SS Importation of Unshu 0314 2009

February 2010

Supporting Statement

Importation of Unshu Oranges from the

Republic of Korea into Alaska

OMB No. 0579-0314

A. 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 – et seq), 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 amended the regulations governing the importation of citrus fruit to allow fresh Unshu oranges from the Republic of Korea to be imported into the State of Alaska under certain conditions. As a condition of entry, the oranges would have to be prepared for shipping using packinghouse procedures that include culling of damaged or diseased fruit and washing in a water bath. In addition, the oranges would have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that the oranges were inspected and found free from Xanthomonas axonopodis pv.citri and Unaspis yanonensis. The individual cartons or boxes in which the Unshu oranges are shipped would also have to be stamped or printed with a statement restricting their importation and distribution to the State of Alaska.

Citrus canker is a disease that affects citrus and is caused by the infectious bacterium Xanthomonas axonopodis (also known as Xanthomonas campestris pv.citri (Hasse) Dye and Xanthomonas citri). Currently, the regulations in 7 CFR 319.28 (referred to as the regulations) allow the importation of Unshu oranges (Citrus reticulate Blanco var. Unshu Swingle) from certain areas in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) into certain areas of the United States after the specified safeguards of a preclearance program have been met to prevent the introduction of citrus canker.

This action allowed for the importation of Unshu oranges from the Republic of Korea into Alaska while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of quarantine pests.

APHIS is asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve, for three years, its use of these information collection activities associated with its efforts to prevent the spread of plant pests and plant diseases into the United States.

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.

Phytosanitary Certificate (foreign) - APHIS requires that some plants or plant products be accompanied by a phytosanitary inspection certificate that is completed by plant health officials in the originating or transiting country. APHIS uses the information on the certificate to determine the pest condition of the shipment at the time of inspection in the intensity of the inspection APHIS conducts when the shipment arrives. Without this information, all shipments would need to be inspection very thoroughly, thereby requiring considerably more time. This would slow the clearance of international shipments.

Each shipment of Unshu oranges must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate from the national plant protection organization of the Republic of Korea that contains an additional declaration that the oranges were inspected and are apparently free of citrus canker disease and Diapidid scale (Unaspis yanoensis).

Stamping of Boxes – Individual boxes in which oranges are shipped must be stamped or printed with the following: “For importation into and distribution within the State of Alaska only.”

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.

APHIS has no control or influence over when foreign countries will automate the phytosanitary certificate.

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 in connection with its program is the minimum needed to protect the United States from plant pests and diseases from entering the United States. APHIS has determined that 25 percent of the respondents are small entities.

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.

This information collection activity is critical to its mission in ensuring that Unshu oranges from the Republic of Korea are pest free of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv.citri and Unaspis yanonensis, a disease that affects citrus and could cause millions of dollars in damage to U.S. agriculture.

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 2009, APHIS held productive consultations with the following individuals concerning the information collection activities associated with its program to import Unshu oranges from Korea:

Melissa’s World Variety Produce

P.O. Box 2117

Los Angeles, CA 90021

800-588-0151

Oppenheimer Group

724 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 200

Pomona, CA 91768

909-802-1700

United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association

Tom Stenzel

1901 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

Washington, D.C. 20011

202-303-3400

On Wednesday, September 2,2009, pages 45412-45413, APHIS published in the Federal Register, a 60-day notice seeking public comments on its 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.

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

The total burden hours to the respondents is 31 hours. The estimate was developed using historical data through discussions with importers of Unshu oranges. 31 X $12.00 = $372.

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 $ 1,148.16.

(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 no change in burden for this collection of information.

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.

There are no USDA forms involved in this information collection.

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 in the Act.

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

Statistical methods are not used in this information collection.