Importation of Solid Wood Packing Material; Record of Decision, 8848-8850 [E8-2908]
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8848
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 32 / Friday, February 15, 2008 / Notices
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 11th day of
February 2008.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E8–2910 Filed 2–14–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2006–0152]
Importation of Solid Wood Packing
Material; Record of Decision
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: This notice advises the public
of the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service’s record of decision
for the supplement to the Importation of
Solid Wood Packing Material Final
Environmental Impact Statement.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the record of
decision and the supplement to the final
environmental impact statement on
which the record of decision is based
are available for public inspection at
USDA, room 1141, South Building, 14th
Street and Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and
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 record of decision may also be
viewed on the APHIS Web site at
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/
plant_health/ea/swpm.shtml.
Supporting and related materials,
including the final and supplemental
environmental impact statements, may
also be viewed on the Internet by
visiting https://www.regulations.gov/
fdmspublic/component/
main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS2006-0152.
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: This
notice advises the public that the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) has prepared a record
of decision based on its supplemental
environmental impact statement (SEIS)
for the Importation of Solid Wood
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Packing Material Final Environmental
Impact Statement, August 2003 (FEIS).
The SEIS and FEIS address Federal
actions described in a final rule APHIS
published in the Federal Register on
September 16, 2004 (69 FR 55719–
55733, Docket No. 02–032–3). The final
rule amended 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.
On October 24, 2006, APHIS
published in the Federal Register (71
FR 62240, Docket No. APHIS–2006–
0152) a notice of its intent to prepare the
SEIS for the purpose of reevaluating and
refining the estimates of methyl bromide
usage associated with the alternatives
considered in the FEIS. On March 9,
2007, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) published in the Federal
Register (72 FR 10749) a notice of the
availability of the draft SEIS. Comments
were accepted on the draft SEIS until
June 25, 2007.
In October 2007, APHIS published
and distributed the final SEIS, which
included discussion of the three
comments received on the draft SEIS.
On November 23, 2007, EPA published
in the Federal Register (72 FR 65732) a
notice of the availability of the final
SEIS. The NEPA implementing
regulations at 40 CFR 1506.10 require a
30-day waiting period between the time
a final EIS is published and the time an
agency makes a decision on an action
covered by the EIS. APHIS did not
receive any comments on the final SEIS
by the time this waiting period ended
on December 24, 2007.
APHIS has reviewed the final SEIS
and has concluded that it has fully
analyzed the issues covered by the draft
SEIS and the comments and suggestions
submitted by commenters. APHIS has
now prepared a record of decision on
the adopted SEIS and is making that
record available to the public.
The Record of Decision for the
Importation of Solid Wood Packing
Material Supplement to the Final
Environmental Impact Statement,
prepared pursuant to the Council on
Environmental Quality’s NEPA
implementing regulations at 40 CFR
1505.2, is set out below in its entirety.
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Record of Decision for the Importation of
Solid Wood Packing Material Supplement to
the Final Environmental Impact Statement
This Record of Decision (ROD) has been
developed in compliance with the agency
decision-making requirements of NEPA. The
purpose of this ROD is to document APHIS’
decision to adopt the September 16, 2004,
final rule. Alternatives have been fully
described and evaluated in the Supplement
to the Final Environmental Impact Statement
(SEIS) and in the Final Environmental Impact
Statement (FEIS).
This ROD is intended to: (a) State the
APHIS decision, present the rationale for its
selection, and describe its implementation;
(b) identify the alternatives considered in
reaching the decision; and (c) state whether
all means to avoid or minimize
environmental harm from implementation of
the selected alternative have been adopted
(40 CFR 1505.2).
National Environmental Policy Act
On November 23, 2007, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
published in the Federal Register [72 FR
65732] a notice of availability of the final
supplement to the environmental impact
statement titled ‘‘Importation of Solid Wood
Packing Material.’’ The FEIS considered the
environmental impacts from importation of
wood packaging materials that could result
from our adoption of the proposed rule. The
SEIS reevaluates and refines the estimates of
methyl bromide usage associated with the
alternatives considered in the FEIS.
Pursuant to the implementing regulations
for NEPA in cases requiring an EIS, APHIS
must prepare a record of decision to express
the agency determination from review of the
EIS documentation. The NEPA implementing
regulations require that a record of decision
state what decision is being made; identify
alternatives considered in the environmental
impact statement process; specify the
environmentally preferred alternative;
discuss preferences based on relevant
factors—economic and technical
considerations, as well as national policy
considerations, where applicable; and state
how all of the factors discussed entered into
the decision. In addition, the record of
decision must indicate whether the ultimate
decision has been designed to avoid or
minimize environmental harm and, if not,
why not.
The Decision
This decision described in the ROD
addresses impacts from the final rule
published by APHIS in the Federal Register
on September 16, 2004 (69 FR 55719–55733,
Docket No. 02–032–3). After a thorough
reevaluation and refinement of the estimates
of methyl bromide usage associated with the
alternatives considered in the FEIS and in the
SEIS, APHIS has decided to continue to
enforce the 2004 regulations that establish
requirements stipulated in the International
Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)
guidelines for importation of wood packaging
material into the United States from other
countries. This includes specific treatment
requirements for either heat treatment or
fumigation with methyl bromide of the wood
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 32 / Friday, February 15, 2008 / Notices
packaging material. The quantitative range
determined in the SEIS (822–2,351 MT) for
the refined methyl bromide estimate is
narrower than the range determined in the
FEIS (384–4,630 MT), but that range is
encompassed within the broader range
presented in the FEIS. The limited changes
in methyl bromide usage projected in the
SEIS do not justify changes to the previous
findings in the Record of Decision for the
FEIS.
Alternatives Considered in the Impact
Statement Process
The SEIS considers the same range of
alternatives as the FEIS, but focuses on the
potential impacts from treatments with
methyl bromide. The range of alternatives
includes (1) No action, essentially
maintaining the exemption from treatment
requirements for importation of wood
packaging material from foreign countries
except as regulated under the September 18,
1998, interim rule that required treatment of
wood packaging material from China (China
interim rule, 63 FR 50099–50111, Docket No.
98–087–1), (2) extension to all countries of
the treatments in the China interim rule, (3)
adoption of the IPPC Guidelines, (4)
establishment of a comprehensive risk
reduction program, and (5) use of substitute
(non-solid wood) packaging material only.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Environmentally Preferable Alternative
The environmentally preferable alternative
would be to prohibit importation of wood
packaging material, which would virtually
eliminate all associated pest risks, as well as
the need for quarantine treatments. This
regulatory approach (alternative 5 above)
would require all commodities that are to be
imported to the United States to be
transported with only substitute packaging
material. Restriction to only substitute
packaging materials is, however, more traderestrictive than necessary to achieve an
adequate level of phytosanitary protection.
For the foreseeable future, switching to
substitute packaging materials would be
costly or technically infeasible for many
exporters, especially in developing countries.
In addition, depending upon the type of
substitute packing material, the
environmental impacts from the
manufacturing process for substitute packing
material may increase overall impacts and
other associated risks that are not major
concerns with the present regulations.
Preferences Among Alternatives
The preference among the alternatives for
the final rule was and remains to adopt the
IPPC Guidelines (alternative 3 above). The
preference for this alternative is based
principally on the determination that it meets
the Agency’s obligations under the Plant
Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) (PPA),
and other legislation such as NEPA and the
Clean Air Act.
The no action alternative (alternative 1
above) was rejected because, if left
unchecked, pests introduced by imported
wood packaging material have the potential
to cause significant economic damage to the
agricultural and forest resources of the
United States.
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The alternative of extending the China
interim rule to all wood packaging material
worldwide (alternative 2 above) would not
ensure long-term exclusion of some wood
pests of quarantine concern, such as certain
deep wood-borers, fungi, rots, and wilts.
Additionally, adoption of the China interim
rule requirements would result in the greatest
additional use of methyl bromide of all the
alternatives.
The preferred alternative (alternative 3
above), adoption of the IPPC treatment
standards for all importing countries,
addresses the pest threats already covered by
the China interim rule for beetle families
such as Cerambycidae. In addition, it protects
against nine other families of wood boring
pests.
The comprehensive risk reduction program
(alternative 4 above) would consist of an
array of mitigation methods (e.g., inspection,
various heat treatments, various fumigants
and other chemical treatments, irradiation,
etc.) more extensive than that contained in
either the China Interim Rule or the IPPC
Guidelines. Many of the methods are in
various phases of research and development
and, therefore, do not provide an adequate
basis for any final decisions about program
implementation.
Mandating the use of substitute packing
material (alternative 5 above) requires use of
materials that likely cost more than wood
packaging material that is either heat treated
or fumigated with methyl bromide. The
availability of these substitute packing
materials is also an issue of concern for
exporters in some developing countries.
Please see the FEIS and SEIS for a full
discussion of the reasons why adopting the
IPPC standard was considered the preferred
alternative.
Factors in the Decision
APHIS’ mission is guided by the PPA,
under which the detection, control,
eradication, suppression, prevention, and
retardation of the spread of plant pests or
noxious weeds have been determined by
Congress to be necessary and appropriate for
the protection of the agriculture,
environment, and economy of the United
States. The PPA also has been designed to
facilitate exports, imports, and interstate
commerce in agricultural products and other
commodities. In order to achieve these
objectives, use of pesticides, including
methyl bromide, has often been prescribed.
Methyl bromide is an ozone depleting
substance that is strictly regulated under the
Montreal Protocol and the Clean Air Act.
While the goal of these authorities and
agreements is to limit and ultimately phase
out all ozone depleting substances, certain
exemptions and exclusions are recognized,
including an exemption for methyl bromide
use for plant quarantine and preshipment
purposes, including those purposes provided
for in the final wood packaging material rule.
The exemption is not unconditional,
however. The United States, like other
signatories to the Montreal Protocol, must
review its national plant health regulations
with a view to removing the requirement for
the use of methyl bromide for quarantine and
preshipment applications where technically
and economically feasible alternatives exist.
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8849
This rule authorizes the use of heat
treatment and methyl bromide fumigation to
treat wood packaging material from other
countries in order to meet the mandates of
the PPA. In addition, the agency is working
to promote environmental quality with
ongoing work to identify and add to our
regulations valid technically and
economically feasible alternatives to methyl
bromide.
Avoid or Minimize Environmental Harm
The environment can be harmed by the use
of methyl bromide which can delay the
recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer.
However, any lack of quarantine application
of methyl bromide or heat treatment to wood
packaging material poses potential adverse
effects to agriculture and forested ecosystems
among environmental components that could
be devastating. Adequate enforcement of
effective quarantine measures is required to
protect the environment. By ensuring that
quarantine use of methyl bromide remains
limited, the Agency strikes a proper balance
in its efforts to minimize environmental
harm. APHIS is committed to monitoring
these efforts through the NEPA process, and
otherwise. Furthermore, where appropriate,
measures such as gas recapture technology
are encouraged by APHIS to minimize
methyl bromide emissions and preclude
harm to environmental quality. The prudent
use of heat treatment and substitute
packaging material by developed countries is
expected to promote this regulatory approach
in developing countries as their trade
opportunities expand.
Other
Methyl bromide used in quarantine
applications prescribed by the United States
contributes just a small fraction of the total
anthropogenic bromine released into the
atmosphere. Nevertheless, the Montreal
Protocol is action-forcing in the sense that
signatories must review their national plant
health regulations with a view to finding
alternatives to exempted uses of methyl
bromide. The EPA has also cautioned that,
regardless of the incremental contribution, it
is important to recognize that any additional
methyl bromide releases delay recovery of
the stratospheric ozone layer.
A considerable amount of research and
development of methyl bromide alternatives
has been conducted within the USDA and
continues today. Under the Clean Air Act,
EPA has also established a program to
identify alternatives to ozone depleting
substances, including methyl bromide, but
EPA’s listing of an acceptable alternative
does not always adequately address its
suitability for a particular use. We must not
put agriculture and ecosystems at risk based
upon unproven technology.
APHIS is firmly committed to the
objectives of the Montreal Protocol to reduce
and ultimately eliminate reliance on methyl
bromide for quarantine uses, consistent with
its responsibilities to safeguard this country’s
agriculture and ecosystems. Achieving the
objectives of both reducing (and ultimately
eliminating) methyl bromide emissions as
well as safeguarding agriculture and
ecosystems in the most expeditious, cost-
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 32 / Friday, February 15, 2008 / Notices
effective way possible, requires close
coordination within the Federal Government
of research, development, and testing efforts.
APHIS is determined to cooperate actively
with the Agricultural Research Service, EPA,
the Office of Management and Budget, and
others involved in this effort to find effective
alternatives to methyl bromide quarantine
uses.
The most recent effort by APHIS to reduce
quarantine use of methyl bromide is through
cooperative work with the IPPC on a draft
International Standard for Phytosanitary
Measures (ISPM). This ISPM titled
‘‘Developing a Strategy to Reduce or Replace
the Use of Methyl Bromide for Phytosanitary
Purposes’’ has been under review since June
2007 by contracting parties to the IPPC.
In a notice summarizing EPA comments on
recent environmental impact statements and
proposed regulations that was published in
the Federal Register on July 20, 2007 (72 FR
39807–39808), EPA expressed a lack of
objections to the draft SEIS and APHIS’
adoption of the IPPC Guidelines.
The record of decision has been 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).
Done in Washington, DC, this 11th day of
February 2008.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E8–2908 Filed 2–14–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2007–0029]
Planet Biotechnology, Inc.; Availability
of an Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact for a
Field Release To Produce Antibodies
in Genetically Engineered Nicotiana
Hybrids
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: We are advising the public
that we have prepared an environmental
assessment for a proposed field release
involving a Nicotiana hybrid line that
has been genetically engineered to
produce an antimicrobial antibody that
binds to a bacterium (Streptococcus
mutans) associated with tooth decay in
humans. The purpose of this field
release is to generate plant biomass from
which the antibody will be extracted
after harvest. The environmental
assessment provides a basis for our
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15:58 Feb 14, 2008
Jkt 214001
conclusion that this field release will
not present a risk of introducing or
disseminating a plant pest and 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 this field release.
EFFECTIVE DATE: February 15, 2008.
ADDRESSES: You may read the
environmental assessment (EA), the
finding of no significant impact
(FONSI), and the comments we received
on this docket 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_35403r_ea.pdf.
Other Information: Additional
information about APHIS and its
programs is available on the Internet at
https://www.aphis.usda.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
Margaret Jones, Biotechnology
Regulatory Services, APHIS, 4700 River
Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737–
1236; (301) 734–4880. To obtain copies
of the EA, FONSI and decision notice,
and responses to comments, contact Ms.
Cynthia Eck at (301) 734–0667; e-mail:
cynthia.a.eck@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 in the environment of a
regulated article.
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On December 21, 2005, the Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) received a permit application
(APHIS No. 05–354–03r) from Planet
Biotechnology, Inc., of Hayward, CA, for
a field trial using a transgenic Nicotiana
hybrid. Permit application 05–354–03r
describes a Nicotiana hybrid line
(Nicotiana tabacum X Nicotiana
glauca), designated as 06PBCarHG1,
that produces a chimeric antimicrobial
antibody (trade name CaroRxTM) that
binds to the bacterium (Streptococcus
mutans) associated with tooth decay in
humans. Expression of the gene
sequence is controlled by the
cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV)
promoter and terminated by NOS from
Agrobacterium tumefaciens and utilizes
the selectable marker NPTII from
Escherichia coli. Constructs were
inserted into the recipient organisms via
a disarmed Agrobacterium tumefaciens
vector system. The antibodies generated
from this planting will be extracted after
harvest.
The subject Nicotiana hybrid is
considered a regulated article under the
regulations in 7 CFR part 340 because it
has been genetically engineered using
genetic sequences from plant pathogens.
On June 13, 2007, APHIS published a
notice 1 in the Federal Register (72 FR
32607–32608, Docket No. APHIS–2007–
0029) announcing the availability of an
environmental assessment (EA) for the
proposed release of a transgenic
Nicotiana hybrid line. During the 30day comment period, APHIS received
six comments. All six comments were
opposed to APHIS’ issuance of this
permit and genetically engineered crops
in general, but only one raised specific
issues regarding the EA. APHIS has
provided responses to these comments
as an attachment to the finding of no
significant impact (FONSI).
Pursuant to the regulations
promulgated under the Plant Protection
Act, APHIS has determined that this
field release will not pose a risk of
introducing or disseminating a plant
pest. Additionally, based upon analysis
described in the EA, APHIS has
determined that the action proposed in
Alternative B of the EA (the preferred
alternative), to issue the permit with
supplemental permit conditions, will
not have a significant impact on the
quality of the human environment.
Therefore, APHIS has determined that a
FONSI is appropriate for this proposed
action. You may read the FONSI and
Decision Notice on the Internet or in the
1 To view the notice, the EA, and the comments
we received, go to https://www.regulations.gov/
fdmspublic/component/
main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2007-0029.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 32 (Friday, February 15, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8848-8850]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2908]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2006-0152]
Importation of Solid Wood Packing Material; Record of Decision
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice advises the public of the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service's record of decision for the supplement to the
Importation of Solid Wood Packing Material Final Environmental Impact
Statement.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the record of decision and the supplement to the
final environmental impact statement on which the record of decision is
based are available for public inspection at USDA, room 1141, South
Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC,
between 8 a.m. and 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 record of decision may also be viewed on the APHIS Web site at
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/ea/swpm.shtml. Supporting and
related materials, including the final and supplemental environmental
impact statements, may also be viewed on the Internet by visiting
https://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/
main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2006-0152.
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: This notice advises the public that the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has prepared a
record of decision based on its supplemental environmental impact
statement (SEIS) for the Importation of Solid Wood Packing Material
Final Environmental Impact Statement, August 2003 (FEIS).
The SEIS and FEIS address Federal actions described in a final rule
APHIS published in the Federal Register on September 16, 2004 (69 FR
55719-55733, Docket No. 02-032-3). The final rule amended 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.
On October 24, 2006, APHIS published in the Federal Register (71 FR
62240, Docket No. APHIS-2006-0152) a notice of its intent to prepare
the SEIS for the purpose of reevaluating and refining the estimates of
methyl bromide usage associated with the alternatives considered in the
FEIS. On March 9, 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
published in the Federal Register (72 FR 10749) a notice of the
availability of the draft SEIS. Comments were accepted on the draft
SEIS until June 25, 2007.
In October 2007, APHIS published and distributed the final SEIS,
which included discussion of the three comments received on the draft
SEIS. On November 23, 2007, EPA published in the Federal Register (72
FR 65732) a notice of the availability of the final SEIS. The NEPA
implementing regulations at 40 CFR 1506.10 require a 30-day waiting
period between the time a final EIS is published and the time an agency
makes a decision on an action covered by the EIS. APHIS did not receive
any comments on the final SEIS by the time this waiting period ended on
December 24, 2007.
APHIS has reviewed the final SEIS and has concluded that it has
fully analyzed the issues covered by the draft SEIS and the comments
and suggestions submitted by commenters. APHIS has now prepared a
record of decision on the adopted SEIS and is making that record
available to the public.
The Record of Decision for the Importation of Solid Wood Packing
Material Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement,
prepared pursuant to the Council on Environmental Quality's NEPA
implementing regulations at 40 CFR 1505.2, is set out below in its
entirety.
Record of Decision for the Importation of Solid Wood Packing Material
Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement
This Record of Decision (ROD) has been developed in compliance
with the agency decision-making requirements of NEPA. The purpose of
this ROD is to document APHIS' decision to adopt the September 16,
2004, final rule. Alternatives have been fully described and
evaluated in the Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact
Statement (SEIS) and in the Final Environmental Impact Statement
(FEIS).
This ROD is intended to: (a) State the APHIS decision, present
the rationale for its selection, and describe its implementation;
(b) identify the alternatives considered in reaching the decision;
and (c) state whether all means to avoid or minimize environmental
harm from implementation of the selected alternative have been
adopted (40 CFR 1505.2).
National Environmental Policy Act
On November 23, 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) published in the Federal Register [72 FR 65732] a notice of
availability of the final supplement to the environmental impact
statement titled ``Importation of Solid Wood Packing Material.'' The
FEIS considered the environmental impacts from importation of wood
packaging materials that could result from our adoption of the
proposed rule. The SEIS reevaluates and refines the estimates of
methyl bromide usage associated with the alternatives considered in
the FEIS.
Pursuant to the implementing regulations for NEPA in cases
requiring an EIS, APHIS must prepare a record of decision to express
the agency determination from review of the EIS documentation. The
NEPA implementing regulations require that a record of decision
state what decision is being made; identify alternatives considered
in the environmental impact statement process; specify the
environmentally preferred alternative; discuss preferences based on
relevant factors--economic and technical considerations, as well as
national policy considerations, where applicable; and state how all
of the factors discussed entered into the decision. In addition, the
record of decision must indicate whether the ultimate decision has
been designed to avoid or minimize environmental harm and, if not,
why not.
The Decision
This decision described in the ROD addresses impacts from the
final rule published by APHIS in the Federal Register on September
16, 2004 (69 FR 55719-55733, Docket No. 02-032-3). After a thorough
reevaluation and refinement of the estimates of methyl bromide usage
associated with the alternatives considered in the FEIS and in the
SEIS, APHIS has decided to continue to enforce the 2004 regulations
that establish requirements stipulated in the International Plant
Protection Convention (IPPC) guidelines for importation of wood
packaging material into the United States from other countries. This
includes specific treatment requirements for either heat treatment
or fumigation with methyl bromide of the wood
[[Page 8849]]
packaging material. The quantitative range determined in the SEIS
(822-2,351 MT) for the refined methyl bromide estimate is narrower
than the range determined in the FEIS (384-4,630 MT), but that range
is encompassed within the broader range presented in the FEIS. The
limited changes in methyl bromide usage projected in the SEIS do not
justify changes to the previous findings in the Record of Decision
for the FEIS.
Alternatives Considered in the Impact Statement Process
The SEIS considers the same range of alternatives as the FEIS,
but focuses on the potential impacts from treatments with methyl
bromide. The range of alternatives includes (1) No action,
essentially maintaining the exemption from treatment requirements
for importation of wood packaging material from foreign countries
except as regulated under the September 18, 1998, interim rule that
required treatment of wood packaging material from China (China
interim rule, 63 FR 50099-50111, Docket No. 98-087-1), (2) extension
to all countries of the treatments in the China interim rule, (3)
adoption of the IPPC Guidelines, (4) establishment of a
comprehensive risk reduction program, and (5) use of substitute
(non-solid wood) packaging material only.
Environmentally Preferable Alternative
The environmentally preferable alternative would be to prohibit
importation of wood packaging material, which would virtually
eliminate all associated pest risks, as well as the need for
quarantine treatments. This regulatory approach (alternative 5
above) would require all commodities that are to be imported to the
United States to be transported with only substitute packaging
material. Restriction to only substitute packaging materials is,
however, more trade-restrictive than necessary to achieve an
adequate level of phytosanitary protection. For the foreseeable
future, switching to substitute packaging materials would be costly
or technically infeasible for many exporters, especially in
developing countries. In addition, depending upon the type of
substitute packing material, the environmental impacts from the
manufacturing process for substitute packing material may increase
overall impacts and other associated risks that are not major
concerns with the present regulations.
Preferences Among Alternatives
The preference among the alternatives for the final rule was and
remains to adopt the IPPC Guidelines (alternative 3 above). The
preference for this alternative is based principally on the
determination that it meets the Agency's obligations under the Plant
Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) (PPA), and other legislation
such as NEPA and the Clean Air Act.
The no action alternative (alternative 1 above) was rejected
because, if left unchecked, pests introduced by imported wood
packaging material have the potential to cause significant economic
damage to the agricultural and forest resources of the United
States.
The alternative of extending the China interim rule to all wood
packaging material worldwide (alternative 2 above) would not ensure
long-term exclusion of some wood pests of quarantine concern, such
as certain deep wood-borers, fungi, rots, and wilts. Additionally,
adoption of the China interim rule requirements would result in the
greatest additional use of methyl bromide of all the alternatives.
The preferred alternative (alternative 3 above), adoption of the
IPPC treatment standards for all importing countries, addresses the
pest threats already covered by the China interim rule for beetle
families such as Cerambycidae. In addition, it protects against nine
other families of wood boring pests.
The comprehensive risk reduction program (alternative 4 above)
would consist of an array of mitigation methods (e.g., inspection,
various heat treatments, various fumigants and other chemical
treatments, irradiation, etc.) more extensive than that contained in
either the China Interim Rule or the IPPC Guidelines. Many of the
methods are in various phases of research and development and,
therefore, do not provide an adequate basis for any final decisions
about program implementation.
Mandating the use of substitute packing material (alternative 5
above) requires use of materials that likely cost more than wood
packaging material that is either heat treated or fumigated with
methyl bromide. The availability of these substitute packing
materials is also an issue of concern for exporters in some
developing countries.
Please see the FEIS and SEIS for a full discussion of the
reasons why adopting the IPPC standard was considered the preferred
alternative.
Factors in the Decision
APHIS' mission is guided by the PPA, under which the detection,
control, eradication, suppression, prevention, and retardation of
the spread of plant pests or noxious weeds have been determined by
Congress to be necessary and appropriate for the protection of the
agriculture, environment, and economy of the United States. The PPA
also has been designed to facilitate exports, imports, and
interstate commerce in agricultural products and other commodities.
In order to achieve these objectives, use of pesticides, including
methyl bromide, has often been prescribed.
Methyl bromide is an ozone depleting substance that is strictly
regulated under the Montreal Protocol and the Clean Air Act. While
the goal of these authorities and agreements is to limit and
ultimately phase out all ozone depleting substances, certain
exemptions and exclusions are recognized, including an exemption for
methyl bromide use for plant quarantine and preshipment purposes,
including those purposes provided for in the final wood packaging
material rule. The exemption is not unconditional, however. The
United States, like other signatories to the Montreal Protocol, must
review its national plant health regulations with a view to removing
the requirement for the use of methyl bromide for quarantine and
preshipment applications where technically and economically feasible
alternatives exist.
This rule authorizes the use of heat treatment and methyl
bromide fumigation to treat wood packaging material from other
countries in order to meet the mandates of the PPA. In addition, the
agency is working to promote environmental quality with ongoing work
to identify and add to our regulations valid technically and
economically feasible alternatives to methyl bromide.
Avoid or Minimize Environmental Harm
The environment can be harmed by the use of methyl bromide which
can delay the recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer. However,
any lack of quarantine application of methyl bromide or heat
treatment to wood packaging material poses potential adverse effects
to agriculture and forested ecosystems among environmental
components that could be devastating. Adequate enforcement of
effective quarantine measures is required to protect the
environment. By ensuring that quarantine use of methyl bromide
remains limited, the Agency strikes a proper balance in its efforts
to minimize environmental harm. APHIS is committed to monitoring
these efforts through the NEPA process, and otherwise. Furthermore,
where appropriate, measures such as gas recapture technology are
encouraged by APHIS to minimize methyl bromide emissions and
preclude harm to environmental quality. The prudent use of heat
treatment and substitute packaging material by developed countries
is expected to promote this regulatory approach in developing
countries as their trade opportunities expand.
Other
Methyl bromide used in quarantine applications prescribed by the
United States contributes just a small fraction of the total
anthropogenic bromine released into the atmosphere. Nevertheless,
the Montreal Protocol is action-forcing in the sense that
signatories must review their national plant health regulations with
a view to finding alternatives to exempted uses of methyl bromide.
The EPA has also cautioned that, regardless of the incremental
contribution, it is important to recognize that any additional
methyl bromide releases delay recovery of the stratospheric ozone
layer.
A considerable amount of research and development of methyl
bromide alternatives has been conducted within the USDA and
continues today. Under the Clean Air Act, EPA has also established a
program to identify alternatives to ozone depleting substances,
including methyl bromide, but EPA's listing of an acceptable
alternative does not always adequately address its suitability for a
particular use. We must not put agriculture and ecosystems at risk
based upon unproven technology.
APHIS is firmly committed to the objectives of the Montreal
Protocol to reduce and ultimately eliminate reliance on methyl
bromide for quarantine uses, consistent with its responsibilities to
safeguard this country's agriculture and ecosystems. Achieving the
objectives of both reducing (and ultimately eliminating) methyl
bromide emissions as well as safeguarding agriculture and ecosystems
in the most expeditious, cost-
[[Page 8850]]
effective way possible, requires close coordination within the
Federal Government of research, development, and testing efforts.
APHIS is determined to cooperate actively with the Agricultural
Research Service, EPA, the Office of Management and Budget, and
others involved in this effort to find effective alternatives to
methyl bromide quarantine uses.
The most recent effort by APHIS to reduce quarantine use of
methyl bromide is through cooperative work with the IPPC on a draft
International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM). This ISPM
titled ``Developing a Strategy to Reduce or Replace the Use of
Methyl Bromide for Phytosanitary Purposes'' has been under review
since June 2007 by contracting parties to the IPPC.
In a notice summarizing EPA comments on recent environmental
impact statements and proposed regulations that was published in the
Federal Register on July 20, 2007 (72 FR 39807-39808), EPA expressed
a lack of objections to the draft SEIS and APHIS' adoption of the
IPPC Guidelines.
The record of decision has been 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).
Done in Washington, DC, this 11th day of February 2008.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E8-2908 Filed 2-14-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
