Notice of Request for Revision and Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Self-Certification Medical Statement, 6690-6691 [E8-2049]

Download as PDF 6690 Notices Federal Register Vol. 73, No. 24 Tuesday, February 5, 2008 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency statements of organization and functions are examples of documents appearing in this section. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [Docket No. APHIS–2007–0140] Notice of Request for Revision and Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; SelfCertification Medical Statement Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Revision and extension of approval of an information collection; comment request. AGENCY: SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s intention to request a revision and extension of approval of an information collection for self-certification medical statements. DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before April 7, 2008. You may submit comments by either of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/ component/ main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS2007-0140 to submit or view comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically. • Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send two copies of your comment to Docket No. APHIS–2007–0140, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS– 2007–0140. Reading Room: 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., rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES ADDRESSES: VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:34 Feb 04, 2008 Jkt 214001 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. Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its programs is available on the Internet at https://www.aphis.usda.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on self-certification medical statements, contact Ms. Lynn Doetschman, Human Resources Specialist, Human Resources Division, MRPBS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 21, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734– 4996. 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: Self-Certification Medical Statement. OMB Number: 0579–0196. Type of Request: Revision and extension of approval of an information collection. Abstract: The Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture facilitate the domestic and international marketing of U.S. agricultural products and protect the health of domestic animal and plant resources. The MRP agencies are the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). Resource management and administrative services, including human resource management, for the three MRP agencies are provided by the MRP Business Services unit of APHIS, which is the lead agency in providing administrative support for MRP. In accordance with 5 CFR part 339, Federal agencies are authorized to obtain medical information from applicants for positions that have approved medical standards. Medical standards may be established for positions for which the duties are arduous or hazardous or require a certain level of health status or fitness. Certain positions in MRP agencies have medical standards. An example of such a position is the agricultural commodity grader position in AMS. Each year, AMS hires a number of PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 agricultural commodity graders. These employees work under dusty conditions, around moving machinery and slippery surfaces, and in areas with high noise levels. They have direct contact with meat and dairy products, fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, and poultry products intended for human consumption or cotton and tobacco products intended for human use. The MRP agencies require a selfcertification medical statement (SCMP) (MRP–5) from applicants for these positions regarding their fitness for the positions. AMS is expanding the categories of employees who will be required to complete an SCMP. The MRP agencies need this information to determine whether the applicants can perform the duties of the positions. Inability to collect this information would adversely affect the MRP agencies’ ability to recruit and hire qualified individuals and carry out their missions. We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve our use of this information collection activity for 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 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 0.1666 hours per response. Respondents: Applicants for MRP positions with approved medical standards. E:\FR\FM\05FEN1.SGM 05FEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 24 / Tuesday, February 5, 2008 / Notices Estimated annual number of respondents: 600. Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1. Estimated annual number of responses: 600. Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 100 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 30th day of January 2008. Kevin Shea, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. E8–2049 Filed 2–4–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–34–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Giant Sequoia National Monument Management Plan EIS USDA Forest Service. Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement. AGENCY: rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES ACTION: SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service is preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) to establish management direction for the land and resources within the Giant Sequoia National Monument (GSNM) created by Presidential Proclamation on april 15, 2000. The Forest Service, as the responsible agency, proposes to amend the Sequoia National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (FLMP) to provide for the protection of the objects of interest identified in the Proclamation. DATES: The draft EIS for the Giant Sequoia National Monument Management Plan is expected to be available for public comment in the early spring of 2009; the final EIS and Record of Decision (ROD) are expected to be published in the fall of 2009. Soon after the ROD is published, a separate document representing the Management Plan in non-technical language will be published. ADDRESSES: Tina Terrell, Forest Supervisor, USDA Forest Service, Sequoia National Forest, 1839 South Newcomb Street, Porterville, CA 93257. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie Allen, Land Management Planning Staff Officer, Sequoia National Forest, at the address listed above. The phone number VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:34 Feb 04, 2008 Jkt 214001 is (559) 784–1500. Information regarding the monument and the planning process can also be found on the Giant Sequoia National Monument website located at https://www.fs.fed.us./ r5/sequoia/gsnm. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background On April 15, 200, a Presidential Proclamation creating the Giant Sequoia National Monument was signed. The Proclamation designated 327,769 acres within the boundary of the Sequoia National Forest as a National Monument to provide protection for a variety of objects of historic and scientific interest, including giant sequoia trees and their surrounding ecosystem. The plan will provide for and encourage continued public access and use consistent with the purposes of the Giant Sequoia National Monument. A range of alternatives will be analyzed, including the no-action alternative, which is the current management direction. Purpose and Need for Action The Presidential Proclamation creates a national monument recognizing and protecting forever its unique resources. The proclamation also clearly identifies opportunities for scientific research, interpretation, recreation, and the need for a transportation plan. We are committed to preparing a management plan that is responsive to these needs and opportunities and that cares for the objects of interest as identified in the proclamation. Within the context of the Proclamation’s statement of need, we are committed to developing the proposed action and alternatives to it through a comprehensive, inclusive, collaborative process involving stakeholders. This collaborative process will be facilitated largely by a third party neutral associated with the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, an organization chartered by Congress for the purpose of resolving multi-party environmental issues and disputes. Because the Giant Sequoia National Monument is a unique treasure of international interest, it deserves the very best planning approach possible. We believe that the very best management will result from this innovative, collaborative approach which taps the knowledge and creative energy of those who know and love the giant sequoias. In the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process terms, this Notice of Intent initiates the scoping period. We expect the scoping period to last up to one year during which there will be a variety of meetings and workshops. The PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 6691 collaborative process will thereby be the focus, but not the sole means, of this extended scoping period during which the proposed action will be developed and planning issues identified. Notification of scoping activities will be posted on the Web site, https:// www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia/gsnm, and advertised through the media. The collaborative process will continue to play a role through development of the draft and final environmental impact statements. Current Management Direction Until a new Monument Management Plan is implemented, current management direction for the GSNM includes the Presidential Proclamation, the Sequoia National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, as amended by the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment (2001), and the Mediated Settlement Agreement. Commenting Comments received in response to public scoping or any future solicitation for public comments on a draft EIS, including names and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public record and will be available for public inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered. Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), any person may request the agency to withhold a submission from the public record by showing how the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits such confidentiality. Persons requesting such confidentiality should be aware that under the FOIA confidentiality may be granted in only very limited circumstances, such as to protect trade secrets. The Forest Service will inform the requester of the agency’s decision regarding the request for confidentiality, and where the request is denied; the agency will return the submission and notify the requester that the comments may be resubmitted with or without name and address. The comment period on the draft EIS will be 90 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability in the Federal Register. The Forest Service believes that, at this early stage, it is very important to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of a draft EIS must structure their participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts the agency to the reviewer’s position and contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. E:\FR\FM\05FEN1.SGM 05FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 5, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6690-6691]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2049]


========================================================================
Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
appearing in this section.

========================================================================


Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 24 / Tuesday, February 5, 2008 / 
Notices

[[Page 6690]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2007-0140]


Notice of Request for Revision and Extension of Approval of an 
Information Collection; Self-Certification Medical Statement

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revision and 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 a revision and extension of approval of an 
information collection for self-certification medical statements.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before April 
7, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://
www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/
main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2007-0140 to submit or view comments and 
to view supporting and related materials available electronically.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send two copies of 
your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0140, Regulatory Analysis and 
Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to 
Docket No. APHIS-2007-0140.
    Reading Room: 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.
    Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its 
programs is available on the Internet at https://www.aphis.usda.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on self-certification 
medical statements, contact Ms. Lynn Doetschman, Human Resources 
Specialist, Human Resources Division, MRPBS, APHIS, 4700 River Road 
Unit 21, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-4996. 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: Self-Certification Medical Statement.
    OMB Number: 0579-0196.
    Type of Request: Revision and extension of approval of an 
information collection.
    Abstract: The Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) agencies of 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture facilitate the domestic and 
international marketing of U.S. agricultural products and protect the 
health of domestic animal and plant resources. The MRP agencies are the 
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS), and the Grain Inspection, Packers and 
Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). Resource management and 
administrative services, including human resource management, for the 
three MRP agencies are provided by the MRP Business Services unit of 
APHIS, which is the lead agency in providing administrative support for 
MRP.
    In accordance with 5 CFR part 339, Federal agencies are authorized 
to obtain medical information from applicants for positions that have 
approved medical standards. Medical standards may be established for 
positions for which the duties are arduous or hazardous or require a 
certain level of health status or fitness.
    Certain positions in MRP agencies have medical standards. An 
example of such a position is the agricultural commodity grader 
position in AMS. Each year, AMS hires a number of agricultural 
commodity graders. These employees work under dusty conditions, around 
moving machinery and slippery surfaces, and in areas with high noise 
levels. They have direct contact with meat and dairy products, fresh 
and processed fruits and vegetables, and poultry products intended for 
human consumption or cotton and tobacco products intended for human 
use.
    The MRP agencies require a self-certification medical statement 
(SCMP) (MRP-5) from applicants for these positions regarding their 
fitness for the positions. AMS is expanding the categories of employees 
who will be required to complete an SCMP. The MRP agencies need this 
information to determine whether the applicants can perform the duties 
of the positions. Inability to collect this information would adversely 
affect the MRP agencies' ability to recruit and hire qualified 
individuals and carry out their missions.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of this information collection activity for 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 
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 0.1666 hours per response.
    Respondents: Applicants for MRP positions with approved medical 
standards.

[[Page 6691]]

    Estimated annual number of respondents: 600.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 600.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 100 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 30th day of January 2008.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E8-2049 Filed 2-4-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P

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