G/SPS/N/USA/3064  
 
16 April 2019  
(19-2528) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AME RICA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Plants in approved growing media  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, t o the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Notice of Availability and Request for Comments: 
Importation of Plants in Approved Growing Media Into the United States [Docket No. 
APHIS -2018-0101] . Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  1 
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=APHIS -2018-0101-0001 
6. Description of content:  APHIS is advising the public that  it is making available a draft 
programmatic envi ronmental assessment for the importation of plants in approved 
growing media. The programmatic environmental assessment considers the potential 
environmental effects of a standardized set of pest risk mitigations for routine market 
requests to import plant s in approved growing media. The programmatic environmental 
assessment would eliminate the need to prepare a unique environmental assessment for 
each routine market request, thereby making the process for approving imports of plants 
in approved growing med ia simpler and more efficient.  APHIS is making the programmatic 
environmental assessment available to the public for review and comment. (Federal 
Register Vol. 84, No. 69, Wednesday, 10 April 2019, pg. 14340)  
7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safety, [  ] animal health, [X]  plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [  ] No G/SPS/N/USA/3064  
 
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  If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 10 May 2019  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
Ms Lydia E. Colón, Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist, Plant Health Programs, Plant 
Protection and Quarantine, Animal and Plant Healt h Inspection Service, 4700 River Road 
Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737 -1237; +(301) 851 2302; E -mail: 
Lydia.E.Colon@aphis.usda.gov  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [  ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail add ress (if available) of other body:   
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=APHIS -2018-0101-0001