[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 136 (Monday, July 15, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 36811-36812]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-17994]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
7 CFR Part 301
[Docket 96-016-9]
Karnal Bunt; Public Forum
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public forum.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service is hosting a public forum in Washington, DC, on the
Agency's program to control and eradicate Karnal bunt. The forum will
provide an additional opportunity for the public to comment on the
regulations established and amended by a series of interim rules
published in the Federal Register since March, 1996. The regulations
quarantine portions of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas
because of infestations of Karnal bunt, restrict the movement of
regulated articles from the quarantined areas, and provide compensation
for certain individuals in order to mitigate losses and expenses
incurred because of Karnal bunt. Comments will also be accepted
addressing any aspect of the Karnal bunt program not included in the
regulations, including control and survey activities conducted in the
quarantined areas, the national Karnal bunt survey program, and the
certification of wheat for export. Information gathered at the public
forum will be considered by the Department in developing guidelines and
procedures for conducting the Karnal bunt program for the 1996-97 wheat
growing season. USDA intends to schedule additional public forums on
the Karnal bunt program, to be held in Arizona, California, and Kansas
over the next 2 months. We will give notice of these additional forums
in the Federal Register.
DATES: The public forum will be held in Washington, DC, on Wednesday,
July 17, 1996, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Consideration will be given only to comments received on or before
September 3, 1996.
ADDRESSES: The public forum will be held in room 107A, Jamie L. Whitten
Federal Building, United States Department of Agriculture, 14th Street
and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC. Persons attending the
forum should use the entrance to the building facing the Mall, and will
be required to show picture identification at the Guard Desk. Any
persons who are unable to attend the forum, but who wish to comment on
any aspect of the Karnal bunt program, may send written comments.
Please send an original and three copies of written comments to
Docket No. 96-016-9, 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. 96-106-9. Comments
received, including a transcript from the public forum, 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Stephen Poe, Operations Officer,
Domestic and Emergency Operations, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit
134, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236, (301) 734-8247.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This public forum is being held concerning
the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) program to
control and eradicate Karnal bunt. Comments will be accepted on the
regulations established and amended by a series of interim rules
published by APHIS in the Federal Register since March, 1996. These
interim rules were published on March 28, 1996 (61 FR 13649-13655,
Docket No. 96-016-3), April 25, 1996 (61 FR 18233-18235, Docket No. 96-
016-5), and July 5, 1996 (61 FR 35107-35109, Docket No. 96-016-6 and 61
FR 35102-35107, Docket No. 96-016-7). The public forum in Washington,
DC, will be held on Wednesday, July 17, 1996, in room 107A, Jamie L.
Whitten Federal Building, United States Department of Agriculture, 14th
Street
[[Page 36812]]
and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC.
Comments were required to be received on Docket No. 96-016-3 on or
before May 28, 1996, and on Docket No. 96-016-5 on or before June 24,
1996. We are reopening and extending the comment periods for both of
these interim rules until September 3, 1996, in order to receive
additional public comments at this forum, and at forums in Arizona,
California, and Kansas to be scheduled over the next 2 months. We will
give notice of these additional forums in the Federal Register. The
comment periods for Docket No. 96-016-6 and Docket No. 96-016-7 are
already scheduled to close on September 3, 1996.
A representative of the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) will preside at the public forum. Any interested person may
appear and be heard in person, or through an attorney or other
representative. Persons who wish to speak at the public forum will be
asked to provide their names and affiliations. Parties wishing to make
oral presentations may register in advance by calling the Legislative
and Public Affairs staff of APHIS, USDA, at (202) 720-2511 before close
of business on July 15, 1996. Registration will also be held at the
hearing site on July 17, 1996, from 8 a.m. until 8:45 a.m. Speakers
will be scheduled in the order their registration is received.
The public forum will begin at 9 a.m. and is scheduled to end at 5
p.m. local time. However, the forum may be terminated at any time after
it begins if all persons desiring to speak have been heard. The
presiding officer may limit the time for each presentation so that all
interested persons have an opportunity to participate. Attendees who
wish to speak but who did not register will be provided time to speak
only after all registered speakers have been heard.
The purpose of the forum is to give interested persons an
opportunity for oral presentation of data, views, and information to
the Department concerning APHIS' program to control and eradicate
Karnal bunt. Questions about the content of the interim rules
concerning Karnal bunt may be part of the commenters' oral
presentations. However, neither the presiding officer nor any other
representative of the Department will respond to the comments on the
interim rules at the forum, except to clarify or explain provisions of
the interim rules.
We ask that anyone who reads a statement provide two copies to the
presiding officer at the forum. A transcript will be made of the public
forum and the transcript will be placed in the rulemaking record and
will be available for public inspection.
Done in Washington, DC, this 10th day of July 1996.
Terry L. Medley,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 96-17994 Filed 7-11-96; 10:25 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
