SSunshuoranges from japan0173

April 2007

Supporting Statement

Importation of Unshu Oranges from Japan

0579-0173

Justification

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection.

The United States Department of Agriculture is responsible for preventing plant pests and noxious weeds from entering the United States, preventing the spread of plant diseases not widely distributed in the United States, and eradicating those imported pests and noxious weeds when eradication is feasible.

Under the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 – 7772), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to carry out operations or measures to detect, eradicate, suppress, control, prevent, or retard the spread of plant pests new to the United States or not known to be widely distributed throughout the United States. APHIS’ Foreign Quarantines (7 CFR Part 319) are issued under this authority.

APHIS published a final rule on February 1, 2002 (Docket No. 99-099-2, 67 FR 4873-4877), to allow the importation of Unshu oranges from Kyushu Island, Japan and to allow Unshu oranges that are currently being imported from Honshu Island, Japan to be distributed to additional areas of the United States.

This rule making put restrictions on the importation of Unshu oranges, as well as their distribution within the United States, without presenting a significant risk of introducing citrus canker or other destructive plant diseases or pests. Implementing this program necessitates the use of an information collection activity in the form of a certificate.

APHIS is asking OMB to approve, for 3 more years, its use of this certificate associated with its program to relieve restrictions on the importation of Unshu oranges from citrus canker-free areas of Japan.

2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection.

PPQ 203 Certificate

Each shipment of Unshu oranges from Japan must be accompanied by a certificate issued by an APHIS officer, certifying that the oranges are apparently free of citrus canker. The certificate is completed with input from the grower. Note: these certificates currently accompany all shipments of Unshu oranges imported into the United States from Honshu Island, Japan. These certificates will now be needed for Unshu oranges being imported from Kyushu Island, Japan.

Import Permit (PPQ Form 587)

It is anticipated that any U.S. importer desiring to import Unshu oranges from Japan will already be in possession of a permit allowing that individual or company to engage in the importation of foreign fruits and vegetables. A separate import permit for Unshu oranges is not required. APHIS therefore does not regard the import permit as an information collection burden in connection with the importation of Unshu oranges from Japan.

Marking (prepared by Japan)

Individual boxes in which Unshu oranges from Kyushu Island, Japan, are shipped, must be stamped, marked, or printed with a statement specifying the States into which the oranges may be imported, and from which they are prohibited removal under a Federal quarantine. This marking procedure ensures Unshu oranges from Kyushu Island are not imported into citrus-producing areas of the United States such as Florida and California.

It must be noted that the necessary markings appearing on containers are mechanically applied on the containers during manufacture. Because these manufacturing and marking systems are already in place, APHIS does not regard the marking of containers as an information collection burden in connection with the importation of Unshu oranges from Japan.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also, describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden.

Further discussions will need to occur with DHS and partnering to determine how and when to automate form PPQ 203. This form needs to go through the port of entry and be cleared by DHS-CBP.

PPQ Form 587 is automated an posted at www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/permits/plantproducts/587-sls.pdf.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purpose described in item 2 above.

The information APHIS collects is exclusive to its mission of preventing the entry of injurious plant pests, diseases, and noxious weeds and is not available from any other source.

5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe any methods used to minimize burden.

The information APHIS collects associated with this program is the minimum needed to

Protect the United States from the incursion of citrus canker, fruit flies, and other plant diseases and pests from Japan.

6. Describe the consequences to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.

Failing to collect this information would cripple APHIS’ ability to ensure that Unshu oranges from Japan are not carrying citrus canker. If citrus canker is introduced into citrus-producing areas of the United States, growers in these areas would suffer hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.

7. Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with the general information collection guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.5.

No special circumstances exist that would require this collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with the general information collection guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.5.

8. Describe efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting form, and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB.

In 2006/2007, APHIS held productive consultations with the following individuals concerning the information collection activities associated with its program to import Unshu oranges from Japan:

Richard Kinney

Florida Citrus Packers

P.O. Box 1113

Lakeland, Florida 33802

863-682-0151

Michael Carlton

Florida Citrus Mutual

P.O. Box 89

Lakeland, Florida 33802

863-682-1111

Ron Hamel

Gulf Citrus Growers Association

P.O. Box 1319

LaBelle, Florida 33975

863-675-2180

On Thursday, August 17, 2006, pages 47479 - 47480, APHIS published in the Federal Register, a 60-day notice seeking public comments on APHIS’ plans to request a 3 year renewal of this collection of information. No comments from the public were received.

9. Explain any decisions to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

This information collection activity involves no payments (other than appropriate, program-related payments) or gifts to respondents.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

No additional assurance of confidentiality is provided with this information collection. However, the confidentiality of information is protected under 5 U.S.C.552a.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and others that are considered private. This justification should include the reasons why the agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.

This information collection activity asks no questions of a personal or sensitive nature.

12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information. Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated.

• Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated. If this request for approval covers more than one form, provide separate hour burden estimates for each form and aggregate the hour burdens in Item 13 of OMB Form 83-I.

See APHIS Form 71 for hour burden estimates. APHIS arrived at these estimates through discussions with regulated entities, including growers of Unshu oranges in Japan, as well as Japanese plant health officials.

• Provide estimates of annualized cost to respondents for the hour burdens for collections of information, identifying and using appropriate wage rate categories.

Respondents are Unshu orange growers on Kyushu and Honshu Islands, and full-time plant health officials employed by the Japanese Government’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. APHIS estimates the total annualized cost to these respondents to be $110,700. APHIS arrived at this figure by multiplying the hours of estimated response time (5,535 hours) by the estimated average hourly wage of the above respondents ($20.00).

13. Provide estimates of the total annual cost burden to respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information, (do not include the cost of any hour burden shown in items 12 and 14). The cost estimates should be split into two components: (a) a total capital and start-up cost component annualized over its expected useful life; and (b) a total operation and maintenance and purchase of services component.

There is zero annual cost burden associated with capital and start-up costs, maintenance costs, and purchase of services in connection with this program.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government. Provide a description of the method used to estimate cost and any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information.

The estimated cost for the Federal Government is $292.98. (See APHIS Form 79).

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items 13 or 14 of the OMB Form 83-1.

There is an adjustment of 5,525 total hours. Previously, the PPQ Form 203 response time was recorded incorrectly at 1 hour. The correct time is .5 hours, which changes the total hours to 5. Total hours for markings were 5,528, and import permits were 2 hours. This information was inadvertently omitted as paperwork burden. Total hours recorded in 2003 were 10 hours, but should have been 5,535, which is what is being report now.

16. For collections of information whose results are planned to be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication.

APHIS has no plans to tabulate or publish the information collected.

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.

If forms were to be discarded because of an outdated OMB expiration date, but otherwise usable, higher printing costs would be incurred by the Federal Government. Therefore, APHIS is seeking approval to not display the OMB expiration date on its forms.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in the "Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act."

APHIS is able to certify compliance with all the provisions under the Act.

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

Statistical methods are not used in this information collection.