16620 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 60 / Monday, March 30, 2015 / Notices 

1To view the notice, pest list, RMD, and 

comments we received, go to http://www.

regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014- 

0008. 

Health_in_the_World/docs/pdf/Disease_

cards/AFRICAN_HORSE_

SICKNESS.pdf) and the Iowa State 

University: The Center for Food 

Security & Public Health Web site 

(http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/

Factsheets/pdfs/african_horse_

sickness.pdf). 

Compensation 

Two commenters asked whether 

APHIS would be able to provide 

compensation for horses that may need 

to be euthanized for AHS. 

APHIS has the authority to provide 

indemnity in the case of an FAD 

outbreak. In the event of an FAD 

outbreak such as AHS, APHIS may 

consider indemnity funding. Specific 

decisions regarding indemnity would 

depend on the situation and available 

funding sources. 

Based on the evaluation and the 

reasons given in this document in 

response to comments, we are 

recognizing Saudi Arabia as free of AHS 

and removing it from the list of regions 

considered affected with AHS which is 

found on the APHIS Web site at 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/

aphis/ourfocus/importexport and 

following the link to ‘‘Animal or Animal 

Product.’’ Copies of the list are also 

available via postal mail, fax, or email 

from the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1622 and 8301–8317; 

21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 

CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 24th day of 

March 2015. 

Jere L. Dick, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–07212 Filed 3–27–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2014–0008] 

Notice of Decision To Authorize the 

Importation of Fresh Figs From Mexico 

Into the Continental United States 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public of 

our decision to authorize the 

importation of fresh figs from Mexico 

into the continental United States. 

Based on the findings of a pest risk 

analysis, which we made available to 

the public to review and comment 

through a previous notice, we have 

concluded 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 

importation of fresh figs from Mexico. 

DATES: Effective March 30, 2015. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

George Apgar Balady, Senior Regulatory 

Policy Specialist, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 

River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 

20737–1231; (301) 851–2240. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the 

regulations in ‘‘Subpart—Fruits and 

Vegetables’’ (7 CFR 319.56–1 through 

319.56–71, referred to below as the 

regulations), 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 plant pests from being 

introduced into or disseminated 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. 

In accordance with that process, we 

published a notice 1 in the Federal 

Register on June 12, 2014 (79 FR 33716– 

33717, Docket No. APHIS–2014–0008), 

in which we announced the availability, 

for review and comment, of a pest list 

and risk management document (RMD) 

regarding the risks associated with the 

importation into the continental United 

States of fresh figs from Mexico. 

We solicited comments on the pest 

list and RMD for 60 days, ending on 

August 11, 2014. We received three 

comments by that date, from an 

exporter, an organization of State plant 

regulatory agencies, and a State 

department of agriculture. The 

comments are discussed below. 

The pest list identified six quarantine 

pests that are likely to follow the 

pathway of fresh figs imported from 

Mexico into the continental United 

States: Anastrepha fraterculus, A. 

ludens, A. serpentina, Ceratitis capitata, 

Maconellicoccus hirsutus, and 

Nipaecoccus viridis. 

Two commenters acknowledged that 

the mitigation measures described in the 

RMD would likely be enough to mitigate 

the risks of all six quarantine pests, but 

requested that figs from Mexico not be 

distributed in Florida due to the risk of 

an accidental or incidental introduction 

of quarantine pests into the State. 

As described in the RMD, we are 

requiring figs from Mexico to be treated 

with irradiation to neutralize all plant 

pests of the class Insecta. Section 305.9 

specifies the requirements for the 

irradiation of imported commodities. 

These requirements provide effective 

safeguards for articles irradiated either 

prior to or after arrival in the United 

States. In addition, each consignment is 

subject to inspection at the U.S. ports of 

entry and must be found free of all 

quarantine pests. We are confident that 

these requirements will adequately 

mitigate the risks associated with the 

importation of fresh figs from Mexico. 

One commenter asked what 

phytosanitary measures would apply to 

figs exported from fruit fly-free areas of 

Mexico and whether those treatments 

will negate the figs’ organic status. 

Under § 319.56–5, certain fruits and 

vegetables may be imported into the 

United States provided that the fruits or 

vegetables originate from an area that is 

free of a specific pest or pests. As such, 

figs produced in fruit fly-free areas of 

Mexico would be eligible for 

importation into the United States 

without treatment for fruit flies. 

However, the figs would be subject to 

the labeling, certification, and 

safeguarding requirements of 

§ 319.56–5(e), the general requirements 

in § 319.56–3, and would have to be 

inspected and found free of M. hirsutus 

and N. viridis. 

Therefore, in accordance with 

§ 319.56–4(c)(2)(ii), we are announcing 

our decision to authorize the 

importation of fresh figs from Mexico 

into the continental United States 

subject to the following phytosanitary 

measures: 

• The figs may be imported into the 

continental United States in commercial 

consignments only. 

• The figs must be irradiated in 

accordance with 7 CFR part 305 with a 

minimum absorbed dose of 150 Gy. 

• If irradiation treatment is applied 

outside the United States, each 

consignment of fruit must be jointly 

inspected by APHIS and the national 

plant protection organization (NPPO) of 

Mexico and accompanied by a 

phytosanitary certificate (PC) attesting 

that the fruit received the required 

irradiation treatment. The PC must also 

include an additional declaration stating 

that the consignment was inspected and 

found free of M. hirsutus and N. viridis. 

• If irradiation treatment is applied 

upon arrival in the United States, each 

consignment of fruit must be inspected 

by the NPPO of Mexico prior to 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 60 / Monday, March 30, 2015 / Notices 16621 

1To view the workshop notice and comments, go 

to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=

APHIS-2013-0047. 

departure and accompanied by a PC 

attesting that the fruit was inspected 

and found free of M. hirsutus and N. 

viridis. 

• The commodity is subject to 

inspection at the U.S. port of entry. 

These conditions will be listed in the 

Fruits and Vegetables Import 

Requirements database (available at 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/favir). In 

addition to these specific measures, figs 

from Mexico will be subject to the 

general requirements listed in § 319.56– 

3 that are applicable to the importation 

of all fruits and vegetables. 

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 25th day of 

March 2015. 

Michael C. Gregoire, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–07231 Filed 3–27–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2013–0047] 

U.S. Department of Agriculture 

Stakeholder Workshop on Coexistence 

ACTION: Notice; extension of comment 

period. 

SUMMARY: We are extending the 

comment period for issues and 

proposals discussed during the 

workshop on agricultural coexistence 

that was held on March 12–13, 2015. 

This action will allow interested 

persons additional time to prepare and 

submit comments. 

DATES: The comment period for the 

notice published on February 3, 2015 

(80 FR 5729) is extended. We will 

consider all comments that we receive 

on or before April 10, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docket

Detail;D=APHIS-2013-0047. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2013–0047, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

Any comments we receive may be 

viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#

!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0047 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. 

Michael Tadle, Program Analyst, 

Planning, Evaluation, and Decision 

Support, PPD, APHIS, 4700 River Road, 

Unit 120, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 

851–3140; Michael.A.Tadle@

aphis.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

February 3, 2015, we published in the 

Federal Register (80 FR 5729–5731, 

Docket No. APHIS–2013–0047) a 

notice 1 to announce that the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture was holding 

a workshop on agricultural coexistence, 

the objective of which was to advance 

an understanding of agricultural 

coexistence and discuss how to make 

coexistence achievable for all 

stakeholders. The 2-day workshop, 

which was held on March 12–13, 2015, 

also provided an opportunity to learn 

from stakeholders representing a wide 

range of interests with respect to 

agricultural coexistence. 

In that notice, we stated that 

comments on issues and proposals 

discussed during the workshop would 

be accepted from March 13, 2015, 

through March 27, 2015. We are 

extending the comment period on 

Docket No. APHIS–2013–0047 for an 

additional 14 days to April 10, 2015. 

This action will allow interested 

persons additional time to prepare and 

submit comments. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 25th day of 

March 2015. 

Michael C. Gregoire, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–07210 Filed 3–27–15; 8:45 a.m.] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2015–0018] 

Notice of Request for Extension of 

Approval of an Information Collection; 

Importation of Small Lots of Seed 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Extension of approval of an 

information collection; comment 

request. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service’s intention to 

request an extension of approval of an 

information collection associated with 

the regulations for the importation of 

small lots of seed into the United States. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before May 29, 

2015. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docket

Detail;D=APHIS-2015-0018. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2015–0018, 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-2015-0018 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: For 

information on the regulations for the 

importation of small lots of seed into the 

United States, contact Ms. Lydia Colo ́n, 

Regulatory Policy Specialist, PPP, RPM, 

PHP, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, 

Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 

851–2302. For copies of more detailed 

information on the information 

collection, contact Ms. Kimberly Hardy, 

APHIS’ Information Collection 

Coordinator, at (301) 851–2727. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Importation of Small Lots of 

Seed. 

OMB Control Number: 0579–0285. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

approval of an information collection. 

Abstract: The Plant Protection Act (7 

U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) authorizes the 

Secretary of Agriculture to restrict the 

importation, entry, or interstate 

movement of plants, plant products, and 

other articles to prevent the 

introduction of plant pests into the 

United States or their dissemination 

within the United States. The 

regulations contained in ‘‘Subpart— 

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