Texas A&M AgriLife Research; Availability of Petition for Determination of Nonregulated Status of Cotton Genetically Engineered for Ultra-Low Gossypol Levels in the Cottonseed, 57426-57427 [2017-26155]

Download as PDF 57426 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 232 / Tuesday, December 5, 2017 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [Docket No. APHIS–2017–0097] Texas A&M AgriLife Research; Availability of Petition for Determination of Nonregulated Status of Cotton Genetically Engineered for Ultra-Low Gossypol Levels in the Cottonseed Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has received a petition from Texas A&M AgriLife Research seeking a determination of nonregulated status of cotton designated as event TAM66274, which has been genetically engineered for ultra-low gossypol levels in the cottonseed. The petition has been submitted in accordance with our regulations concerning the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms and products. We are making the Texas A&M AgriLife Research petition available for review and comment to help us identify potential environmental and interrelated economic issues and impacts that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service may determine should be considered in our evaluation of the petition. DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before February 5, 2018. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docket Detail;D=APHIS-2017-0097. • Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS–2017–0097, 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-2017-0097 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) 799–7039 before coming. The petition is also available on the APHIS Web site at: https:// sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:13 Dec 04, 2017 Jkt 244001 www.aphis.usda.gov/biotechnology/ petitions_table_pending.shtml under APHIS petition 17–292–01p. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. John Turner, Director, Environmental Risk Analysis Programs, Biotechnology Regulatory Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737– 1236; (301) 851–3954, email: john.t.turner@aphis.usda.gov. To obtain copies of the petition, contact Ms. Cindy Eck at (301) 851–3892, email: cynthia.a.eck@aphis.usda.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the authority of the plant pest provisions of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), 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 (GE) organisms and products are considered ‘‘regulated articles.’’ 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. APHIS has received a petition (APHIS Petition Number 17–292–01p) from Texas A&M AgriLife Research of College Station, TX (Texas A&M), seeking a determination of nonregulated status of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) designated as event TAM66274, which has been genetically engineered for ultra-low gossypol levels in the cottonseed. The Texas A&M petition states that information collected during field trials and laboratory analyses indicates that TAM66274 cotton is not likely to be a plant pest and therefore should not be a regulated article under APHIS’ regulations in 7 CFR part 340. As described in the petition, TAM66274 cotton was developed through agrobacterium-mediated transformation of G. hirsutum cotton tissues from non-transgenic cultivar (cv.) Coker 312 using plasmid pART27– LCT66. TAM66274 cotton is currently regulated under 7 CFR part 340. Interstate movements and field tests of PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 TAM66274 cotton have been conducted under notifications acknowledged by APHIS. Field tests conducted under APHIS oversight allowed for evaluation in a natural agricultural setting while imposing measures to minimize the likelihood of persistence in the environment after completion of the tests. Data are gathered on multiple parameters and used by the applicant to evaluate agronomic characteristics and product performance. These and other data are used by APHIS to determine if the new variety poses a plant pest risk. Paragraph (d) of § 340.6 provides that APHIS will publish a notice in the Federal Register providing 60 days for public comment for petitions for a determination of nonregulated status. On March 6, 2012, we published in the Federal Register (77 FR 13258–13260, Docket No. APHIS–2011–0129) a notice 1 describing our process for soliciting public comment when considering petitions for determinations of nonregulated status for GE organisms. In that notice we indicated that APHIS would accept written comments regarding a petition once APHIS deemed it complete. In accordance with § 340.6(d) of the regulations and our process for soliciting public input when considering petitions for determinations of nonregulated status for GE organisms, we are publishing this notice to inform the public that APHIS will accept written comments regarding the petition for a determination of nonregulated status from interested or affected persons for a period of 60 days from the date of this notice. The petition is available for public review and comment, and copies are available as indicated under ADDRESSES and FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above. We are interested in receiving comments regarding potential environmental and interrelated economic issues and impacts that APHIS may determine should be considered in our evaluation of the petition. We are particularly interested in receiving comments regarding biological, cultural, or ecological issues, and we encourage the submission of scientific data, studies, or research to support your comments. After the comment period closes, APHIS will review all written comments received during the comment period and any other relevant information. Any substantive issues identified by APHIS based on our review of the petition and 1 To view the notice, go to https:// www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS2011-0129. E:\FR\FM\05DEN1.SGM 05DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 232 / Tuesday, December 5, 2017 / Notices our evaluation and analysis of comments will be considered in the development of our decisionmaking documents. As part of our decisionmaking process regarding a GE organism’s regulatory status, APHIS prepares a plant pest risk assessment to assess its plant pest risk and the appropriate environmental documentation—either an environmental assessment (EA) or an environmental impact statement (EIS)— in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to provide the Agency with a review and analysis of any potential environmental impacts associated with the petition request. For petitions for which APHIS prepares an EA, APHIS will follow our published process for soliciting public comment (see footnote 1) and publish a separate notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of APHIS’ EA and plant pest risk assessment. Should APHIS determine that an EIS is necessary, APHIS will complete the NEPA EIS process in accordance with Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR part 1500–1508) and APHIS’ NEPA implementing regulations (7 CFR part 372). 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 29th day of November 2017. Kevin Shea, Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. 2017–26155 Filed 12–4–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–34–P COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS Notice of Public Meeting of the Connecticut Advisory Committee Commission on Civil Rights. Announcement of meeting. AGENCY: ACTION: Notice is hereby given, pursuant to the provisions of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission), and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), that a meeting of the Connecticut Advisory Committee to the Commission will convene by conference call at 12:00 p.m. (EST) on: Wednesday, December 20, 2017. The purpose of the meeting is to review and approve (vote) on the Advisory Memorandum on Solitary Confinement. DATES: Wednesday, December 20, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. (EST). Public call-in information: Conference call-in number: 1–888–438–5448 and conference call 3640132. sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:13 Dec 04, 2017 Jkt 244001 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Delaviez, at ero@usccr.gov or by phone at 202–376–7533. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested members of the public may listen to the discussion by calling the following tollfree conference call-in number: 1–888– 438–5448 and conference call 3640132. Please be advised that before placing them into the conference call, the conference call operator will ask callers to provide their names, their organizational affiliations (if any), and email addresses (so that callers may be notified of future meetings). Callers can expect to incur charges for calls they initiate over wireless lines, and the Commission will not refund any incurred charges. Callers will incur no charge for calls they initiate over landline connections to the toll-free conference call-in number. Persons with hearing impairments may also follow the discussion by first calling the Federal Relay Service at 1– 800–977–8339 and providing the operator with the toll-free conference call-in number: 1–888–438–5448 and conference call 3640132. Members of the public are invited to make statements during the open comment period of the meeting or submit written comments. The comments must be received in the regional office approximately 30 days after each scheduled meeting. Written comments may be mailed to the Eastern Regional Office, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 1150, Washington, DC 20425, faxed to (202) 376–7548, or emailed to Evelyn Bohor at ero@ usccr.gov. Persons who desire additional information may contact the Eastern Regional Office at (202) 376– 7533. Records and documents discussed during the meeting will be available for public viewing as they become available at https://database.faca.gov/committee/ meetings.aspx?cid=239; click the ‘‘Meeting Details’’ and ‘‘Documents’’ links. Records generated from this meeting may also be inspected and reproduced at the Eastern Regional Office, as they become available, both before and after the meetings. Persons interested in the work of this advisory committee are advised to go to the Commission’s Web site, www.usccr.gov, or to contact the Eastern Regional Office at the above phone numbers, email or street address. Agenda Wednesday, December 20, 2017 at 12 p.m. (EST) • Open—Roll Call PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 • • • • 57427 Work on Advisory Memorandum Vote on Memorandum, if ready Open Comment Adjourn Dated: November 30, 2017. David Mussatt, Supervisory Chief, Regional Programs Unit. [FR Doc. 2017–26134 Filed 12–4–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Foreign-Trade Zones Board [S–152–2017] Approval of Expansion of Subzone 214A; Consolidated Diesel Company, Enfield, North Carolina On September 26, 2017, the Executive Secretary of the Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) Board docketed an application submitted by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, grantee of FTZ 214, requesting the expansion of Subzone 214A subject to the existing activation limit of FTZ 214, on behalf of Consolidated Diesel Company, in Enfield, North Carolina. The application was processed in accordance with the FTZ Act and Regulations, including notice in the Federal Register inviting public comment (82 FR 46036, October 3, 2017). The FTZ staff examiner reviewed the application and determined that it meets the criteria for approval. Pursuant to the authority delegated to the FTZ Board Executive Secretary (15 CFR Sec. 400.36(f)), the application to expand Subzone 214A and to remove existing Site 3 was approved on November 28, 2017, subject to the FTZ Act and the Board’s regulations, including Section 400.13, and further subject to FTZ 214’s 2,000-acre activation limit. Dated: November 29, 2017. Andrew McGilvray, Executive Secretary. [FR Doc. 2017–26166 Filed 12–4–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A–570–977, C–570–978] High Pressure Steel Cylinders From the People’s Republic of China: Continuation of Antidumping Duty and Countervailing Duty Orders Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce. AGENCY: E:\FR\FM\05DEN1.SGM 05DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 232 (Tuesday, December 5, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57426-57427]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26155]



[[Page 57426]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2017-0097]


Texas A&M AgriLife Research; Availability of Petition for 
Determination of Nonregulated Status of Cotton Genetically Engineered 
for Ultra-Low Gossypol Levels in the Cottonseed

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service has received a petition from Texas A&M AgriLife 
Research seeking a determination of nonregulated status of cotton 
designated as event TAM66274, which has been genetically engineered for 
ultra-low gossypol levels in the cottonseed. The petition has been 
submitted in accordance with our regulations concerning the 
introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms and products. 
We are making the Texas A&M AgriLife Research petition available for 
review and comment to help us identify potential environmental and 
interrelated economic issues and impacts that the Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service may determine should be considered in our 
evaluation of the petition.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
February 5, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2017-0097.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2017-0097, 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-2017-
0097 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) 799-7039 before coming.
    The petition is also available on the APHIS Web site at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/biotechnology/petitions_table_pending.shtml under 
APHIS petition 17-292-01p.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. John Turner, Director, 
Environmental Risk Analysis Programs, Biotechnology Regulatory 
Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; 
(301) 851-3954, email: john.t.turner@aphis.usda.gov. To obtain copies 
of the petition, contact Ms. Cindy Eck at (301) 851-3892, email: 
cynthia.a.eck@aphis.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Under the authority of the plant pest provisions of the Plant 
Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), 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 (GE) 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.
    APHIS has received a petition (APHIS Petition Number 17-292-01p) 
from Texas A&M AgriLife Research of College Station, TX (Texas A&M), 
seeking a determination of nonregulated status of cotton (Gossypium 
hirsutum) designated as event TAM66274, which has been genetically 
engineered for ultra-low gossypol levels in the cottonseed. The Texas 
A&M petition states that information collected during field trials and 
laboratory analyses indicates that TAM66274 cotton is not likely to be 
a plant pest and therefore should not be a regulated article under 
APHIS' regulations in 7 CFR part 340.
    As described in the petition, TAM66274 cotton was developed through 
agrobacterium-mediated transformation of G. hirsutum cotton tissues 
from non-transgenic cultivar (cv.) Coker 312 using plasmid pART27-
LCT66. TAM66274 cotton is currently regulated under 7 CFR part 340. 
Interstate movements and field tests of TAM66274 cotton have been 
conducted under notifications acknowledged by APHIS.
    Field tests conducted under APHIS oversight allowed for evaluation 
in a natural agricultural setting while imposing measures to minimize 
the likelihood of persistence in the environment after completion of 
the tests. Data are gathered on multiple parameters and used by the 
applicant to evaluate agronomic characteristics and product 
performance. These and other data are used by APHIS to determine if the 
new variety poses a plant pest risk.
    Paragraph (d) of Sec.  340.6 provides that APHIS will publish a 
notice in the Federal Register providing 60 days for public comment for 
petitions for a determination of nonregulated status. On March 6, 2012, 
we published in the Federal Register (77 FR 13258-13260, Docket No. 
APHIS-2011-0129) a notice \1\ describing our process for soliciting 
public comment when considering petitions for determinations of 
nonregulated status for GE organisms. In that notice we indicated that 
APHIS would accept written comments regarding a petition once APHIS 
deemed it complete.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ To view the notice, go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0129.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In accordance with Sec.  340.6(d) of the regulations and our 
process for soliciting public input when considering petitions for 
determinations of nonregulated status for GE organisms, we are 
publishing this notice to inform the public that APHIS will accept 
written comments regarding the petition for a determination of 
nonregulated status from interested or affected persons for a period of 
60 days from the date of this notice. The petition is available for 
public review and comment, and copies are available as indicated under 
ADDRESSES and FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above. We are interested 
in receiving comments regarding potential environmental and 
interrelated economic issues and impacts that APHIS may determine 
should be considered in our evaluation of the petition. We are 
particularly interested in receiving comments regarding biological, 
cultural, or ecological issues, and we encourage the submission of 
scientific data, studies, or research to support your comments.
    After the comment period closes, APHIS will review all written 
comments received during the comment period and any other relevant 
information. Any substantive issues identified by APHIS based on our 
review of the petition and

[[Page 57427]]

our evaluation and analysis of comments will be considered in the 
development of our decisionmaking documents. As part of our 
decisionmaking process regarding a GE organism's regulatory status, 
APHIS prepares a plant pest risk assessment to assess its plant pest 
risk and the appropriate environmental documentation--either an 
environmental assessment (EA) or an environmental impact statement 
(EIS)--in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 
to provide the Agency with a review and analysis of any potential 
environmental impacts associated with the petition request. For 
petitions for which APHIS prepares an EA, APHIS will follow our 
published process for soliciting public comment (see footnote 1) and 
publish a separate notice in the Federal Register announcing the 
availability of APHIS' EA and plant pest risk assessment.
    Should APHIS determine that an EIS is necessary, APHIS will 
complete the NEPA EIS process in accordance with Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR part 1500-1508) and APHIS' 
NEPA implementing regulations (7 CFR part 372).

    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 29th day of November 2017.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-26155 Filed 12-4-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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