[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 157 (Tuesday, August 13, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 41990-41991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-20675]
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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. 61, No. 157 / Tuesday, August 13, 1996 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 41990]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
7 CFR Part 301
[Docket 96-016-12]
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 an additional public forum on the
Agency's program to control and eradicate Karnal bunt. Four other
forums have been held or announced. The fifth 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, and to comment on proposed changes
to the regulations contained in a proposed rule published in the
Federal Register on August 2, 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.
DATES: The public forum will be held in Las Cruces, NM, on Tuesday,
August 20, 1996, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The public forum will be held at the Best Western-Mesilla
Valley Inn, Aspen West Room, 901 Avenida de Mesilla, Las Cruces, New
Mexico, (505) 524-8603.
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. 96-016-12, 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. 96-016-12. Comments
received, including transcripts 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: The 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, and on a
proposed rule published in the Federal Register on August 2, 1996 (61
FR 40354-40361, Docket No. 96-016-10).
The 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). A public forum was held in
Washington, DC, on July 17, 1996, and a notice of public forums
scheduled for Kansas City, MO, Phoenix, AZ, and Imperial, CA, was
published in the Federal Register on August 2, 1996 (61 FR 40361-40362,
Docket No. 96-016-11). Written comments on the interim rules and the
proposed rule are required to be received by 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 5
p.m. e.d.s.t. on August 16, 1996. Registration will also be held at the
forum site from 8 a.m. until 8:45 a.m. on the day of the forum.
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 and the
proposed rule 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 or proposed rule at the forum, except to clarify or
explain provisions of the interim rules and the proposed rule.
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.
[[Page 41991]]
Done in Washington, DC, this 8th day of August 1966.
Terry L. Medley,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 96-20675 Filed 8-9-96; 9:21 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
