Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement; Movement and Outdoor Use of Certain Genetically Engineered Organisms, 30688-30689 [2018-14019]
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30688
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 126 / Friday, June 29, 2018 / Notices
Additional U.S. Note 5, Chapter 17 in
the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule
(HTS) authorize the Secretary to
establish the in-quota tariff-rate quota
(TRQ) amounts (expressed in terms of
raw value) for imports of raw cane sugar
and certain sugars, syrups, and molasses
that may be entered under the
subheadings of the HTS subject to the
lower tier of duties during each fiscal
year. The Office of the U.S. Trade
Representative (USTR) is responsible for
the allocation of these quantities among
supplying countries and areas.
Section 359(k) of the Agricultural
Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended,
requires that at the beginning of the
quota year the Secretary of Agriculture
establish the TRQs for raw cane sugar
and refined sugars at the minimum
levels necessary to comply with
obligations under international trade
agreements, with the exception of
specialty sugar.
The Secretary’s authority under
paragraph (a)(i) of the Additional U.S.
Note 5, Chapter 17 in the U.S.
Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) and
Section 359(k) of the Agricultural
Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended,
has been delegated to the Under
Secretary for Trade and Foreign
Agricultural Affairs (7 CFR 2.26).
Notice is hereby given that I have
determined, in accordance with
paragraph (a)(i) of the Additional U.S.
Note 5, Chapter 17 in the HTS and
section 359(k) of the 1938 Act, that an
aggregate quantity of up to 1,117,195
MTRV of raw cane sugar may be entered
or withdrawn from warehouse for
consumption during FY 2019. This is
the minimum amount to which the
United States is committed under the
WTO Uruguay Round Agreements. I
have further determined that an
aggregate quantity of 192,000 MTRV of
sugars, syrups, and molasses may be
entered or withdrawn from warehouse
for consumption during FY 2019. This
quantity includes the minimum amount
to which the United States is committed
under the WTO Uruguay Round
Agreements, 22,000 MTRV, of which
20,344 MTRV is established for any
sugars, syrups and molasses, and 1,656
MTRV is reserved for specialty sugar.
An additional amount of 170,000 MTRV
is added to the specialty sugar TRQ for
a total of 171,656 MTRV.
Because the specialty sugar TRQ is
first-come, first-served, tranches are
needed to allow for orderly marketing
throughout the year. The FY 2019
specialty sugar TRQ will be opened in
five tranches. The first tranche, totaling
1,656 MTRV, will open October 1, 2018.
All specialty sugars are eligible for entry
under this tranche. The second tranche
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:58 Jun 28, 2018
Jkt 244001
will open on October 10, 2018, and be
equal to 50,000 MTRV. The third
tranche of 50,000 MTRV will open on
January 23, 2019. The fourth tranche of
35,000 MTRV will open on April 17,
2019. The fifth tranche will open on
July 17, 2019, and be equal to 35,000
MTRV. The second, third, fourth, and
fifth tranches will be reserved for
organic sugar and other specialty sugars
not currently produced commercially in
the United States or reasonably
available from domestic sources.
* Conversion factor: 1 metric ton =
1.10231125 short tons.
Dated: June 25, 2018.
Jason Hafemeister,
Acting Under Secretary, Trade and Foreign
Agricultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2018–14018 Filed 6–28–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–10–P
3A–03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118,
Riverdale, MD 20737–1238.
Any comments we receive may be
viewed at https://www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2018-0034 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Joanne Serrels, Biotechnologist,
Biotechnology Regulatory Services,
APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 147,
Riverdale, MD 20737–1238; (301) 851–
3867.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2018–0034]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement;
Movement and Outdoor Use of Certain
Genetically Engineered Organisms
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a
programmatic environmental impact
statement.
AGENCY:
We are advising the public
that the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) plans to
prepare a programmatic environmental
impact statement (EIS) in connection
with potential changes to the
regulations regarding the importation,
interstate movement, and environmental
release of certain genetically engineered
organisms. This notice identifies
potential issues to be evaluated in the
EIS and requests public comments to
define the scope of the alternatives and
environmental impacts and issues for
APHIS to consider.
DATES: We will consider all comments
that we receive on or before July 30,
2018.
SUMMARY:
You may submit comments
by either of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov/#!docket
Detail;D=APHIS-2018-0034.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:
Send your comment to Docket No.
APHIS–2018–0034, Regulatory Analysis
and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station
ADDRESSES:
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
The Plant Protection Act (PPA)
authorizes the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) to protect
plant health in the United States. Under
that authority, APHIS currently
regulates the introduction (movement
into the United States or interstate, or
release into the environment) of
genetically engineered (GE) organisms
that may present a plant pest risk
through its 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.’’ These
regulations are intended to protect
against plant pest risks to plant health
by providing for the safe importation,
interstate movement, or release into the
environment of certain GE organisms.
APHIS’ regulation of certain GE
organisms to protect plant health is
aligned with the Federal Coordinated
Framework for the Regulation of
Biotechnology (henceforth referred to as
the Coordinated Framework), the
comprehensive Federal regulatory
policy for ensuring the safety of
biotechnology research and products in
the United States. The Coordinated
Framework describes how Federal
agencies will use their regulatory
authorities under existing Federal
statutes to ensure public health and
environmental safety while maintaining
regulatory flexibility to avoid impeding
the growth of the biotechnology
industry. The Coordinated Framework
sets forth a science- and risk-based
approach for the oversight of activities
that introduce biotechnology products
into the environment and describes the
roles and responsibilities for the three
major Federal agencies involved in
E:\FR\FM\29JNN1.SGM
29JNN1
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 126 / Friday, June 29, 2018 / Notices
regulating biotechnology products:
APHIS, the Environmental Protection
Agency, and the Food and Drug
Administration. This document
addresses only proposed changes to the
APHIS regulations and is not intended
to circumscribe, restrict, or otherwise
preclude future actions taken by other
Federal agencies under their respective
authorities.
During the past 30 years, there have
been major advances in the science of
biotechnology, and new issues have
been brought to APHIS’ attention by a
range of stakeholders. Over this period,
APHIS has also gained considerable
experience in assessing the plant health
risks of GE organisms. Accordingly,
APHIS is considering amending the
regulations pertaining to movement and
outdoor use of certain GE organisms to
address the advances in biotechnology
and APHIS’ understanding of the issues
raised by stakeholders. The proposed
revisions would allow APHIS to more
effectively protect plant health under
the PPA by focusing APHIS’ regulations
in 7 CFR part 340 on risks that may be
posed by certain GE organisms rather
than on the methods used to produce
the products and would also make the
regulatory processes more transparent
while removing unnecessary regulatory
burdens.
Under the provisions of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.), Federal agencies must examine
the potential environmental impacts of
proposed Federal actions and
alternatives. We are planning to prepare
a programmatic environmental impact
statement (EIS) in connection with the
proposed revisions to APHIS’
biotechnology regulations that are being
considered. Aspects of the human
environment that may be affected by the
proposed regulatory changes and that
we have preliminarily identified for
evaluation in the EIS will include
potential impacts on:
• U.S. agriculture and forestry
production (e.g., conventional,
biotechnology-based, and organic);
• Current and future uses of certain
GE organisms in agriculture and
forestry;
• Agronomic practices employed in
GE crop production that may have
environmental consequences or effects
(e.g., tillage, crop rotation, weed and
pest control, and agronomic inputs);
• Aspects of the physical
environment, including soil quality,
water resources, and air quality, with
consideration given to the effects of
dynamic climate conditions;
• Aspects of the biological
environment, such as animal and plant
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:58 Jun 28, 2018
Jkt 244001
communities, the development of weed,
pathogen, and insect resistance to
pesticides, the potential gene flow from
certain GE organisms to sexually
compatible species, the weediness of GE
crop plants, and biodiversity;
• Consumer health and agricultural
worker safety; and
• Animal feed safety, availability,
quality, and animal health.
We will also examine socioeconomic
considerations, such as the potential
impacts of crop plants that are GE
organisms on the domestic economic
environment, international trade, and
coexistence among all forms of U.S.
agriculture—conventional,
biotechnology-based, and organic—and
on market demand for food, feed, fiber,
and fuel.
The EIS will be prepared in
accordance with: (1) NEPA, (2)
regulations of the Council on
Environmental Quality for
implementing the procedural provisions
of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), (3)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
regulations implementing NEPA (7 CFR
part 1b), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA
Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part
372).
This notice identifies the potential
issues that will be evaluated in the EIS,
and requests public comment to help
APHIS further define the issues and
alternatives that should be considered
and to help APHIS identify additional
impacts, both positive and negative, to
the human environment that should be
examined in the EIS. Public input will
also be helpful in developing our
proposed regulations. All comments
received during the comment period
will be carefully considered. A notice
will be published in the Federal
Register to announce the availability of
the draft EIS when it is issued and to
invite the public to provide comments.
Done in Washington, DC, this 26th day of
June 2018.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2018–14019 Filed 6–28–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS
Notice of Public Meeting of the
Tennessee Advisory Committee
U.S. Commission on Civil
Rights.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given,
pursuant to the provisions of the rules
and regulations of the U.S. Commission
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
30689
on Civil Rights (Commission) and the
Federal Advisory Committee Act that
the Tennessee Advisory Committee will
hold a meeting on Wednesday, August
8, 2018 to work on post-report planning
for the Civil Asset Forfeiture report and
discuss potential future work on legal
financial obligations and civil rights
issues.
The meeting will be held on
Wednesday August 8, 2018 12:30 p.m.
EST. Public Call Information: The
meeting will be by teleconference. Tollfree call-in number: 888–334–3032,
conference ID: 5510752.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff
Hinton, DFO, at jhinton@usccr.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Members
of the public can listen to the
discussion. This meeting is available to
the public through the following tollfree call-in number: 888–334–3032,
conference ID: 5510752. Any interested
member of the public may call this
number and listen to the meeting.
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
telephone number. Persons with hearing
impairments may also follow the
proceedings by first calling the Federal
Relay Service at 1–800–977–8339 and
providing the Service with the
conference call number and conference
ID number.
Written comments may be mailed to
the Regional Program Unit Office, U.S.
Commission on Civil Rights, 230 S.
Dearborn, Suite 2120, Chicago, IL
60604. They may also be faxed to the
Commission at (312) 353–8324 or may
be emailed to the Regional Director, Jeff
Hinton at jhinton@usccr.gov. Records of
the meeting will be available via
www.facadatabase.gov under the
Commission on Civil Rights, Tennessee
Advisory Committee link. Persons
interested in the work of this Committee
are directed to the Commission’s
website, https://www.usccr.gov, or may
contact the Southern Regional Office at
the above email or street address.
Agenda:
Welcome and Call to Order
Diane DiIanni, Tennessee SAC
Chairman
Jeff Hinton, Regional Director
Regional Update—Jeff Hinton
New Business: Diane DiIanni,
Tennessee SAC Chairman/Staff/
Advisory Committee Public
Participation
Adjournment
DATES:
E:\FR\FM\29JNN1.SGM
29JNN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 126 (Friday, June 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30688-30689]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14019]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2018-0034]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement;
Movement and Outdoor Use of Certain Genetically Engineered Organisms
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a programmatic environmental impact
statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) plans to prepare a programmatic
environmental impact statement (EIS) in connection with potential
changes to the regulations regarding the importation, interstate
movement, and environmental release of certain genetically engineered
organisms. This notice identifies potential issues to be evaluated in
the EIS and requests public comments to define the scope of the
alternatives and environmental impacts and issues for APHIS to
consider.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before July
30, 2018.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2018-0034.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2018-0034, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
Any comments we receive may be viewed at https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2018-0034 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Joanne Serrels, Biotechnologist,
Biotechnology Regulatory Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 147,
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238; (301) 851-3867.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Plant Protection Act (PPA) authorizes the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to protect plant health in the United
States. Under that authority, APHIS currently regulates the
introduction (movement into the United States or interstate, or release
into the environment) of genetically engineered (GE) organisms that may
present a plant pest risk through its 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.'' These regulations are intended to protect
against plant pest risks to plant health by providing for the safe
importation, interstate movement, or release into the environment of
certain GE organisms.
APHIS' regulation of certain GE organisms to protect plant health
is aligned with the Federal Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of
Biotechnology (henceforth referred to as the Coordinated Framework),
the comprehensive Federal regulatory policy for ensuring the safety of
biotechnology research and products in the United States. The
Coordinated Framework describes how Federal agencies will use their
regulatory authorities under existing Federal statutes to ensure public
health and environmental safety while maintaining regulatory
flexibility to avoid impeding the growth of the biotechnology industry.
The Coordinated Framework sets forth a science- and risk-based approach
for the oversight of activities that introduce biotechnology products
into the environment and describes the roles and responsibilities for
the three major Federal agencies involved in
[[Page 30689]]
regulating biotechnology products: APHIS, the Environmental Protection
Agency, and the Food and Drug Administration. This document addresses
only proposed changes to the APHIS regulations and is not intended to
circumscribe, restrict, or otherwise preclude future actions taken by
other Federal agencies under their respective authorities.
During the past 30 years, there have been major advances in the
science of biotechnology, and new issues have been brought to APHIS'
attention by a range of stakeholders. Over this period, APHIS has also
gained considerable experience in assessing the plant health risks of
GE organisms. Accordingly, APHIS is considering amending the
regulations pertaining to movement and outdoor use of certain GE
organisms to address the advances in biotechnology and APHIS'
understanding of the issues raised by stakeholders. The proposed
revisions would allow APHIS to more effectively protect plant health
under the PPA by focusing APHIS' regulations in 7 CFR part 340 on risks
that may be posed by certain GE organisms rather than on the methods
used to produce the products and would also make the regulatory
processes more transparent while removing unnecessary regulatory
burdens.
Under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), Federal agencies must
examine the potential environmental impacts of proposed Federal actions
and alternatives. We are planning to prepare a programmatic
environmental impact statement (EIS) in connection with the proposed
revisions to APHIS' biotechnology regulations that are being
considered. Aspects of the human environment that may be affected by
the proposed regulatory changes and that we have preliminarily
identified for evaluation in the EIS will include potential impacts on:
U.S. agriculture and forestry production (e.g.,
conventional, biotechnology-based, and organic);
Current and future uses of certain GE organisms in
agriculture and forestry;
Agronomic practices employed in GE crop production that
may have environmental consequences or effects (e.g., tillage, crop
rotation, weed and pest control, and agronomic inputs);
Aspects of the physical environment, including soil
quality, water resources, and air quality, with consideration given to
the effects of dynamic climate conditions;
Aspects of the biological environment, such as animal and
plant communities, the development of weed, pathogen, and insect
resistance to pesticides, the potential gene flow from certain GE
organisms to sexually compatible species, the weediness of GE crop
plants, and biodiversity;
Consumer health and agricultural worker safety; and
Animal feed safety, availability, quality, and animal
health.
We will also examine socioeconomic considerations, such as the
potential impacts of crop plants that are GE organisms on the domestic
economic environment, international trade, and coexistence among all
forms of U.S. agriculture--conventional, biotechnology-based, and
organic--and on market demand for food, feed, fiber, and fuel.
The EIS will be prepared in accordance with: (1) NEPA, (2)
regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality for implementing
the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), (3) U.S.
Department of Agriculture regulations implementing NEPA (7 CFR part
1b), and (4) APHIS' NEPA Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372).
This notice identifies the potential issues that will be evaluated
in the EIS, and requests public comment to help APHIS further define
the issues and alternatives that should be considered and to help APHIS
identify additional impacts, both positive and negative, to the human
environment that should be examined in the EIS. Public input will also
be helpful in developing our proposed regulations. All comments
received during the comment period will be carefully considered. A
notice will be published in the Federal Register to announce the
availability of the draft EIS when it is issued and to invite the
public to provide comments.
Done in Washington, DC, this 26th day of June 2018.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-14019 Filed 6-28-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
