[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 9, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1825-1826]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-00194]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2012-0004]
Importation of Fresh Barhi Dates From Israel Into the United
States
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk
analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation of
fresh dates of the cultivar Barhi from Israel into the United States.
Based on that analysis, we have concluded that the application of one
or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to
mitigate the pest risk. In addition, we are advising the public that we
have prepared a treatment evaluation document that describes a new
treatment schedule for Ceratitis capitata in Barhi dates. We are making
the pest risk assessment and treatment evaluation document available to
the public for review and comment.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before March
11, 2013.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS 2012-0004-0001.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2012-0004, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may
be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS 2012-
0004 or in our reading room, which 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 (202) 799-7039 before coming.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Marc Phillips, Import Specialist,
Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road
Unit 156, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-2114.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Under the regulations in ``Subpart--Fruits and Vegetables'' (7 CFR
319.56-1 through 319.56-57), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) prohibits or restricts the importation of fruits and
vegetables into the United States from certain parts of the world to
prevent the introduction and dissemination of plant pests that are new
to or not widely distributed within the United States.
Section 319.56-4 contains a performance-based process for approving
the importation of commodities that, based on the findings of a pest
risk analysis, can be safely imported subject to one or more of the
designated phytosanitary measures listed in paragraph (b) of that
section.
APHIS received a request from the Government of Israel to allow the
importation of fresh dates (Phoenix dactylifera L.) of the cultivar
Barhi to be imported into the United States. Currently, fresh Barhi
dates are not authorized for entry from Israel. We completed a pest
risk assessment (PRA) to identify pests of quarantine significance that
could follow the pathway of importation if such imports were to be
allowed. Based on the PRA, we then completed a risk management document
(RMD) to identify phytosanitary measures that could be applied to
mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating the identified pests
via the importation of Barhi dates from Israel. We have concluded that
fresh Barhi dates can safely be imported into the United States from
Israel using one or more of the five designated phytosanitary measures
listed in Sec. 319.56-4(b). These measures are that:
[[Page 1826]]
The dates may be imported into the United States in
commercial consignments only;
The dates must be treated in accordance with 7 CFR part
305 for Ceratitis capitata; and
The dates must be accompanied by a phytosanitary
certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of
Israel stating that the consignment has begun or has undergone
treatment T107-i, with the additional declaration stating that the
fruit in the consignment was inspected and found free of Mauginiella
scaettae.
Therefore, in accordance with Sec. 319.56-4(c), we are announcing
the availability of our PRA for public review and comment. The PRA may
be viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site or in our reading room (see
ADDRESSES above for instructions for accessing Regulations.gov and
information on the location and hours of the reading room). You may
also request paper copies of the PRA by calling or writing to the
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to
the subject of the analysis that you wish to review when requesting
copies.
After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our
decision regarding the import status of fresh Barhi variety dates from
Israel in a subsequent notice. If the overall conclusions of the
analysis and the Administrator's determination of risk remain unchanged
following our consideration of the comments, then we will authorize the
importation of fresh Barhi variety dates from Israel into the United
States subject to the requirements specified in the RMD.
New Treatment
The phytosanitary treatments regulations contained in part 305 of 7
CFR chapter III set out standards for treatments required in parts 301,
318, and 319 of 7 CFR chapter III for fruits, vegetables, and other
articles.
In Sec. 305.2, paragraph (b) states that approved treatment
schedules are set out in the Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ)
Treatment Manual.\1\ Section 305.3 sets out a process for adding,
revising, or removing treatment schedules in the PPQ Treatment Manual.
In that section, paragraph (a) sets out the process for adding,
revising, or removing treatment schedules when there is no immediate
need to make a change.
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\1\ The Treatment Manual is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/index.shtml or by
contacting the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant
Protection and Quarantine, Manuals Unit, 92 Thomas Johnson Drive,
Suite 200, Frederick, MD 21702.
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The PPQ Treatment Manual does not currently provide a treatment
schedule for C. capitata in Barhi variety dates. In accordance with
Sec. 305.3(a)(1), we are providing notice of a new cold treatment
schedule T107-i that we have determined is effective against C.
capitata in Barhi variety dates. The reasons for this determination are
described in a treatment evaluation document (TED) we have prepared to
support this action. The TED may be viewed on the Regulations.gov Web
site or in our reading room. You may also request paper copies of the
TED by calling or writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
After reviewing the comments we receive, we will announce our
decision regarding the changes to the Treatment Manual that are
described in the TED in a subsequent notice. If our determination that
it is necessary to add new treatment schedule T107-i remains unchanged
following our consideration of the comments, then we will make
available a new version of the PPQ Treatment Manual that reflects the
addition of T107-i.
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 2nd day of January, 2013.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-00194 Filed 1-8-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P