Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Importation of Solid Wood Packing Material, 62240 [E6-17773]
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62240
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 24, 2006 / Notices
cherimoya, soursop, custard apple,
sugar apple, and atemoya from Grenada;
coconut fruit with milk and husk from
Mexico; pitaya from Mexico; melon and
watermelon from certain countries in
South America; watermelon, squash,
cucumber, oriental melon, and grapes
from the Republic of Korea.
Before entering the United States, all
of these fruits and vegetables are subject
to inspection and disinfection at their
port of first arrival to ensure that no
plant pests are inadvertently brought
into the United States. These
precautions, along with other
requirements, help ensure that these
commodities do not introduce exotic
plant pests, such as fruit flies, into the
United States.
The regulations require the use of
certain information collection activities,
including import permits, phytosanitary
certificates, fruit fly monitoring records,
and box labeling.
We are asking the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) to
approve our use of these information
collection activities for an additional 3
years. After approval of the burden
associated with this extension notice,
OMB will combine it with another
information collection, also titled
‘‘Importation of Fruits and Vegetables
(number 0579–0128),’’ and the
Department will retire number 0579–
0236.
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,
of automated, electronic, mechanical,
and other collection technologies, e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of
responses.
Estimate of burden: The public
reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average
0.1320 hours per response.
Respondents: U.S. importers of fruits
and vegetables and plant health officials
of exporting countries.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
14:25 Oct 23, 2006
Jkt 211001
Estimated annual number of
respondents: 141.
Estimated annual number of
responses per respondent: 5.5319.
Estimated annual number of
responses: 780.
Estimated total annual burden on
respondents: 103 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 18th day of
October 2006.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E6–17772 Filed 10–23–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2006–0152]
Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for Importation of Solid
Wood Packing Material
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
SUMMARY: We are advising the public
that a supplemental environmental
impact statement will be prepared by
the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service to analyze methyl bromide
usage associated with regulatory
requirements for importing solid wood
packing material into the United States.
That document will serve as a
supplement to the Importation of Solid
Wood Packing Material Final
Environmental Impact Statement,
August 2003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
David A. Bergsten, APHIS Interagency
NEPA Contact, Environmental Services,
PPD, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 149,
Riverdale, MD 20737–1238; (301) 734–
6103.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) intends to prepare a
supplemental environmental impact
statement (SEIS) for the Importation of
Solid Wood Packing Material Final
Environmental Impact Statement,
August 2003 (FEIS). The purpose of the
SEIS is to reevaluate and refine the
estimates of methyl bromide usage
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
associated with the alternatives
considered in the FEIS.
APHIS published in the Federal
Register on September 16, 2004 (69 FR
55719–55733, Docket No. 02–032–3), a
final rule amending the regulations for
the importation of unmanufactured
wood articles to adopt an international
standard entitled ‘‘Guidelines for
Regulating Wood Packaging Material in
International Trade.’’ The FEIS was
prepared with regard to that final rule
in compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.), and its implementing regulations.
APHIS will base the SEIS on recently
obtained, reliable data regarding how
various countries have complied with
the final rule and with the International
Plant Protection Convention Guidelines
(IPPC Guidelines) on which the final
rule was based. These data include
reports from different countries on
whether cargo is routinely fumigated
along with wood packaging material
(WPM), which would result in more
methyl bromide usage, or whether WPM
is fumigated separately from cargo,
which would result in less methyl
bromide usage. We also have new data
on the extent to which various countries
have chosen to comply with the IPPC
Guidelines by heat treating WPM rather
than fumigating it.
The SEIS will be prepared in
accordance with: (1) NEPA, (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 1), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA
Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part
372).
When APHIS has completed a draft
SEIS, a notice announcing its
availability and an invitation to
comment on it will be published in the
Federal Register.
Done in Washington, DC, this 18th day of
October 2006.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E6–17773 Filed 10–23–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 205 (Tuesday, October 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 62240]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-17773]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2006-0152]
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Importation of
Solid Wood Packing Material
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are advising the public that a supplemental environmental
impact statement will be prepared by the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service to analyze methyl bromide usage associated with
regulatory requirements for importing solid wood packing material into
the United States. That document will serve as a supplement to the
Importation of Solid Wood Packing Material Final Environmental Impact
Statement, August 2003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David A. Bergsten, APHIS
Interagency NEPA Contact, Environmental Services, PPD, APHIS, 4700
River Road, Unit 149, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238; (301) 734-6103.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) intends to prepare a supplemental environmental impact
statement (SEIS) for the Importation of Solid Wood Packing Material
Final Environmental Impact Statement, August 2003 (FEIS). The purpose
of the SEIS is to reevaluate and refine the estimates of methyl bromide
usage associated with the alternatives considered in the FEIS.
APHIS published in the Federal Register on September 16, 2004 (69
FR 55719-55733, Docket No. 02-032-3), a final rule amending the
regulations for the importation of unmanufactured wood articles to
adopt an international standard entitled ``Guidelines for Regulating
Wood Packaging Material in International Trade.'' The FEIS was prepared
with regard to that final rule in compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.), and its implementing regulations.
APHIS will base the SEIS on recently obtained, reliable data
regarding how various countries have complied with the final rule and
with the International Plant Protection Convention Guidelines (IPPC
Guidelines) on which the final rule was based. These data include
reports from different countries on whether cargo is routinely
fumigated along with wood packaging material (WPM), which would result
in more methyl bromide usage, or whether WPM is fumigated separately
from cargo, which would result in less methyl bromide usage. We also
have new data on the extent to which various countries have chosen to
comply with the IPPC Guidelines by heat treating WPM rather than
fumigating it.
The SEIS will be prepared in accordance with: (1) NEPA, (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 1), and (4) APHIS' NEPA
Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372).
When APHIS has completed a draft SEIS, a notice announcing its
availability and an invitation to comment on it will be published in
the Federal Register.
Done in Washington, DC, this 18th day of October 2006.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E6-17773 Filed 10-23-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
