[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 11, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18393-18394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-8800]
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Notices
Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 69 / Tuesday, April 11, 1995 /
Notices
[[Page 18393]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 95-018-1]
Availability of Environmental Assessments and Findings of No
Significant Impact
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that four environmental assessments
and findings of no significant impact have been prepared by the Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service relative to the issuance or renewal
of permits to allow the field testing of genetically engineered
organisms. The environmental assessments provide a basis for our
conclusion that the field testing of the genetically engineered
organisms will not present a risk of introducing or disseminating a
plant pest and will not have a significant impact on the quality of the
human environment. Based on its findings of no significant impact, the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that
environmental impact statements need not be prepared.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the environmental assessments and findings of no
significant impact are available for public inspection at USDA, room
1141, South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except holidays. Persons wishing to inspect those documents are
requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to facilitate entry into the
reading room.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Arnold Foudin, Deputy Director,
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Biotechnology, Biologics,
and Environmental Protection, Biotechnology Permits, 4700 River Road
Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737-1228; (301) 734-7612. For copies of the
environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact, write
to Mr. Clayton Givens at the same address. Please refer to the permit
numbers listed below when ordering documents.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 7 CFR part 340 (referred
to below as the regulations) regulate the introduction (importation,
interstate movement, and release into the environment) of genetically
engineered organisms and products that are plant pests or that there is
reason to believe are plant pests (regulated articles). A permit must
be obtained before a regulated article may be introduced into the
United States. The regulations set forth the procedures for obtaining a
limited permit for the importation or interstate movement of a
regulated article and for obtaining a permit for the release into the
environment of a regulated article. The Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) has stated that it would prepare an
environmental assessment and, when necessary, an environmental impact
statement before issuing a permit for the release into the environment
of a regulated article (see 52 FR 22906).
In the course of reviewing each permit application, APHIS assessed
the impact on the environment that releasing the organisms under the
conditions described in the permit application would have. APHIS has
issued permits for the field testing of the organisms listed below
after concluding that the organisms will not present a risk of plant
pest introduction or dissemination and will not have a significant
impact on the quality of the human environment. The environmental
assessments and findings of no significant impact, which are based on
data submitted by the applicants and on a review of other relevant
literature, provide the public with documentation of APHIS' review and
analysis of the environmental impacts associated with conducting the
field tests.
Environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact
have been prepared by APHIS relative to the issuance or renewal of
permits to allow the field testing of the following genetically
engineered organisms:
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Date
Permit number Permittee issued Organisms Field test location
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94-326-05, renewal of Asgrow Seed Company..... 2-07-95 Watermelon plants Michigan.
permit 94-055-03, genetically engineered
issued on 5-04-94. to express resistance
to watermelon mosaic
virus 2, and zucchini
yellow mosaic virus.
94-332-01, renewal of Asgrow Seed Company..... 2-08-95 Lettuce plants Georgia.
permit 94-060-01, genetically engineered
issued on 6-01-94. to express resistance
to tomato spotted wilt
virus.
94-200-01............... University of Georgia... 2-09-95 Canola plants Georgia.
genetically engineered
for insect resistance.
94-326-07, renewal of Upjohn Company.......... 2-09-95 Cantaloupe plants California, Georgia,
permit 94-090-05, genetically engineered and Michigan.
issued on 6-17-94. for resistance to
cucumber mosaic virus,
watermelon mosaic virus
2, zucchini yellow
mosaic virus, papaya
ringspot virus, and
squash mosaic virus.
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[[Page 18394]] The environmental assessments and findings of no
significant impact have been prepared in accordance with: (1) The
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA)(42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.), (2) Regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality for
Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508), (3) USDA Regulations Implementing NEPA (7 CFR part 1b), and (4)
APHIS Guidelines Implementing NEPA (44 FR 50381-50384, August 28, 1979,
and 44 FR 51272-51274, August 31, 1979).
Done in Washington, DC, this 5th day of April 1995.
Alex B. Thiermann,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 95-8800 Filed 4-10-95; 8:45 am]
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