E6-21676. Boll Weevil; Quarantine and Regulations

AGENCY:

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

SUMMARY:

We are extending the comment period for our proposed rule that would establish domestic boll weevil regulations that would restrict the interstate movement of regulated articles within regulated areas and from regulated areas into or through nonregulated areas in commercial cotton-producing States. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.

DATES:

We will consider all comments that we receive on or before February 1, 2007.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments by either of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov, select “Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service” from the agency drop-down menu, then click “Submit.” In the Docket ID column, select APHIS-2006-0002 to submit or view public comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically. Information on using Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing documents, submitting comments, and viewing the docket after the close of the comment period, is available through the site's “User Tips” link.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. APHIS-2006-0002, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS-2006-0002.

Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on Docket No. APHIS-2006-0002 in our reading room. The reading room is located in room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call [phone] before coming.

Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. William Grefenstette, National Coordinator, Boll Weevil Eradication Program, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 138, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On October 31, 2006, we published in the Federal Register (71 FR 63707-63717, Docket No. APHIS-2006-0002) a proposal to establish domestic boll weevil regulations that would restrict the interstate movement of regulated articles within regulated areas and from regulated areas into or through nonregulated areas in commercial cotton-producing States. The proposed regulations would help prevent the artificial spread of boll weevil into noninfested areas of the United States and the reinfestation of areas from which the boll weevil has been eradicated.

Comments on the proposed rule were required to be received on or before January 2, 2007. We are extending the comment period on Docket No. APHIS-2006-0002 for an additional 30 days. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701-7772 and 7781-7786; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.

Section 301.75-15 issued under Sec. 204, Title II, Public Law 106-113, 113 Stat. 1501A-293; sections 301.75-15 and 301.75-16 issued under Sec. 203, Title II, Public Law 106-224, 114 Stat. 400 (7 U.S.C. 1421 note).

Done in Washington, DC, this 14th day of December 2006.

Kevin Shea,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.