Notice of Decision To Authorize the Importation of Pomegranate From India Into the Continental United States, 7122-7123 [2012-3191]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
7122
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 28 / Friday, February 10, 2012 / Notices
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
We are asking the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) to
approve our use of these information
collection activities for an additional 3
years.
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 collection
of information, 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
collection of information 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
0.266666667 hours per response.
Respondents: Contractors and/or
pilots of aircraft.
Estimated annual number of
respondents: 15.
Estimated annual number of
responses per respondent: 1.
Estimated annual number of
responses: 15.
Estimated total annual burden on
respondents: 4 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
February 2012.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2012–3188 Filed 2–9–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
VerDate Mar<15>2010
21:29 Feb 09, 2012
Jkt 226001
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0087]
Notice of Decision To Authorize the
Importation of Pomegranate From
India Into the Continental United States
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
We are advising the public of
our decision to authorize the
importation into the continental United
States of fresh pomegranate fruit from
India. Based on the findings of a pest
risk analysis, which we made available
to the public for review and comment
through a previous notice, we believe
that the application of one or more
designated phytosanitary measures will
be sufficient to mitigate the risks of
introducing or disseminating plant pests
or noxious weeds via the importation of
fresh pomegranate fruit from India.
DATES: Effective date: February 10, 2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Donna L. West, Senior Import
Specialist, RPM, PHP, PPQ, APHIS,
4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale,
MD 20737; (301) 734–0627.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Background
Under the regulations in ‘‘Subpart—
Fruits and Vegetables’’ (7 CFR 319.56–
1 through 319.56–54, referred to below
as the regulations), the Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
prohibits or restricts the importation of
fruits and vegetables into the United
States from certain parts of the world to
prevent plant pests from being
introduced into and spread within the
United States.
Section 319.56–4 contains a
performance-based process for
approving the importation of
commodities that, based on the findings
of a pest risk analysis (PRA), can be
safely imported subject to one or more
of the designated phytosanitary
measures listed in paragraph (b) of that
section. Under that process, APHIS
publishes a notice in the Federal
Register announcing the availability of
the PRA that evaluates the risks
associated with the importation of a
particular fruit or vegetable. Following
the close of the 60-day comment period,
APHIS may authorize the importation of
the fruit or vegetable subject to the
identified designated measures if: (1) No
comments were received on the PRA; (2)
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
the comments on the PRA revealed that
no changes to the PRA were necessary;
or (3) changes to the PRA were made in
response to public comments, but the
changes did not affect the overall
conclusions of the analysis and the
Administrator’s determination of risk.
In accordance with that process, we
published a notice 1 in the Federal
Register on September 29, 2011 (76 FR
60450, Docket No. APHIS–2011–0087),
in which we announced the availability,
for review and comment, of a PRA that
evaluates the risks associated with the
importation into the continental United
States of fresh pomegranate fruit
(Punica granatum L.) from India. We
solicited comments on the notice for 60
days ending on November 28, 2011. We
did not receive any comments by that
date. Therefore, in accordance with the
regulations in § 319.56–4(c)(2)(ii), we
are announcing our decision to
authorize the importation into the
continental United States of fresh
pomegranate fruit from India subject to
the following phytosanitary measures:
• The fresh pomegranate fruit may be
imported into the continental United
States in commercial consignments
only;
• The fresh pomegranate fruit must be
irradiated in accordance with 7 CFR
part 305 with a minimum absorbed dose
of 400 Gy;
• If the irradiation treatment is
applied outside the United States, each
consignment of fresh pomegranate fruit
must be jointly inspected by APHIS and
the national plant protection
organization (NPPO) of India and
accompanied by a phytosanitary
certificate attesting that the fruit
received the required irradiation
treatment and was inspected and found
free of the mite Tenuipalpus granati, the
false spider mite Tenuipalpus punicae,
and the bacterium Xanthomonas
axonopodis pv. punicae;
• If irradiation is applied upon arrival
in the United States, each consignment
of fresh pomegranate fruit must be
inspected by the NPPO of India prior to
departure and accompanied by a
phytosanitary certificate with an
additional declaration that the fruit was
inspected and found free of the mite
Tenuipalpus granati, the false spider
mite Tenuipalpus punicae, and the
bacterium Xanthomonas axonopodis
pv. punicae; and
• The fresh pomegranate fruit is
subject to inspection upon arrival at the
U.S. port of entry.
1 To view the notice and the PRA, go to https://
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS–
2011–0087.
E:\FR\FM\10FEN1.SGM
10FEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 28 / Friday, February 10, 2012 / Notices
These conditions will be listed in the
Fruits and Vegetables Import
Requirements database (available at
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/favir). In
addition to these specific measures,
fresh pomegranate fruit from India will
be subject to the general requirements
listed in § 319.56–3 that are applicable
to the importation of all fruits and
vegetables. Further, for fruits and
vegetables requiring treatment as a
condition of entry, the phytosanitary
treatments regulations in 7 CFR part 305
contain administrative and procedural
requirements that must be observed in
connection with the application and
certification of specific treatments.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701–7772, and
7781–7786; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 7 CFR
2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.
Done in Washington, DC, this 6th day of
February 2012.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2012–3191 Filed 2–9–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0130]
ArborGen, LLC; Availability of an
Environmental Assessment for
Controlled Release of a Genetically
Engineered Eucalyptus Hybrid
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
We are advising the public
that the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service has prepared an
environmental assessment for a
proposed controlled field release of a
genetically engineered clone of a
Eucalyptus hybrid. The purpose of the
field release is to assess the
effectiveness of gene constructs
intended to confer cold tolerance, to test
the efficacy of genes introduced to alter
lignin biosynthesis, to test the efficacy
of genes designed to alter growth, and
to test the efficacy of genes designed to
alter flowering. We are making the
environmental assessment available to
the public for review and comment.
DATES: We will consider all comments
that we receive on or before March 12,
2012.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
by either of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov/
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
21:29 Feb 09, 2012
Jkt 226001
#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-01300001.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:
Send your comment to Docket No.
APHIS–2011–0130, Regulatory Analysis
and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station
3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118,
Riverdale, MD 20737–1238.
Supporting documents and any
comments we receive on this docket
may be viewed at https://www.
regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;
D=APHIS-2011-0130 or in our reading
room, which 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Evan Chestnut, Policy Analyst,
Biotechnology Regulatory Services,
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 147,
Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) 734–
0942. To obtain copies of the
environmental assessment, contact Ms.
Cynthia Eck at (301) 734–0667; email:
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.
On February 21, 2011, the Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
received a permit application (APHIS
No. 11–052–101rm) from ArborGen,
LLC, in Summerville, SC, for a
controlled field release of genetically
engineered Eucalyptus hybrids in six
locations encompassing a total of 14.7
acres in the States of Alabama, Florida,
Mississippi, and South Carolina. Five of
these locations currently have active
APHIS permits (08–011–106rm, 08–
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
7123
014–101rm, 09–070–10rm, 10–112–
101r, and 11–041–101rm) for
environmental release of genetically
engineered Eucalyptus hybrids in
Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and
South Carolina. The sixth site in South
Carolina has been listed as a holding
site for genetically engineered trees in
previous APHIS permits and
notifications and is a new location for
the release of genetically engineered
Eucalyptus. ArborGen is requesting that
trees be allowed to flower at four
locations in Alabama, Florida and
Mississippi. At two locations in South
Carolina, ArborGen has requested to
release trees in containers and have
indicated they will not allow these trees
to flower at these locations.
Permit application 11–052–101rm
describes Eucalyptus trees derived from
a hybrid of Eucalyptus grandis ×
Eucalyptus urophylla. The purpose of
the field tests is to assess the
effectiveness of gene constructs
intended to confer cold tolerance; to test
the efficacy of genes introduced to alter
lignin biosynthesis; to test the efficacy
of genes designed to alter growth; and
to test the efficacy of genes designed to
alter flowering. In addition, the trees
have been engineered with a selectable
marker that confers resistance to the
antibiotic kanamycin. These DNA
sequences were introduced into
Eucalyptus trees using disarmed
Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
The subject Eucalyptus trees are
considered regulated articles under 7
CFR part 340 because they were created
using donor sequences from plant pests.
To provide the public with
documentation of APHIS’ review and
analysis of any potential environmental
impacts and plant pest risks associated
with the proposed release under permit
of these genetically engineered
Eucalyptus trees, APHIS has prepared
an environmental assessment (EA). The
EA was 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).
The EA may be viewed on the
Regulations.gov Web site or in our
reading room. (Instructions for accessing
Regulations.gov and information on the
location and hours of the reading room
are provided under the heading
ADDRESSES at the beginning of this
notice.) In addition, copies may be
obtained by calling or writing to the
E:\FR\FM\10FEN1.SGM
10FEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 28 (Friday, February 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7122-7123]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3191]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2011-0087]
Notice of Decision To Authorize the Importation of Pomegranate
From India Into the Continental United States
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our decision to authorize the
importation into the continental United States of fresh pomegranate
fruit from India. Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, which
we made available to the public for review and comment through a
previous notice, we believe that the application of one or more
designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the
risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via
the importation of fresh pomegranate fruit from India.
DATES: Effective date: February 10, 2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Donna L. West, Senior Import
Specialist, RPM, PHP, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale,
MD 20737; (301) 734-0627.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Under the regulations in ``Subpart--Fruits and Vegetables'' (7 CFR
319.56-1 through 319.56-54, referred to below as the regulations), the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture prohibits or restricts the importation of
fruits and vegetables into the United States from certain parts of the
world to prevent plant pests from being introduced into and spread
within the United States.
Section 319.56-4 contains a performance-based process for approving
the importation of commodities that, based on the findings of a pest
risk analysis (PRA), can be safely imported subject to one or more of
the designated phytosanitary measures listed in paragraph (b) of that
section. Under that process, APHIS publishes a notice in the Federal
Register announcing the availability of the PRA that evaluates the
risks associated with the importation of a particular fruit or
vegetable. Following the close of the 60-day comment period, APHIS may
authorize the importation of the fruit or vegetable subject to the
identified designated measures if: (1) No comments were received on the
PRA; (2) the comments on the PRA revealed that no changes to the PRA
were necessary; or (3) changes to the PRA were made in response to
public comments, but the changes did not affect the overall conclusions
of the analysis and the Administrator's determination of risk.
In accordance with that process, we published a notice \1\ in the
Federal Register on September 29, 2011 (76 FR 60450, Docket No. APHIS-
2011-0087), in which we announced the availability, for review and
comment, of a PRA that evaluates the risks associated with the
importation into the continental United States of fresh pomegranate
fruit (Punica granatum L.) from India. We solicited comments on the
notice for 60 days ending on November 28, 2011. We did not receive any
comments by that date. Therefore, in accordance with the regulations in
Sec. 319.56-4(c)(2)(ii), we are announcing our decision to authorize
the importation into the continental United States of fresh pomegranate
fruit from India subject to the following phytosanitary measures:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ To view the notice and the PRA, go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0087.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The fresh pomegranate fruit may be imported into the
continental United States in commercial consignments only;
The fresh pomegranate fruit must be irradiated in
accordance with 7 CFR part 305 with a minimum absorbed dose of 400 Gy;
If the irradiation treatment is applied outside the United
States, each consignment of fresh pomegranate fruit must be jointly
inspected by APHIS and the national plant protection organization
(NPPO) of India and accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate
attesting that the fruit received the required irradiation treatment
and was inspected and found free of the mite Tenuipalpus granati, the
false spider mite Tenuipalpus punicae, and the bacterium Xanthomonas
axonopodis pv. punicae;
If irradiation is applied upon arrival in the United
States, each consignment of fresh pomegranate fruit must be inspected
by the NPPO of India prior to departure and accompanied by a
phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration that the fruit
was inspected and found free of the mite Tenuipalpus granati, the false
spider mite Tenuipalpus punicae, and the bacterium Xanthomonas
axonopodis pv. punicae; and
The fresh pomegranate fruit is subject to inspection upon
arrival at the U.S. port of entry.
[[Page 7123]]
These conditions will be listed in the Fruits and Vegetables Import
Requirements database (available at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/favir).
In addition to these specific measures, fresh pomegranate fruit from
India will be subject to the general requirements listed in Sec.
319.56-3 that are applicable to the importation of all fruits and
vegetables. Further, for fruits and vegetables requiring treatment as a
condition of entry, the phytosanitary treatments regulations in 7 CFR
part 305 contain administrative and procedural requirements that must
be observed in connection with the application and certification of
specific treatments.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701-7772, and 7781-7786; 21 U.S.C.
136 and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.
Done in Washington, DC, this 6th day of February 2012.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-3191 Filed 2-9-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
