[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 190 (Wednesday, October 1, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59210-59211]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-23419]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2014-0029]
Notice of Decision To Allow Interstate Movement of Fresh
Achachair[uacute] Fruit From Puerto Rico
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 allowing
the interstate movement into the continental United States of fresh
achachair[uacute] fruit from Puerto Rico. Based on the 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 interstate movement of achachair[uacute] from Puerto Rico.
DATES: Effective Date: October 1, 2014.
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: 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 moved subject to one or more of the
designated phytosanitary measures listed in paragraph (b) of that
section. Under that process, APHIS publishes a notice in the Federal
Register announcing the availability of the pest risk analysis that
evaluates the risks associated with the interstate movement of a
particular fruit or vegetable. Following the close of the 60-day
comment period, APHIS may begin allowing the interstate movement of the
fruit or vegetable subject to the identified designated measures 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 June 12, 2014 (79 FR 33715-33716, Docket No. APHIS-
2014-0029), in which we announced the availability, for review and
comment, of a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated
with the interstate movement of fresh achachair[uacute] fruit from
Puerto Rico into the continental United States. We solicited comments
on the notice for 60 days ending on August 11, 2014. We received three
comments by that date. The comments were from private citizens and an
organization of State plant pest regulatory agencies. All the
commenters were generally supportive of the proposed action.
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\1\ To view the notice, PRA, RMD, and comments we received, go
to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0029.
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One commenter asked that we also list the scientific name for
achachair[uacute]. The commenter stated that the scientific name is
Garcinia humilis (Vahl) C.D. Adams, Clusiaceae. Another commenter
stated that the original name for the species was Rheedia laterifolia.
This commenter disagreed with identifying achachair[uacute] as G.
humilis.
APHIS notes that the scientific name Garcinia gardneriana is used
in the pest risk assessment. We also note that Rheedia laterifolia is
widely considered to be a synonym for Garcinia humilis. The original
request for market access came from a grower who presented the fruit as
Garcinia laterifolia. However, when we began to consider the grower's
request, we found that the Germplasm Resources Information Network
[[Page 59211]]
maintained by the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) did not
support G. laterifolia as a valid scientific name. The grower did not
agree with changes to the scientific name and requested that APHIS seek
another taxonomist or other authority who could use the Internet,
scientific papers, and other resources, and would present a scientific
report justifying a change to the scientific name. APHIS, with the help
of ARS, identified a taxonomist with the New York Botanical Garden who
was willing to make a determination of the scientific name. Sterile
leaf and fruiting specimens were obtained from the grower's farm in
Puerto Rico and sent to the taxonomist for identification. The
taxonomist was then able to confirm that the specimen was in fact
Garcinia gardneriana.
Therefore, in accordance with the regulations in Sec. 318.13-4, we
are announcing our decision to begin allowing the interstate movement
of fresh achachair[uacute] fruit from Puerto Rico into the continental
United States subject to the following phytosanitary measures:
Fresh achachair[uacute] fruit must be transported
interstate as commercial consignments only.
Each consignment of fresh achachair[uacute] fruit must be
inspected in pre-departure clearance for pests by APHIS-Plant
Protection and Quarantine prior to shipment from Puerto Rico to the
continental United States.
These conditions will be listed in the Puerto Rico Manual, found on
the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/puerto_rico.pdf. In addition to those
specific measures, fresh achachair[uacute] fruit from Puerto Rico will
be subject to the general requirements listed in Sec. 318.13-3 that
are applicable to the interstate movement of all fruits and vegetables
from Puerto Rico.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701-7772 and 7781-7786; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80,
and 371.3.
Done in Washington, DC, this 26th day of September 2014.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-23419 Filed 9-30-14; 8:45 am]
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