SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through August 31, 2026. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on November 18, 2025 during a 60-day comment period (90 FR 51748). 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 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 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).

The ICR, which is available in the docket along with other related materials, provides a detailed explanation of the collection activities and the burden estimate that is only briefly summarized here:

Form Numbers: 8500-17 and PFN-3400-5.

Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this ICR include 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). North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes are identified in question 12 of the ICR supporting statement.

Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory, FIFRA sections 3 and 11, and 40 CFR part 171.

Estimated number of respondents: 2,722,243 (total).

Frequency of response: On occasion.

Total estimated burden: 3,350,305 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).

Total estimated cost: $165,574,064 (per year), which includes $0 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.

Changes in the Estimates: There is decrease of 309,989 hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. This decrease is due to updated burden estimates. Respondents are now familiar with the regulations and certifying authorities have moved from the intensive 2017 update process into the easier implementation phase of updating their certification programs. During this phase, certifying authorities may experience some paperwork burden if modifications to approved plans are needed, though these changes would only occur on an as-needed basis and are more limited in scale compared to the previous burden estimates. These changes are adjustments.

91 FR 55339