95-19183. Importation of Fresh Hass Avocado Fruit Grown in Michoacan, Mexico; Public Hearings  

  • [Federal Register Volume 60, Number 150 (Friday, August 4, 1995)]
    [Proposed Rules]
    [Pages 39889-39890]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 95-19183]
    
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
    7 CFR Part 319
    
    [Docket No. 94-116-4]
    
    
    Importation of Fresh Hass Avocado Fruit Grown in Michoacan, 
    Mexico; Public Hearings
    
    AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
    
    ACTION: Notice of public hearings.
    
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    SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health 
    Inspection Service is hosting five public hearings on the proposed rule 
    on the importation of fresh Hass avocado fruit grown in Michoacan, 
    Mexico, that we published in the Federal Register on July 3, 1995.
    
    DATES: The public hearings will be held in Washington, DC, on August 17 
    and 18, 1995; in Flushing, NY, on August 22, 1995; in Homestead, FL, on 
    August 23, 1995; in Chicago, IL, on August 28, 1995; and in Escondido, 
    CA, on August 30 and 31, 1995. Each public hearing will begin at 9 a.m. 
    and is scheduled to end at 5 p.m.
    
    ADDRESSES: The public hearings will be held at the following locations:
    
    1. Washington, DC: Jefferson Auditorium, U.S. Department of 
    Agriculture, South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., 
    Washington, DC.
    2. Flushing, NY: Best Western Midway Hotel, 108-25 Horace Harding, 
    Flushing, NY.
    3. Homestead, FL: Redland Country Club, 24451 SW. 177th (Crone) Avenue, 
    Homestead, FL.
    4. Chicago, IL: Holiday Inn--O'Hare International, 5440 North River 
    Road, Chicago, IL.
    5. Escondido, CA: California Center for the Arts, 340 North Escondido 
    Boulevard, Escondido, CA.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Victor Harabin, Head, Permit Unit, 
    Port Operations, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 136, Riverdale, MD 
    20737-1236, (301) 734-8645, or FAX (301) 734-5786.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Five public hearings will be held on the 
    notice of proposed rulemaking on the importation of fresh Hass avocado 
    fruit grown in Michoacan, Mexico, published by the Animal and Plant 
    Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in the Federal Register on July 3, 
    1995 (60 FR 34831-34842, Docket No. 94-116-3). The first public hearing 
    will be dedicated exclusively to the scientific basis for that proposed 
    rule. This first hearing will be open to the public, but participation 
    will be limited to experts in the fields of pest risk assessment and 
    pest risk mitigation measures. Four additional hearings will be held to 
    provide a full opportunity to all interested parties to address every 
    aspect of the proposed rule.
    
    The First Public Hearing--Presentations by Experts in Risk 
    Assessment
    
        The first public hearing, on the scientific basis for this proposed 
    rule, is 
    
    [[Page 39890]]
    scheduled to be held in Washington, DC, on August 17 and 18, 1995. This 
    hearing will focus exclusively on the APHIS pest risk assessment 
    documents upon which the proposed rule is based, and will provide an 
    opportunity for experts in relevant disciplines to present their views 
    on those documents and the scientific issues raised by them.
        The APHIS pest risk assessment documents upon which the proposed 
    rule is based identify the plant pest risks associated with the 
    importation of Hass avocados grown in approved orchards in approved 
    municipalities in Michoacan, Mexico, discuss the mitigation measures 
    identified as reasonable and necessary to prevent the introduction of 
    plant pests into the United States, and contain a quantitative risk 
    analysis examining the likelihood of plant pest introduction into the 
    United States if Hass avocados are allowed to be imported under the 
    conditions described in the proposed rule.
        Participation in the Washington, DC, hearing will be limited to 
    those who register and who identify themselves as having expertise in 
    the areas of pest risk assessment and mitigation measures. Experts 
    wishing to participate will be asked to furnish for the record their 
    educational background and their expertise and qualifications relevant 
    to pest risk assessment and mitigation measures. Such experts include 
    scientists, technical experts, and academicians expert in entomology, 
    plant health, plant pathology, risk assessment, and risk mitigation. 
    Federal, State, and local officials, growers, and handlers who have 
    experience with risk assessment, plant protection, quarantine, or risk 
    mitigation measures will also be welcome to participate in this first 
    public hearing.
        Presenters are welcome to register as a panel if they believe a 
    panel of experts from several fields would foster a more complete 
    discussion and evaluation of issues related to the pest risk assessment 
    underlying this proposal.
    Additional Public Hearings
    
        Four additional hearings will be held during the period between 
    August 22, 1995, and August 31, 1995, to address all aspects of this 
    proposed rule. These four public hearings are scheduled to be held in 
    Flushing, NY, on August 22, 1995; Homestead, FL, on August 23, 1995; 
    Chicago, IL, on August 28, 1995; and Escondido, CA, on August 30 and 
    31, 1995.
        Any interested party may appear and be heard in person, or through 
    an attorney or other representative. We are interested in obtaining the 
    views of the public on all aspects of the proposed rule, including the 
    APHIS pest risk assessment documents and the conclusions contained 
    therein.
    
    General Information Applicable to All Five Public Hearings
    
        The APHIS pest risk assessment documents upon which the proposed 
    rule is based are available. Parties interested in receiving copies may 
    obtain them by contacting APHIS' Legislative and Public Affairs Staff 
    at (301) 734-3256 or by writing to Legislative and Public Affairs, 4700 
    River Road Unit 51, Riverdale, Maryland 20737-1232. Copies of the risk 
    assessment documents will be available at each of the scheduled public 
    hearings.
        Persons who wish to speak at the hearings will be asked to provide 
    their names and their affiliations. Those who wish to form a panel to 
    present their views will be asked to provide the name of each member of 
    the panel and the organizations the panel members represent. Parties 
    wishing to make oral presentations may register in advance by calling 
    the Regulatory Analysis and Development voice mail at (301) 734-4346 
    and leaving a message stating their name, telephone number, 
    organization, and location of the hearing at which they wish to speak. 
    If a party is registering for a panel, the party will also be asked to 
    provide the name of each member of the panel and the organization each 
    panel member represents.
        The hearings will begin at 9 a.m. and are scheduled to end at 5 
    p.m. each day. The Washington, DC, and Escondido, CA, hearings may 
    conclude at any time on the second day if all persons who have 
    registered to participate have been heard. Similarly, the other three 
    hearings may conclude earlier than 5 p.m. if all persons who have 
    registered have been heard. The presiding officer may extend the time 
    of any hearing or limit the time for each presentation so that everyone 
    is accommodated and all interested persons appearing on the scheduled 
    dates have an opportunity to participate.
        Registration for each hearing may be accomplished in advance in 
    accordance with the above-described instructions, or by registering 
    with the presiding officer between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. on any hearing 
    day.
        A representative of APHIS will preside at each public hearing. 
    Written statements are encouraged, but not required. Any written 
    statement submitted will be made part of the record of the public 
    hearing. Anyone who reads a written statement should provide two copies 
    to the presiding officer at the hearing. A transcript will be made of 
    each public hearing and the transcript will be placed in the rulemaking 
    record and will be available for public inspection.
        The purpose of these public hearings is to give all interested 
    parties an opportunity to present data, views, and information to the 
    Department concerning this proposed rule. Questions about the content 
    of the proposal may be part of a commenter's oral presentation. 
    However, neither the presiding officer nor any other representative of 
    the Department will respond to the comments at the hearing, except to 
    clarify or explain the proposed rule and the documents upon which the 
    proposal is based.
    
        Done in Washington, DC, this 31st day of July 1995.
    Lonnie J. King,
    Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
    [FR Doc. 95-19183 Filed 8-3-95; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
    
    

Document Information

Published:
08/04/1995
Department:
Agriculture Department
Entry Type:
Proposed Rule
Action:
Notice of public hearings.
Document Number:
95-19183
Dates:
The public hearings will be held in Washington, DC, on August 17 and 18, 1995; in Flushing, NY, on August 22, 1995; in Homestead, FL, on August 23, 1995; in Chicago, IL, on August 28, 1995; and in Escondido, CA, on August 30 and 31, 1995. Each public hearing will begin at 9 a.m. and is scheduled to end at 5 p.m.
Pages:
39889-39890 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket No. 94-116-4
PDF File:
95-19183.pdf
CFR: (1)
7 CFR 319