Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
Extension of approval of an information collection; comment request.
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 provisions of the Animal Welfare Act regulations related to the humane transportation of animals in commerce.
We will consider all comments that we receive on or before September 7, 2004.
You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. 04–055–1, 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. 04–055–1.
• E-mail: Address your comment to
• Agency Web Site: Go to
For information on the Animal Welfare Act regulations for the humane transportation of animals in commerce by foreign air carriers, contact Dr. Jerry DePoyster, Senior Veterinary Medical Officer, Animal Care, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 84, Riverdale, MD 20737–1234; (301) 734–7586. For copies of more detailed information on the information collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles, APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 734–7477.
Foreign air carriers, as well as domestic carriers, transporting animals covered under the AWA to or from any point within the United States, its territories, possessions, or the District of Columbia must comply with the transportation standards and are required to register as a carrier with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and keep and maintain records pertaining to animal transport. These records may include a copy of the consignor's written guarantee of payment for transportation for C.O.D. shipments, a shipping document, an animal health certificate executed and issued by a licensed veterinarian, and, if needed, an acclimation statement indicating that the animal being transported can withstand temperatures colder or warmer than the minimums or maximums specified in the regulations. In addition, depending on the species, the standards may require that instructions for the administration of drugs, medication, other special care, food, and water, as well as other shipping documents, be attached to the outside of the animal's primary enclosure.
We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve our use of these information collection activities for foreign air carriers for an additional 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,
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.