[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 140 (Friday, July 22, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-17824]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: July 22, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 94-067-1]
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 17 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 these 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 Permits, BBEP, APHIS,
USDA, room 850, Federal Building, 6505 Belcrest Road, Hyattsville, MD
20782, (301) 436-7612. For copies of the environmental assessments and
findings of no significant impact, write to Mr. Clayton Givens at the
same address. Please refer to the permit numbers listed below when
ordering 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 before a regulated article may be introduced into the
United States. The regulations set forth the procedures for obtaining a
limited permit for the importation or interstate movement of a
regulated article and for obtaining a permit for the release into the
environment of a regulated article. The Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) has stated that it would prepare an
environmental assessment and, when necessary, an environmental impact
statement before issuing a permit for the release into the environment
of a regulated article (see 52 FR 22906).
In the course of reviewing each permit application, 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 applicants 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:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date
Permit No. Permittee issued Organisms Field test location
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
94-054-05................. AgrEvo............... 6-06-94 Wheat plants genetically Illinois, North Dakota.
engineered to express
tolerance to phos-
phinothricin herbicides.
94-054-03, renewal of Upjohn Company....... 6-09-94 Squash plants genetically North Carolina.
permit 93-165-02, issued engineered to express
on 08-12-93. resistance to watermelon
mosaic virus 2 and
zucchini yellow mosaic
virus.
94-105-01................. Frito-Lay 6-09-94 Potato plants genetically Wisconsin.
Incorporated. engineered to express
resistance to the fungus
Verticillium dahliae.
94-116-01, renewal of New York State 6-09-94 Squash plants genetically New York.
permit 93-118-01, issued Agricultural engineered to express
on 07-12-93. Experiment Station. resistance to watermelon
mosaic virus 2 and
zucchini yellow mosaic
virus.
94-090-06, renewal of Upjohn Company....... 6-13-94 Melon plants genetically Texas.
permit 92-037-07, issued engineered to express
on 05-18-92. resistance to cucumber
mosaic virus, watermelon
mosaic virus 2, and
zucchini yellow mosaic
virus.
94-055-02................. Upjohn Company....... 6-16-94 Cucumber plants Michigan.
genetically engineered
to express resistance to
cucumber mosaic virus,
watermelon mosaic virus
2, and zucchini yellow
mosaic virus.
94-081-01................. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco 6-21-94 Tobacco plants containing North Carolina.
Company. tobacco mosaic virus
genetically engineered
to express a carotenoid
biosynthesis gene.
94-090-05................. Upjohn Company....... 6-21-94 Melon plants genetically California, Georgia,
engineered to express Michigan.
resistance to cucumber
mosaic virus, watermelon
mosaic virus 2, zucchini
yellow mosaic virus,
papaya ringspot virus,
and squash mosaic virus.
94-110-01................. University of Florida 6-21-94 Lettuce plants Florida.
genetically engineered
to express tolerance to
the herbicide glyphosate.
94-116-02................. New York State 6-21-94 Squash (Cucurbita texana) New York.
Agricultural plants genetically
Experiment Station. engineered to express
resistance to zucchini
yellow mosaic virus and
watermelon mosaic virus
2.
94-126-01................. DNA Plant Technology 6-21-94 Pepper plants genetically California.
Corporation. engineered to express
reduced levels of the
enzyme B-1, 4
endoglucanase.
94-091-03................. New York State 6-24-94 Squash plants genetically New York.
Agricultural engineered to express
Experiment Station. resistance to squash
mosaic virus.
94-167-01, renewal of Upjohn Company....... 6-24-94 Melon plants genetically Arizona, California.
permit 92-037-07, issued engineered to express
on 05-18-92. resistance to cucumber
mosaic virus, watermelon
mosaic virus 2, and
zucchini yellow mosaic
virus.
94-090-03................. U.S. Department of 06-30-94 Gladiolus plants Maryland.
Agriculture, genetically engineered
Agricultural to express resistance to
Research Service. plant viruses, including
bean yellow mosaic
virus, and tolerance to
phosphinothricin
herbicides, as a marker.
94-090-04................. Upjohn Company....... 06-30-94 Cucumber plants Georgia, Michigan.
genetically Michigan
engineered to express
resistance to cucumber
mosaic virus, papaya
ringspot virus,
watermelon mosaic virus
2, and zucchini yellow
mosaic virus.
94-091-02................. New York State 06-30-94 Melon plants genetically New York.
Agricultural engineered to express
Experiment Station. resistance to cucumber
mosaic virus, watermelon
mosaic virus 2, and
zucchini yellow mosaic
virus.
94-129-01................. Rutgers University... 07-01-94 Eggplant plants New Jersey.
genetically engineered
to express a gene from
Bacillus thuringiensis
(Bt) for resistance to
coleopteran insects.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact
have been prepared in accordance with: (1) The National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (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 APHIS Guidelines Implementing
NEPA (44 FR 50381-50384, August 28, 1979, and 44 FR 51272-51274, August
31, 1979).
Done in Washington, DC, this 18th day of July 1994.
Lonnie J. King,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 94-17824 Filed 7-21-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
