[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 37 (Friday, February 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11912-11913]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03819]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2021-0288; FRL-10741-01-OMS]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Certification of Pesticide Applicators

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), Certification of Pesticide 
Applicators (EPA ICR Number 0155.14, OMB Control Number 2070-0029), to 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed 
revision of the ICR, which is currently approved through February 28, 
2023, to include the activities and burdens contained in related ICR 
(EPA ICR Number 2499.03, OMB Control Number 2070-0196), which is 
currently approved through July 31, 2025. Public comments were 
previously requested via the Federal Register on June 30, 2021 during a 
60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30-days for 
public comments.

DATES: Comments may be submitted on or before March 27, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPP-
2021-0288, to EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method) or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection 
Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 
20460. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in 
the docket without change, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information claimed to 
be Confidential Business Information (CBI), or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute.
    Submit written comments and recommendations to OMB for the proposed 
information collection within 30 days of publication of this notice to 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information 
collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carolyn Siu, Mission Support Division, 
Office of Program Support, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution 
Prevention, (Mailcode: 7101M), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 
566-1205; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a proposed extension of the ICR, 
which is currently approved through February 28, 2023. An agency may 
not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond ot a 
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB 
control number.
    Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register 
on June, 30, 2021 during a 60-day comment period (86 FR 34745). This 
notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. Supporting 
documents, which explain in detail the information that the EPA will be 
collecting, are available in the public docket for this ICR. The docket 
can be viewed online at www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA 
Docket Center, WJC West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, 
Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is 202-566-
1744. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit 
http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    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

[[Page 11913]]

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).
    Form numbers: EPA Form 8500-17 and EPA Form 8500-17-N.
    Respondents/affected entities: 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).
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory (FIFRA sections 3 and 
11, and 40 CFR part 171).
    Estimated number of respondents: 2,305,613 (total).
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Total estimated burden: 3,660,293 hours (per year). Burden is 
defined at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
    Total estimated cost: $165,109,042 (per year), includes $0 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the estimates: There is an increase of 2,280,849 hours 
in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR 
currently approved by OMB. This increase is the incorporation of the 
activities and estimated burden associated with the 2015 final rule 
that amended 40 CFR part 171, which are currently approved under OMB 
Control Number 2070-0196 (EPA ICR Number 2499.03).

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2023-03819 Filed 2-23-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


