Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Determination of Regulated Status of Alfalfa Genetically Engineered for Tolerance to the Herbicide Glyphosate, 1585-1586 [2010-345]
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 7 / Tuesday, January 12, 2010 / Notices
serving nutritious, well-balanced meals
to eligible children at the food service
sites. Information is gathered from State
agencies and other organizations
wishing to participate in the program to
determine eligibility. FNS uses a variety
of forms to collect information.
Need and Use of the Information: FNS
uses the information collected to
determine an organization’s eligibility
and to monitor program performance for
compliance and reimbursement
purposes.
Description of Respondents:
Individuals or household; Business or
other for-profit; Not-for-profit
institutions; State, Local, or Tribal
Government.
Number of Respondents: 105,249.
Frequency of Responses:
Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion;
Weekly; Quarterly; Monthly.
Total Burden Hours: 182,683.
Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010–343 Filed 1–11–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–30–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service
Notice of Request for Collection of
Public Information With the Use of a
Survey
Rural Development, USDA.
Proposed collection; comments
requested.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces the Rural
Development’s intention to request
clearance for continuation of
information collection to measure the
quality of loan servicing provided by the
Rural Development, Centralized
Servicing Center (CSC) in St. Louis, MO.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be
received by March 15, 2010 to be
assured of consideration.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Terrie Barton, Customer Service Branch
Chief, Centralized Servicing Center,
4300 Goodfellow Blvd., Mail Code FC
25, St. Louis, Missouri 63120–1703,
phone: (314) 457–5133, e-mail:
Terrie.barton@stl.usda.gov.
WReier-Aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Rural Development—Customer
Satisfaction Survey.
Type of Request: Continuation of
information collection.
Abstract: USDA, Rural Development
provides insured loans to low- and
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15:14 Jan 11, 2010
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moderate-income applicants located in
rural geographic areas to assist them in
obtaining decent, sanitary and safe
dwellings. Rural Development currently
processes loan originations through
approximately 700 Field Offices. The
Rural Development, Centralized
Servicing Center (CSC), located in St.
Louis, Missouri, provides support to the
Field Offices and is responsible for loan
servicing functions for Single Family
housing direct program borrowers. The
CSC was established to achieve a high
level of customer service and operating
efficiency. The CSC has established a
fully integrated call center and is able to
provide borrowers with convenient
access to their loan account information.
To facilitate CSC’s mission and in an
effort to continuously improve its
services, a survey has been developed
that will measure the change in quality
of service that borrower’s receive when
they contact the CSC. Three previous
surveys have been completed under
prior authorization. Respondents will
only need to report information on a
one-time basis.
The results of the survey will provide
a general satisfaction level among
borrowers throughout the nation. The
data analysis will provide comparisons
to prior surveys and reveal areas of
increased satisfaction as well as areas in
need of improvement. CSC’s goal is to
continuously improve program delivery,
accessibility and overall customer
service satisfaction. A follow up survey
will be conducted in 18–24 months, but
may or may not be sent to the same
initial respondents. Additionally, in
accordance with Government
Performance and Results Act (GPRA),
the survey will enable CSC to measure
the results and overall effectiveness of
customer services provided as well as
implement action plans and measure
improvements.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting
burden for this collection of information
is estimated to average 16 minutes per
response.
Respondents: Rural Development,
SFH Program Borrowers.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
6,000.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 1.
Estimated Number of Responses:
6,000.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 960.
Copies of this information collection
can be obtained from Linda Watts
Thomas, Regulations and Paperwork
Management Branch, Support Services
Division at (202) 692–0226.
PO 00000
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1585
Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on those who are to respond, including
the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Comments may be sent to Linda Watts
Thomas, Regulations and Paperwork
Management Branch, Support Services
Division, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Rural Development, STOP
0742, 1400 Independence Ave. SW.,
Washington, DC 20250–0742. 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.
Dated: December 29, 2009.
Sylvia Bolivar,
Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. E9–31336 Filed 1–11–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044]
Draft Environmental Impact Statement;
Determination of Regulated Status of
Alfalfa Genetically Engineered for
Tolerance to the Herbicide Glyphosate
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft
environmental impact statement and
public meetings.
SUMMARY: We are advising the public
that the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service has prepared a draft
environmental impact statement in
connection with making a
determination on the status of the
Monsanto Company and Forage
Genetics International alfalfa lines
designated as events J101 and J163 as
regulated articles. This notice also
provides notice of public meetings.
DATES: We will consider all comments
that we receive on or before February
E:\FR\FM\12JAN1.SGM
12JAN1
WReier-Aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES
1586
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 7 / Tuesday, January 12, 2010 / Notices
16, 2010. We will also consider
comments made at public meetings to
be held on January 19, 2010, and on
February 3, 4, and 9, 2010.
ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be
held in Las Vegas, NV, Kearney, NE,
Lincoln, NE, and Riverdale, MD (see the
Supplementary Information section of
this notice for the address of each
hearing site). You may submit written
comments on the draft environmental
impact statement by either of the
following methods:
∑ Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
(https://www.regulations.gov/
fdmspublic/component/
main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS2007-0044) to view the draft
environmental impact statement, or to
submit or view public comments.
∑ Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:
Please send two copies of your comment
to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044,
Regulatory Analysis and Development,
PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700
River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD
20737-1238. Please state that your
comment refers to Docket No. APHIS2007-0044.
Reading Room: You may read any
comments that we receive 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.
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.
Andrea Huberty, Branch Chief,
Regulatory and Environmental Analysis
Branch, BRS, APHIS, 4700 River Road
Unit 146, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301)
734-0485.
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.’’
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15:14 Jan 11, 2010
Jkt 220001
The regulations in § 340.6(a) provide
that any person may submit a petition
to the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) seeking a
determination that an article should not
be regulated under 7 CFR part 340.
Paragraphs (b) and (c) of § 340.6
describe the form that a petition for a
determination of nonregulated status
must take and the information that must
be included in the petition.
In a notice published in the Federal
Register on June 27, 2005 (70 FR 3691736919, Docket No. 04-085-3), APHIS
advised the public of its determination,
effective June 14, 2005, that the
Monsanto/Forage Genetics International
(FGI) alfalfa events J101 and J163 were
no longer considered regulated articles
under the regulations governing the
introduction of certain genetically
engineered organisms. That
determination was subsequently
challenged in the United States District
Court for the Northern District of
California by the Center for Food Safety,
other associations, and several organic
alfalfa growers. The lawsuit alleged that
APHIS’ decision to deregulate the
genetically engineered glyphosatetolerant alfalfa events J101 and J163
violated the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered
Species Act, and the Plant Protection
Act.
On February 13, 2007, the court in
that case issued its memorandum and
order in which it determined that
APHIS had violated NEPA by not
preparing an environmental impact
statement (EIS) in connection with its
deregulation determination. The court
ruled that the environmental assessment
prepared by APHIS for its deregulation
determination failed to adequately
consider certain environmental impacts
in violation of NEPA. The deregulation
determination was vacated and APHIS
was directed by the court to prepare an
EIS in connection with its new
determination on the regulated status of
the events.
APHIS has prepared a draft EIS, titled
‘‘Glyphosate-Tolerant Alfalfa Events
J101 and J163: Request for Nonregulated
Status’’ (November 2009), regarding this
determination of regulated status. The
EIS is available on Regulations.gov for
review and comment, and may be
accessed via the Internet address
provided above under the heading
ADDRESSES.
A notice of availability regarding the
draft EIS was also published by the
Environmental Protection Agency in the
Federal Register on December 18, 2009
(74 FR 67206-67207, Docket No. ERFRL-8986-6).
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Public Meetings
We are advising the public that we are
hosting four public meetings. The
public meetings will be held as follows:
∑ Tuesday, January 19, 2010, in the
Golden Nugget Hotel, 129 Fremont
Street, Las Vegas, NV, from 11 a.m. to
2 p.m., local time.
∑ Wednesday, February 3, 2010, in the
Buffalo County Fairgrounds Exhibit
Center, 3807 Avenue N, Kearney, NE,
from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., local time.
∑ Thursday, February 4, 2010, in the
Holiday Inn Haymarket, 141 North 9th
Street, Lincoln, NE, from 4 p.m. to 7
p.m., local time.
∑ Tuesday, February 9, 2010, in the
USDA Center at Riverside, 4700 River
Road, Riverdale, MD, from 4 p.m. to 7
p.m., local time.
A representative of APHIS will
preside at the public meetings. Any
interested person may appear and be
heard in person, by attorney, or by other
representative. Written statements may
be submitted and will be made part of
the meeting record.
Registration will take place 30
minutes prior to the scheduled start of
the meeting. Persons who wish to speak
at a meeting will be asked to sign in
with their name and organization to
establish a record for the meeting. We
ask that anyone who reads a statement
provide two copies to the presiding
officer at the meeting.
The presiding officer may limit the
time for each presentation, so that all
interested persons appearing at each
meeting have an opportunity to
participate. Each meeting may be
terminated at any time if all persons
desiring to speak have been heard.
Parking and Security Procedures
Please note that a fee of $4 in exact
change is required to enter the parking
lot at the USDA Center at Riverside. The
machine accepts $1 bills or quarters.
Upon entering the building, visitors
should inform security personnel that
they are attending the public meeting
regarding the regulated status of alfalfa
genetically engineered for tolerance to
the herbicide glyphosate. State issued
photo identification is required and all
bags will be screened. Security
personnel will direct people to the
registration tables. Registration upon
arrival is required for all participants.
Done in Washington, DC, this 6th day
of January 2010.
Kevin Shea
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2010–345 Filed 1–11–10: 11:49 am]
BILLING CODE: 3410–34–S
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12JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 12, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1585-1586]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-345]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044]
Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Determination of Regulated
Status of Alfalfa Genetically Engineered for Tolerance to the Herbicide
Glyphosate
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft environmental impact
statement and public meetings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service has prepared a draft environmental impact statement
in connection with making a determination on the status of the Monsanto
Company and Forage Genetics International alfalfa lines designated as
events J101 and J163 as regulated articles. This notice also provides
notice of public meetings.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before
February
[[Page 1586]]
16, 2010. We will also consider comments made at public meetings to be
held on January 19, 2010, and on February 3, 4, and 9, 2010.
ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be held in Las Vegas, NV, Kearney,
NE, Lincoln, NE, and Riverdale, MD (see the Supplementary Information
section of this notice for the address of each hearing site). You may
submit written comments on the draft environmental impact statement by
either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to (https://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2007-0044) to view the draft
environmental impact statement, or to submit or view public comments.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send two copies of
your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044, Regulatory Analysis and
Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118,
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to
Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044.
Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive 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.
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. Andrea Huberty, Branch Chief,
Regulatory and Environmental Analysis Branch, BRS, APHIS, 4700 River
Road Unit 146, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-0485.
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.''
The regulations in Sec. 340.6(a) provide that any person may
submit a petition to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) seeking a determination that an article should not be regulated
under 7 CFR part 340. Paragraphs (b) and (c) of Sec. 340.6 describe
the form that a petition for a determination of nonregulated status
must take and the information that must be included in the petition.
In a notice published in the Federal Register on June 27, 2005 (70
FR 36917-36919, Docket No. 04-085-3), APHIS advised the public of its
determination, effective June 14, 2005, that the Monsanto/Forage
Genetics International (FGI) alfalfa events J101 and J163 were no
longer considered regulated articles under the regulations governing
the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms. That
determination was subsequently challenged in the United States District
Court for the Northern District of California by the Center for Food
Safety, other associations, and several organic alfalfa growers. The
lawsuit alleged that APHIS' decision to deregulate the genetically
engineered glyphosate-tolerant alfalfa events J101 and J163 violated
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species
Act, and the Plant Protection Act.
On February 13, 2007, the court in that case issued its memorandum
and order in which it determined that APHIS had violated NEPA by not
preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) in connection with
its deregulation determination. The court ruled that the environmental
assessment prepared by APHIS for its deregulation determination failed
to adequately consider certain environmental impacts in violation of
NEPA. The deregulation determination was vacated and APHIS was directed
by the court to prepare an EIS in connection with its new determination
on the regulated status of the events.
APHIS has prepared a draft EIS, titled ``Glyphosate-Tolerant
Alfalfa Events J101 and J163: Request for Nonregulated Status''
(November 2009), regarding this determination of regulated status. The
EIS is available on Regulations.gov for review and comment, and may be
accessed via the Internet address provided above under the heading
ADDRESSES.
A notice of availability regarding the draft EIS was also published
by the Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal Register on
December 18, 2009 (74 FR 67206-67207, Docket No. ER-FRL-8986-6).
Public Meetings
We are advising the public that we are hosting four public
meetings. The public meetings will be held as follows:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010, in the Golden Nugget Hotel, 129
Fremont Street, Las Vegas, NV, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., local time.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010, in the Buffalo County
Fairgrounds Exhibit Center, 3807 Avenue N, Kearney, NE, from 3 p.m. to
6 p.m., local time.
Thursday, February 4, 2010, in the Holiday Inn Haymarket,
141 North 9th Street, Lincoln, NE, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., local time.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010, in the USDA Center at
Riverside, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., local
time.
A representative of APHIS will preside at the public meetings. Any
interested person may appear and be heard in person, by attorney, or by
other representative. Written statements may be submitted and will be
made part of the meeting record.
Registration will take place 30 minutes prior to the scheduled
start of the meeting. Persons who wish to speak at a meeting will be
asked to sign in with their name and organization to establish a record
for the meeting. We ask that anyone who reads a statement provide two
copies to the presiding officer at the meeting.
The presiding officer may limit the time for each presentation, so
that all interested persons appearing at each meeting have an
opportunity to participate. Each meeting may be terminated at any time
if all persons desiring to speak have been heard.
Parking and Security Procedures
Please note that a fee of $4 in exact change is required to enter
the parking lot at the USDA Center at Riverside. The machine accepts $1
bills or quarters.
Upon entering the building, visitors should inform security
personnel that they are attending the public meeting regarding the
regulated status of alfalfa genetically engineered for tolerance to the
herbicide glyphosate. State issued photo identification is required and
all bags will be screened. Security personnel will direct people to the
registration tables. Registration upon arrival is required for all
participants.
Done in Washington, DC, this 6\th\ day of January 2010.
Kevin Shea
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-345 Filed 1-11-10: 11:49 am]
BILLING CODE: 3410-34-S
