prohibit the 
commercial transportation to slaughter facilities of equines considered 
to be unfit for travel and the use of electric prods on such animals in 
commercial transportation to slaughter. The use of double-deck trailers 
for commercial transportation of equines to slaughtering facilities may 
not be used after December 7, 2006.
    These regulations require the use of two information collection 
activities: (1) The preparation of an owner-shipper certificate for 
each equine transported to slaughter and (2) the collection of business 
information from any individual or other entity found to be 
transporting horses to a slaughtering facility.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities for an additional 3 
years.

[[Page 59160]]

    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 
information collection, 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 information collection 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 reporting burden for this collection 
of information is estimated to average 0.052471 hours per response.
    Respondents: Owners and shippers of slaughter horses and owners/
operators of slaughtering facilities.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 200.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 401.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 80,100.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 4,203 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 8th day of October, 2003.
Peter Fernandez,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 03-25883 Filed 10-10-03; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-34-P