Availability of an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for a Field Release of Genetically Engineered Tall Fescue and Genetically Engineered Italian Ryegrass, 19477-19478 [E6-5572]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 72 / Friday, April 14, 2006 / Notices
Estimated annual number of
responses: 2,788.
Estimated total annual burden on
respondents: 2,357 hours. (Due to
averaging, the total annual burden hours
may not equal the product of the annual
number of responses multiplied by the
reporting burden per response.)
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.
Done in Washington, DC, this 6th day of
April 2006.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 06–3575 Filed 4–13–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2006–0016]
Availability of an Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for a Field Release
of Genetically Engineered Tall Fescue
and Genetically Engineered Italian
Ryegrass
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
wwhite on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: We are advising the public
that an environmental assessment has
been prepared for a proposed field trial
using three transgenic grass lines. The
trial consists of tall fescue plants that
are genetically engineered for
hygromycin resistance and that express
the marker beta-glucuronidase; Italian
ryegrass plants that are genetically
engineered for hygromycin resistance;
and Italian ryegrass plants that are
genetically engineered to lower the
expression of the pollen allergen gene,
Lol p1, that are also hygromycin
resistant, and express the marker betaglucuronidase. The purpose of the field
trial is to study pollen viability,
outcrossing, and hybridization between
the two types of grasses. The study will
also examine the effect of downregulating the Lol p1 gene. Data gained
from this field experiment will also be
used to evaluate current confinement
practices for these species of transgenic
grasses. After assessment of the
application, review of the relevant
scientific information, and
consideration of comments provided by
the public, we have concluded that
these field tests will not present a risk
of introducing or disseminating a plant
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:37 Apr 13, 2006
Jkt 208001
pest. We have completed an
environmental assessment and have
concluded that these field tests will not
have a significant impact on the quality
of the human environment. Based on its
finding of no significant impact, the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service has determined that an
environmental impact statement need
not be prepared for these field tests.
EFFECTIVE DATE: April 14, 2006.
ADDRESSES: You may read the
environmental assessment (EA), the
finding of no significant impact
(FONSI), and any comments that we
received on Docket No. APHIS–2006–
0016 in our reading room. The reading
room is located in room 1141 of the
USDA South Building, 14th Street and
Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC. Normal reading room
hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except holidays. To be
sure someone is there to help you,
please call (202) 690–2817 before
coming. The EA, FONSI and decision
notice, and responses to comments are
available on the Internet at https://
www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/
05_27801r_ea.pdf.
Dr.
Andrea Huberty, Biotechnology
Regulatory Services, APHIS, 4700 River
Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737–
1236; (301) 734–0659. To obtain copies
of the EA, FONSI, and response to
comments, contact Ms. Ingrid Berlanger
at (301) 734–4885; e-mail:
ingrid.e.berlanger@aphis.usda.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The
regulations in 7 CFR part 340,
‘‘Introduction of Organisms and
Products Altered or Produced Through
Genetic Engineering Which Are Plant
Pests or Which There Is Reason to
Believe Are Plant Pests,’’ regulate,
among other things, the introduction
(importation, interstate movement, or
release into the environment) of
organisms and products altered or
produced through genetic engineering
that are plant pests or that there is
reason to believe are plant pests. Such
genetically engineered organisms and
products are considered ‘‘regulated
articles.’’ A permit must be obtained or
a notification acknowledged before a
regulated article may be introduced. The
regulations set forth the permit
application requirements and the
notification procedures for the
importation, interstate movement, or
release into the environment of a
regulated article.
On October 5, 2005, the Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
received permit applications (APHIS
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
19477
Nos. 05–278–01r and 05–278–02r) from
the Samuel Robert Noble Foundation in
Ardmore, OK, for a field trial using
three strains of transgenic grasses. The
two permit applications are for three
lines of transgenic grasses to be used in
a single field trial.
Permit application 05–278–01r
describes a line of tall fescue, Festuca
arundinacea, that has been genetically
engineered to express betaglucuronidase (gusA) derived from
Escherichia coli. Expression of this gene
is controlled by cauliflower mosaic
virus (CaMV) 35S gene promoter and
terminator sequences and a rice tungro
virus (RTBV) intron. This regulated
article also contains a separate insertion
of a hygromycin phosphotransferase
(hph) gene that is regulated by the rice
actin promoter and intron sequences
and the terminator from the CaMV 35S
gene.
Permit application 05–278–02r
describes two transgenic lines of Italian
ryegrass (Lolium multiflorium). Both
lines have the same hph gene construct
as the regulated article described in
permit application 05–278–01r. One
line of Italian ryegrass also contains an
insertion of a second construct that
codes for an antisense Lol p1 gene
derived from perennial ryegrass (Lolium
perenne), and a gusA gene derived from
E. coli. The antisense Lol p1 gene is
under the control of the Zea mays
pollen specific Zm 13 promoter and a
nos polyadenylation terminator
sequence from Agrobacterium
tumefaciens.
The subject transgenic grasses are
considered regulated articles under the
regulations in 7 CFR part 340 because
they were created using donor
sequences from plant pests. The
purpose of this proposed introduction is
for research on transgenic tall fescue
and Italian ryegrass plants, particularly
to investigate:
• The distance transgenic pollen can
travel and still remain viable;
• The frequency of pollination at
different distances from the pollen
source;
• The probability/frequency of crosshybridization between transgenic tall
fescue, transgenic Italian ryegrass, and
related species under field conditions;
and
• The effects of down-regulation of a
major pollen allergen on pollen
dispersal in transgenic Italian ryegrass.
Additionally, the data gathered during
this study will be used to assess the
confined status of this field release and
refine the confinement conditions
necessary for future releases of these
grass species.
E:\FR\FM\14APN1.SGM
14APN1
19478
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 72 / Friday, April 14, 2006 / Notices
On February 13, 2006, APHIS
published a notice 1 in the Federal
Register (70 FR 7504–7505, Docket No.
APHIS–2006–0016) announcing the
availability of an environmental
assessment (EA) for the proposed field
trial. During the 30-day comment
period, APHIS received two comments.
One comment was from an individual
and the other was from a public interest
group. Both commenters objected to the
field release described in the EA.
APHIS’ response to those comments can
be found as an attachment to the finding
of no significant impact (FONSI) and
decision notice.
Pursuant to its regulations (7 CFR part
340) promulgated under the Plant
Protection Act, APHIS has determined
that this field trial will not pose a risk
of the introduction or dissemination of
a plant pest. Additionally, based upon
analysis described in the EA, APHIS has
determined that the action proposed in
Alternative C of the EA, to issue the
permit with additional permit
conditions, will not have a significant
impact on the quality of the human
environment. You may read the FONSI
and decision notice on the Internet or in
the APHIS reading room (see ADDRESSES
above).
The EA and FONSI were prepared in
accordance with: (1) The National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.), (2) regulations of the Council on
Environmental Quality for
implementing the procedural provisions
of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), (3)
USDA regulations implementing NEPA
(7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA
Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part
372). Copies of the EA and FONSI are
available from the individual listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701–7772 and 7781–
7786; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and
371.3.
Done in Washington, DC, this 10th day of
April, 2006.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E6–5572 Filed 4–13–06; 8:45 am]
wwhite on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
1 To view the notice, EA, and the comments we
received, go to https://www.regulations.gov, click on
the ‘‘Advanced Search’’ tab, and select ‘‘Docket
Search.’’ In the Docket ID field, enter APHIS–2006–
0016, then click on ‘‘Submit.’’ Clicking on the
Docket ID link in the search results page will
produce a list of all documents in the docket.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:37 Apr 13, 2006
Jkt 208001
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Willamette Province Advisory
Committee
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Willamette Province
Advisory Committee (PAC) will meet in
Salem, Oregon. The purpose of the
meeting is to discuss issues pertinent to
the implementation of the Northwest
Forest Plan and to provide advice to
federal land managers in the Province.
The topics to be covered at the meeting
include updates on off-highway vehicle
planning, the Northern Spotted Owl
Recovery Plan, stewardship projects and
planning. BLM Resource Management
Plan revisions, and plans for Province
monitoring in 2006.
DATES: The meeting will be held May 4,
2006 beginning at 9 a.m. pdst.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Red Lion Hotel, 3301 Market Street,
Salem, Oregon. Send written comments
to Neal Forrester, Willamette Province
Advisory Committee, c/o Willamette
National Forest, 211 E. 7th Avenue,
Eugene, Oregon 97401, (541) 225–6436,
or electronically to nforrester@fs.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Neal
Forrester, Willamette National Forest,
(541) 225–6436.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
meeting is open to the public.
Committee discussion is limited to PAC
members. However, persons who wish
to bring matters to the attention of the
Committee may file written statements
with the PAC staff before or after the
meeting. A public forum will be
provided and individuals will have the
opportunity to address the PAC. Oral
comments will be limited to three
mintues.
Dated: April 10, 2006.
Dallas J. Emch,
Forest Supervisor, Willamette National
Forest.
[FR Doc. 06–3579 Filed 4–13–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–M
COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM
PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR
SEVERELY DISABLED
Procurement List Additions and
Deletions
Committee for Purchase from
People Who Are Blind or Severely
Disabled.
AGENCY:
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Additions to and deletions from
Procurement List.
ACTION:
SUMMARY: This action adds to the
Procurement List a product and a
service to be furnished by nonprofit
agencies employing persons who are
blind or have other severe disabilities,
and deletes from the Procurement List
products previously furnished by such
agencies.
Effective Date: May 14, 2006.
Committee for Purchase
From People Who Are Blind or Severely
Disabled, Jefferson Plaza 2, Suite 10800,
1421 Jefferson Davis Highway,
Arlington, Virginia, 22202–3259.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sheryl D. Kennerly, Telephone: (703)
603–7740, Fax: (703) 603–0655, or email SKennerly@jwod.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
DATES:
ADDRESSES:
Additions
On January 20, and February 17, 2006,
the Committee for Purchase From
People Who Are Blind or Severely
Disabled published notice (71 FR 3259,
and 8565) of proposed additions to the
Procurement List.
After consideration of the material
presented to it concerning capability of
qualified nonprofit agencies to provide
the product and service and impact of
the additions on the current or most
recent contractors, the Committee has
determined that the product and service
listed below are suitable for
procurement by the Federal Government
under 41 U.S.C. 46–48c and 41 CFR 51–
2.4.
The Following Comments Pertain to
Filter, Element Coalescer
Comments were received from the
most recent contractor for the Filter,
Element Coalescer, in response to a
request for sales data. The contractor
stated that it held four contracts for this
product in 2004, during which the
contractor made considerable
investments in capital equipment. The
contractor also indicated intent to make
further investments to produce the
product for future contracts. The
contractor stated that it makes the
product on Native American property,
with nearly all its employees being
Native Americans. According to the
contractor, loss of the opportunity to
produce this product for the
Government will result in discharge of
about twenty people, who will have
very few employment areas in that
depressed area. Government records
show that the four contracts this
contractor cited are the only contracts
for this product which this contractor
E:\FR\FM\14APN1.SGM
14APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 72 (Friday, April 14, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19477-19478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5572]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2006-0016]
Availability of an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for a Field Release of Genetically Engineered Tall
Fescue and Genetically Engineered Italian Ryegrass
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are advising the public that an environmental assessment
has been prepared for a proposed field trial using three transgenic
grass lines. The trial consists of tall fescue plants that are
genetically engineered for hygromycin resistance and that express the
marker beta-glucuronidase; Italian ryegrass plants that are genetically
engineered for hygromycin resistance; and Italian ryegrass plants that
are genetically engineered to lower the expression of the pollen
allergen gene, Lol p1, that are also hygromycin resistant, and express
the marker beta-glucuronidase. The purpose of the field trial is to
study pollen viability, outcrossing, and hybridization between the two
types of grasses. The study will also examine the effect of down-
regulating the Lol p1 gene. Data gained from this field experiment will
also be used to evaluate current confinement practices for these
species of transgenic grasses. After assessment of the application,
review of the relevant scientific information, and consideration of
comments provided by the public, we have concluded that these field
tests will not present a risk of introducing or disseminating a plant
pest. We have completed an environmental assessment and have concluded
that these field tests will not have a significant impact on the
quality of the human environment. Based on its finding of no
significant impact, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has
determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared
for these field tests.
EFFECTIVE DATE: April 14, 2006.
ADDRESSES: You may read the environmental assessment (EA), the finding
of no significant impact (FONSI), and any comments that we received on
Docket No. APHIS-2006-0016 in our reading room. The reading room is
located in room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure
someone is there to help you, please call (202) 690-2817 before coming.
The EA, FONSI and decision notice, and responses to comments are
available on the Internet at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/
05_27801r_ea.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Andrea Huberty, Biotechnology
Regulatory Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD
20737-1236; (301) 734-0659. To obtain copies of the EA, FONSI, and
response to comments, contact Ms. Ingrid Berlanger at (301) 734-4885;
e-mail: ingrid.e.berlanger@aphis.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 7 CFR part 340,
``Introduction of Organisms and Products Altered or Produced Through
Genetic Engineering Which Are Plant Pests or Which There Is Reason to
Believe Are Plant Pests,'' regulate, among other things, the
introduction (importation, interstate movement, or release into the
environment) of organisms and products altered or produced through
genetic engineering that are plant pests or that there is reason to
believe are plant pests. Such genetically engineered organisms and
products are considered ``regulated articles.'' A permit must be
obtained or a notification acknowledged before a regulated article may
be introduced. The regulations set forth the permit application
requirements and the notification procedures for the importation,
interstate movement, or release into the environment of a regulated
article.
On October 5, 2005, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) received permit applications (APHIS Nos. 05-278-01r and 05-278-
02r) from the Samuel Robert Noble Foundation in Ardmore, OK, for a
field trial using three strains of transgenic grasses. The two permit
applications are for three lines of transgenic grasses to be used in a
single field trial.
Permit application 05-278-01r describes a line of tall fescue,
Festuca arundinacea, that has been genetically engineered to express
beta-glucuronidase (gusA) derived from Escherichia coli. Expression of
this gene is controlled by cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S gene
promoter and terminator sequences and a rice tungro virus (RTBV)
intron. This regulated article also contains a separate insertion of a
hygromycin phosphotransferase (hph) gene that is regulated by the rice
actin promoter and intron sequences and the terminator from the CaMV
35S gene.
Permit application 05-278-02r describes two transgenic lines of
Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorium). Both lines have the same hph
gene construct as the regulated article described in permit application
05-278-01r. One line of Italian ryegrass also contains an insertion of
a second construct that codes for an antisense Lol p1 gene derived from
perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), and a gusA gene derived from E.
coli. The antisense Lol p1 gene is under the control of the Zea mays
pollen specific Zm 13 promoter and a nos polyadenylation terminator
sequence from Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
The subject transgenic grasses are considered regulated articles
under the regulations in 7 CFR part 340 because they were created using
donor sequences from plant pests. The purpose of this proposed
introduction is for research on transgenic tall fescue and Italian
ryegrass plants, particularly to investigate:
The distance transgenic pollen can travel and still remain
viable;
The frequency of pollination at different distances from
the pollen source;
The probability/frequency of cross-hybridization between
transgenic tall fescue, transgenic Italian ryegrass, and related
species under field conditions; and
The effects of down-regulation of a major pollen allergen
on pollen dispersal in transgenic Italian ryegrass.
Additionally, the data gathered during this study will be used to
assess the confined status of this field release and refine the
confinement conditions necessary for future releases of these grass
species.
[[Page 19478]]
On February 13, 2006, APHIS published a notice \1\ in the Federal
Register (70 FR 7504-7505, Docket No. APHIS-2006-0016) announcing the
availability of an environmental assessment (EA) for the proposed field
trial. During the 30-day comment period, APHIS received two comments.
One comment was from an individual and the other was from a public
interest group. Both commenters objected to the field release described
in the EA. APHIS' response to those comments can be found as an
attachment to the finding of no significant impact (FONSI) and decision
notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ To view the notice, EA, and the comments we received, go to
https://www.regulations.gov, click on the ``Advanced Search'' tab,
and select ``Docket Search.'' In the Docket ID field, enter APHIS-
2006-0016, then click on ``Submit.'' Clicking on the Docket ID link
in the search results page will produce a list of all documents in
the docket.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pursuant to its regulations (7 CFR part 340) promulgated under the
Plant Protection Act, APHIS has determined that this field trial will
not pose a risk of the introduction or dissemination of a plant pest.
Additionally, based upon analysis described in the EA, APHIS has
determined that the action proposed in Alternative C of the EA, to
issue the permit with additional permit conditions, will not have a
significant impact on the quality of the human environment. You may
read the FONSI and decision notice on the Internet or in the APHIS
reading room (see ADDRESSES above).
The EA and FONSI were prepared in accordance with: (1) The National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.), (2) regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality for
implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508), (3) USDA regulations implementing NEPA (7 CFR part 1b), and (4)
APHIS' NEPA Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372). Copies of the EA
and FONSI are available from the individual listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701-7772 and 7781-7786; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7
CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.
Done in Washington, DC, this 10th day of April, 2006.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E6-5572 Filed 4-13-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
