[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 233 (Friday, December 4, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 67011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-32228]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 233 / Friday, December 4, 1998 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 67011]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
7 CFR Parts 300 and 319
[Docket No. 97-110-3]
RIN 0579-AA92
Importation of Grapefruit, Lemons, and Oranges From Argentina
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Proposed rule; change in date and location of public hearing.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have changed the date and
location of the public hearing that we will hold to give interested
persons an opportunity for the oral presentation of data, views, and
arguments regarding our proposed rule regarding the importation of
grapefruit, lemons, and oranges from Argentina.
DATES: Consideration will be given only to comments on Docket No. 97-
110-1 that are received on or before February 11, 1999. We will also
consider comments made at a public hearing that will be held in
Thousand Oaks, CA, on February 8, 1999, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ADDRESSES: Please send an original and three copies of your comments to
Docket No. 97-110-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS,
suite 3C03, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please
state that your comments refer to Docket No. 97-110-1. Comments
received may be inspected at USDA, room 1141, South Building, 14th
Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Persons wishing to
inspect comments are requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to
facilitate entry into the comment reading room. The public hearing will
be held at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Fred Kavli Theatre, 2100
Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks, CA.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ron Campbell, Import Specialist,
Phytosanitary Issues Management Team, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit
140, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 734-6799; e-mail:
Ronald.C.Campbell@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On August 12, 1998, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register (63 FR 43117-
43125, Docket No. 97-110-1) to amend the citrus fruit regulations by
recognizing a citrus-growing area within Argentina as being free from
citrus canker. In that document, we also proposed to amend the fruits
and vegetables regulations to allow the importation of grapefruit,
lemons, and oranges from the citrus canker-free area of Argentina under
conditions designed to prevent the introduction into the United States
of two other diseases of citrus, sweet orange scab and citrus black
spot, and other plant pests. These proposed changes would allow
grapefruit, lemons, and oranges to be imported into the United States
from Argentina subject to certain conditions.
On October 16, 1998, we published in the Federal Register (63 FR
55559, Docket No. 97-110-2) a notice advising the public that we were
extending the comment period for the proposed rule by 120 days and that
we had scheduled a public hearing to give interested persons the
opportunity for the oral presentation of data, views, and arguments
regarding the proposed rule.
In our October 16, 1998, notice, we announced that the public
hearing would be held on December 17, 1998, at the Scherr Forum in the
Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Thousand Oaks, CA. However, we have
been asked to reschedule the public hearing to a later date to give
interested persons more time to review the proposed rule and its
supporting information prior to the hearing. We have also been informed
that the number of attendees at the public hearing may exceed the
capacity of the Scherr Forum Theatre.
Therefore, the public hearing that had been scheduled for December
17, 1998, at the Scherr Forum in the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza,
Thousand Oaks, CA, has been canceled. The public hearing is now
scheduled for February 8, 1999, at the Fred Kavli Theatre in the
Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Thousand Oaks, CA.
The purpose of this hearing is to give interested persons an
opportunity for the oral presentation of data, views, and arguments.
Questions about the content of the proposed rule may be part of the
commenters' oral presentations. However, neither the presiding officer
nor any other representative of APHIS will respond to the comments at
the hearing, except to clarify or explain provisions of the proposed
rule.
A representative of APHIS will preside at the public hearing. Any
interested person may appear and be heard in person, by attorney, or by
other representative. Written statements may be submitted and will be
made part of the hearing record. Persons who wish to speak at a public
hearing will be asked to provide their name and organization. We ask
that anyone who reads a statement or submits a written statement
provide two copies to the presiding officer at the hearing.
The public hearing will begin at 9 a.m. and is scheduled to end at
5 p.m., local time. However, the hearing may be terminated at any time
after it begins if all persons desiring to speak have been heard. If
the number of speakers at the hearing warrants it, the presiding
officer may limit the time for each presentation so that everyone
wishing to speak has the opportunity.
Done in Washington, DC, this 25th day of November 1998.
Craig A. Reed,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 98-32228 Filed 12-3-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
