[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 113 (Thursday, June 12, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33715-33716]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-13781]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2014-0029]
Notice of Availability of a Pest Risk Analysis for Interstate
Movement of Fresh Achachair[uacute] Fruit From Puerto Rico
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk
analysis (PRA) that evaluates the risks associated with the interstate
movement into the continental United States of fresh achachair[uacute]
fruit from Puerto Rico. Based on that analysis, 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 interstate movement of achachair[uacute]
from Puerto Rico. We are making the PRA available to the public for
review and comment.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before
August 11, 2014.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0029.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2014-0029, 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-2014-
0029 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. David Lamb, Senior Regulatory
Policy Specialist, Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, PPQ, APHIS,
4700 River Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 851-2103.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Under the regulations in ``Subpart--Regulated Articles From Hawaii
and the Territories'' (7 CFR 318.13-1 through 318.13-26, referred to
below as the regulations), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits
or restricts the interstate movement of fruits and vegetables into the
United States from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam,
and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to prevent plant
pests and noxious weeds from being introduced into and spread within
the continental United States. (The continental United States is
defined in Sec. 318.13-2 of the regulations as the 48 contiguous
States, Alaska, and the District of Columbia.)
Section 318.13-4 contains a performance-based process for approving
the interstate movement 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. These measures are:
The fruits and vegetables are inspected in the State of
origin or in the first State of arrival;
The fruits and vegetables originated from a pest-free area
in the State of origin and the grower from which the fruit or vegetable
originated has entered into a compliance agreement with the
Administrator;
The fruits and vegetables are treated in accordance with 7
CFR part 305 and the treatment is certified by an inspector;
The fruits and vegetables are inspected and certified in
the State of origin by an inspector and have been found free of one or
more specific quarantine pests identified by risk analysis as likely to
follow the pathway;
The fruits and vegetables are moved as commercial
consignments only; and/or
The fruits and vegetables may be distributed only within a
defined area and the boxes or containers in which the fruits or
vegetables are distributed must be marked to indicate the applicable
distribution restrictions.
APHIS received a request from a grower and research scientist with
the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture, with support from the USDA
Agricultural Research Service and the
[[Page 33716]]
Puerto Rico State Plant Health Director's office, to allow the
interstate movement of fresh achachair[uacute] fruit from Puerto Rico
to the continental United States. We have completed a pest risk
assessment (PRA) to identify pests of quarantine significance that
could follow the pathway of interstate movement into the continental
United States and, based on that PRA, have prepared a risk management
document (RMD) to identify phytosanitary measures that could be applied
to the commodity to mitigate the pest risk. We have concluded that
fresh achachair[uacute] fruit can be safely moved from Puerto Rico to
the continental United States using one or more of the six designated
phytosanitary measures listed in Sec. 318.13-4(b).
Therefore, in accordance with Sec. 318.13-4(c), we are announcing
the availability of our PRA and RMD for public review and comment. The
documents 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 request paper copies of the PRA and RMD by
calling or writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT. Please refer to the subject of the documents when requesting
copies.
After reviewing the comments we receive, we will announce our
decision regarding the interstate movement of fresh achachair[uacute]
fruit from Puerto Rico to the continental United States 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 begin allowing the
interstate movement of fresh achachair[uacute] fruit from Puerto Rico
to the continental United States subject to the requirements specified
in the RMD.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701-7772 and 7781-7786; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80,
and 371.3.
Done in Washington, DC, this 6th day of June 2014.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-13781 Filed 6-11-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P