[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 112 (Wednesday, June 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31780-31781]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15257]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 97-044-1]
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 field testing of genetically engineered
organisms. The environmental assessments provide a basis for our
conclusion that the field testing of the genetically engineered
organisms will not present a risk of introducing or disseminating a
plant pest 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 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. Arnold Foudin, Deputy Director,
Biotechnology Evaluation, BSS, PPQ, APHIS, Suite 5B05, 4700 River Road
Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737-1237; (301) 734-7612. For copies of the
environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact,
contact Mr. Clayton Givens at (301) 734-7612; e-mail:
cgivens@aphis.usda.gov. Please refer to the permit numbers listed below
when ordering the documents.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 7 CFR part 340 (referred
to below as the regulations) regulate the introduction (importation,
interstate movement, and release into the environment) of genetically
engineered organisms and products that are plant pests or that there is
reason to believe are plant pests (regulated articles). A permit must
be obtained or a notification acknowledged before a regulated article
may be introduced into the United States. The regulations set forth the
permit application requirements and the notification procedures for the
importation, interstate movement, and release into the environment of a
regulated article.
In the course of reviewing each permit application, the Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) assessed the impact on the
environment that releasing the organisms under the conditions described
in the permit application would have. APHIS has issued permits for the
field testing of the organisms listed below after concluding that the
organisms will not present a risk of plant pest introduction or
dissemination 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
impacts associated with conducting the field tests.
Environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact
have been prepared by APHIS relative to the issuance of permits to
allow the field testing of the following genetically engineered
organisms:
[[Page 31781]]
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Date Field test
Permit No. Permittee Issued Organisms location
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96-355-01........ Applied Phytologics, 3-31-97 Rice plants genetically engineered to California.
Incorporated. express proteins of pharmaceutical
interest.
97-023-01........ Auburn University.... 3-31-97 Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato strain Alabama.
DC3000 genetically engineered for
decreased virulence.
97-044-02........ Betaseed, 4-25-97 Sugar beet plants genetically engineered Idaho.
Incorporated. to express virus resistance and a marker
gene.
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The environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact
have been prepared in accordance with: (1) The National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), (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 June 1997.
Terry L. Medley,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 97-15257 Filed 6-10-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
