[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 197 (Wednesday, October 9, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52906-52907]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25932]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
[Docket No. 96-073-1]
Availability of Environmental Assessments and Findings of No
Significant Impact
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that three environmental
assessments and findings of no significant impact have been prepared by
the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service relative to the issuance
of permits to allow the release into the environment of nonindigenous
biological control agents. The environmental assessments provide a
basis for our conclusion that the release into the environment of the
biological control agents will not present a risk of introducing plant
pests into the United States or disseminating plant pests within the
United States and will not have a significant impact on the quality of
the human environment. Based on its findings of no significant impact,
the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that
environmental impact statements need not be prepared.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the environmental assessments and findings of no
significant impact are available for public inspection at USDA, room
1141, South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and
[[Page 52907]]
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Persons wishing to
inspect those documents are requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817
to facilitate entry into the reading room.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Robert Flanders, Entomologist,
Biological Assessment and Taxonomic Support, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River
Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236, (301) 734-8896. For copies of
any of the environmental assessments and findings of no significant
impact, write to Ms. Deborah Knott at the same address. Please refer to
the title of the environmental assessment when ordering copies.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Federal Plant Pest Act, as amended
(7 U.S.C. 150aa et seq.) and the Plant Quarantine Act, as amended (7
U.S.C. 151 et seq.) (the Acts), the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) has broad authority to regulate the importation, interstate
movement, and release into the environment of organisms it has reason
to believe are plant pests in order to prevent the dissemination of
plant pests into the United States or interstate. The Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulates plant pests under
regulations promulgated pursuant to the Acts and contained in 7 CFR
part 330 (referred to below as the regulations). The regulations
require, among other things, that a permit be obtained for the movement
of a plant pest into or through the United States or interstate. The
regulations and Acts also allow the Department to include in the permit
conditions to prevent the dissemination of plant pests.
Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended
(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), APHIS typically prepares an
environmental assessment before issuing a permit for the release in the
United States of nonindigenous organisms.
In accordance with applicable regulations, APHIS has received
applications for permits for the release into the environment of
nonindigenous biological control agents. In the course of reviewing
each permit application, APHIS assessed the plant pest risk posed by
each organism and the impact on the environment of releasing each
organism under the conditions described in the permit application.
APHIS has issued permits for the release into the environment of the
organisms listed below after concluding that their release in
accordance with conditions on the permits will not present a risk of
the introduction or dissemination of plant pests within the United
States and will not have a significant impact on the quality of the
human environment. The environmental assessments and findings of no
significant impact, which are based on data submitted by the applicant
and on a review of other relevant literature, provide the public with
documentation of APHIS' review and analysis of the environmental impact
and plant pest risk associated with releasing the biological control
agents into the environment.
Environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact
have been prepared by APHIS relative to the issuance of permits for the
release into the environment of the following biological control agents
with plant pest potential:
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Date of
finding of no
Organism Title of environmental assessment significant
impact
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Eteobalea intermediella and Eteobalea ``Field Release of the Exotic Moths, (Eteobalea 4/26/96
serratella. intermediella and E. serratella (Lepidoptera:
Cosmopterigidae), for Biological Control of
Dalmatian Toadflax, Linaria dalmatica, and Yellow
Toadflax, L. vulgaris (Scrophulariaceae)'' (April
1996).
Mecinus janthinus ....................... ``Field Release of the Exotic Weevil, Mecinus 4/26/96
janthinus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), for
Biological Control of Dalmatian Toadflax, Linaria
dalmatica, and Yellow Toadflax, L. vulgaris
(Scrophulariaceae)'' (April 1996).
Septoria passiflorae .................... ``Release of the Phytopathogenic Fungus Septoria 2/23/96
passiflorae for Biological Control of Banana Poka,
Passiflora tripartita var. Tripartita
(Passifloraceae), in Hawaii'' (February 1996).
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The environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact
have been 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) USDA regulations
implementing NEPA (7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS' NEPA Implementing
Procedures (7 CFR part 372).
Done in Washington, DC, this 4th day of October 1996.
A. Strating,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 96-25932 Filed 10-8-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
