Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service May 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has received a petition from BASF Corporation seeking a determination of nonregulated status of soybean event GMB151 genetically engineered for resistance to the plant- parasitic nematode, soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines), and for resistance to 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD-4) inhibitor herbicides. The petition has been submitted in accordance with our regulations concerning the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms and products. We are making the petition available for review and comment to help us identify potential environmental and interrelated economic issues and impacts that APHIS may determine should be considered in our evaluation of the petition.

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 environmental monitoring.

We are amending the regulations regarding the movement (importation, interstate movement, and environmental release) of certain genetically engineered organisms in response to advances in genetic engineering and our understanding of the plant pest risk posed by genetically engineered organisms, thereby reducing the regulatory burden for developers of organisms that are unlikely to pose plant pest risks. This final rule, which marks the first comprehensive revision of the regulations since they were established in 1987, provides a clear, predictable, and efficient regulatory pathway for innovators, facilitating the development of genetically engineered organisms that are unlikely to pose plant pest risks.

We are correcting an error in a notice published in the Federal Register on April 27, 2020, which announced a forthcoming General Conference Committee membership solicitation. We provided an incorrect statement regarding nominations. This document corrects that error.

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 to and extension of approval of an information collection associated with the regulations for the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of Phytophthora ramorum.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment relative to permitting the release of Aphelinus hordei for the biological control of Russian wheat aphids, a pest of cereal crops, in the Western United States. Based on the environmental assessment and other relevant data, we have reached a preliminary determination that the release of this control agent will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. We are making the environmental assessment available to the public for review and comment.