Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service October 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is extending the public comment period on a petition from Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., seeking a determination of nonregulated status for soybean designated as transformation event 305423, which has been genetically engineered to have higher levels of oleic acid and lower levels of linoleic and linolenic acids in their oil. Due to an Agency oversight, an incorrect version of the Pioneer petition was originally posted on the Internet for review and comment. With this notice, we are advising the public that the correct version of the petition has been posted and is available for review and comment. We are also extending the comment period for the petition, the draft environmental assessment, and the plant pest risk assessment in order to provide the public a full 60 days to consider the petition for determination of nonregulated status and the supporting documents associated with that petition.

We are amending the citrus canker regulations to modify the conditions under which fruit may be moved interstate from a quarantined area. We are eliminating the requirement that each lot of finished fruit be inspected at the packinghouse and found to be free of visible symptoms of citrus canker and removing the current prohibition on the movement of fruit from a quarantined area to commercial citrus- producing States. We are continuing to require fruit moved interstate from a quarantined area to be treated with an approved disinfectant and to be packed in a commercial packinghouse that operates under a compliance agreement. These changes will relieve some restrictions on the interstate movement of fresh citrus fruit from quarantined areas while maintaining conditions that will prevent the artificial spread of citrus canker.

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

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection associated with regulations for the importation of cut flowers from countries with chrysanthemum white rust.

We are proposing to amend the regulations pertaining to approved phytosanitary treatments of fruits and vegetables by adding new treatment schedules for sweet cherries and for certain species of citrus fruit imported from Australia into the United States. Based on our treatment evaluation, we have determined that the proposed treatments would be effective against Mediterranean fruit fly and Queensland fruit fly, pests associated with sweet cherries and citrus fruit from Australia. We also propose to establish an approved irradiation dose for Mediterranean fruit fly of 100 gray, which is lower than the generic dose of 150 gray that is approved for all fruit flies. New peer-reviewed data indicate that the 100 gray irradiation dose will neutralize Mediterranean fruit fly. These changes would offer more flexibility in treatments while continuing to prevent the introduction or interstate movement of quarantine pests.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is making a concept paper describing a new direction for the bovine tuberculosis program available for public review and comment. The cooperative Federal-State-industry effort to eradicate bovine tuberculosis from cattle in the United States has made significant progress since the program's inception in 1917. However, several challenges impede eradication. The concept paper we are making available presents our current thinking about changes we are

On September 28, 2009, we published an interim rule in the Federal Register to adjust the fees charged for certain agricultural quarantine and inspection (AQI) services that are provided in connection with certain commercial vessels, commercial trucks, commercial railroad cars, commercial aircraft, and international airline passengers arriving at ports in the customs territory of the United States. That interim rule was scheduled to become effective on October 1, 2009. We are delaying the effective date of the interim rule until November 1, 2009. This delay will provide entities affected by the changes in AQI user fees additional time to make the necessary preparations to comply with the new fees.