Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service May 12, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are proposing to revise the phytosanitary treatment regulations in 7 CFR part 305 by removing the lists of approved treatments and treatment schedules from the regulations, while retaining the general requirements for performing treatments and certifying or approving treatment facilities. We would remove treatment schedules from other places where they are currently found in 7 CFR chapter III as well. Approved treatment schedules would instead be found in the Plant Protection and Quarantine Treatment Manual, which is available on the Internet. We are also proposing to establish a new process to provide the public with notice and the opportunity to comment on changes to treatment schedules. Finally, we would harmonize and combine the requirements for performing irradiation treatment for imported articles, articles moved interstate from Hawaii and U.S. territories, and articles moved interstate from an area quarantined for fruit flies. These changes would simplify and expedite our processes for adding, changing, and removing treatment schedules while continuing to provide for public participation in the process. These changes would also simplify our presentation of treatments to the public by consolidating all treatments into one document and eliminating redundant text from the regulations.