Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service July 13, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request a revision and extension of approval of an information collection associated with regulations for the Pseudorabies Eradication Program.

We are advising the public that we have prepared an environmental assessment for a field release involving a transgenic tobacco 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 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, we have determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared for this field release.

We are advising the public of our determination that a plum line developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, designated as transformation event C5, which has been genetically engineered for resistance to infection by plum pox virus, is no longer considered a regulated article under agency regulations governing the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms. Our determination is based on our evaluation of data submitted by the Agricultural Research Service in their petition for a determination of nonregulated status, an analysis of other scientific data, and comments received from the public in response to a previous notice announcing the availability of the petition and an environmental assessment. This notice also announces the availability of our written determination and our finding of no significant impact.