[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 25, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29309-29310]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-12532]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2010-0003]
Notice of Decision to Issue Permits for the Importation of Fresh
Male Summer Squash Flowers From Israel Into the Continental United
States
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our decision to begin issuing
permits for the importation into the continental United States of fresh
male summer squash flowers from Israel. Based on the findings of a pest
risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and
comment through a previous notice, we believe that the application of
one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to
mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or
noxious weeds via the importation of fresh male summer squash flowers
from Israel.
EFFECTIVE DATE: May 25, 2010.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Donna L. West, Senior Import
Specialist, Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, PPQ, APHIS, 4700
River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-0627.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Under the regulations in ``Subpart--Fruits and Vegetables'' (7 CFR
319.56-1 through 319.56-50, referred to below as the regulations), the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture prohibits or restricts the importation of
fruits and vegetables into the United States from certain parts of the
world to prevent plant pests from being introduced into and spreading
within the United States. Under that process, APHIS may publish a
notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of a pest
risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation
of a particular fruit or vegetable. Following the close of the 60-day
comment period, APHIS may begin issuing permits for importation of the
fruit or vegetable subject to the risk-mitigation measures identified
in the pest risk analysis if: (1) No comments were received on the pest
risk analysis; (2) the comments on the pest risk analysis revealed that
no changes to the pest risk analysis were necessary; or (3) changes to
the pest risk analysis were made in response to public comments, but
the changes did not affect the overall conclusions of the analysis and
the Administrator's determination of risk.
In accordance with that process, we published a notice\1\ in the
Federal Register on February 9, 2010 (75 FR 6346, Docket No. APHIS-
2010-0003) in which we announced the availability, for review and
comment, of a pest risk analysis evaluating the risks associated with
the importation into the continental United States of fresh male summer
squash flowers from Israel. We solicited comments on the notice for 60
days ending on April 12, 2010. We received one comment during that
time. The commenter wrote in support of allowing the importation of
fresh male summer squash flowers from Israel into the continental
United States.
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\1\ To view the notice and the pest risk analysis, go to (http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2010-0003).
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Therefore, in accordance with the regulations in Sec. 319.56-
4(c)(2)(ii), we are announcing our decision to begin issuing permits
for the importation into the continental United States of fresh male
summer squash flowers from Israel provided that each commercial
consignment of the squash flowers is accompanied by a phytosanitary
certificate stating that the consignment has been inspected and found
free of
[[Page 29310]]
Helicoverpa armigera and Scirtothrips dorsalis and that each
consignment is subject to inspection at the port of entry.
These conditions will be listed in the Fruits and Vegetables Import
Requirements database (available at (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/favir))
. In addition to these specific measures, fresh male summer squash
flowers from Israel will be subject to the general requirements listed
in Sec. 319.56-3 that are applicable to the importation of all fruits
and vegetables.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701-7772, and 7781-7786; 21 U.S.C. 136
and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.
Done in Washington, DC, this 19\th\ day of May 2010.
Kevin Shea
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-12532 Filed 5-24-10; 10:03 am]
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