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.

Notices Federal Register

8589 

Vol. 80, No. 32 

Wednesday, February 18, 2015 

1On March 6, 2012, APHIS published in the 

Federal Register (77 FR 13258–13260, Docket No. 

APHIS–2011–0129) a notice describing our public 

review process for soliciting public comments and 

information when considering petitions for 

determinations of nonregulated status for GE 

organisms. To view the notice, go to http://

www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS2011-0129. 

2To view the notice, the petition, the comments 

we received, and other supporting documents, go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/

#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0025. 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2012–0025] 

Okanagan Specialty Fruits, Inc.; 

Determination of Nonregulated Status 

of Apples Genetically Engineered To 

Resist Browning 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public of 

our determination that apple events 

developed by Okanagan Specialty 

Fruits, Inc., designated as events GD743 

and GS784, which have been genetically 

engineered to resist browning, are no 

longer considered a regulated article 

under our regulations governing the 

introduction of certain genetically 

engineered organisms. Our 

determination is based on our 

evaluation of data submitted by 

Okanagan Specialty Fruits, Inc., in its 

petition for a determination of 

nonregulated status, our analysis of 

available scientific data, and comments 

received from the public in response to 

our previous notices announcing the 

availability of the petition for 

nonregulated status and its associated 

environmental assessment and plant 

pest risk assessment. This notice also 

announces the availability of our 

written determination and finding of no 

significant impact. 

DATES: Effective February 18, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: You may read the 

documents referenced in this notice and 

the comments we received at http://

www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;

D=APHIS-2012-0025 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. 

Supporting documents are also 

available on the APHIS Web site at 

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

biotechnology/petitions_table_

pending.shtml under APHIS Petition 

Number 10–161–01p. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

John Turner, Director, Environmental 

Risk Analysis Programs, Biotechnology 

Regulatory Services, APHIS, 4700 River 

Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737– 

1236; (301) 851–3954, email: 

john.t.turner@aphis.usda.gov. To obtain 

copies of the supporting documents for 

this petition, contact Ms. Cindy Eck at 

(301) 851–3892, email: cynthia.a.eck@

aphis.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The regulations in 7 CFR part 340, 

‘‘Introduction of Organisms and 

Products Altered or Produced Through 

Genetic Engineering Which Are Plant 

Pests or Which There Is Reason to 

Believe Are Plant Pests,’’ regulate, 

among other things, the introduction 

(importation, interstate movement, or 

release into the environment) of 

organisms and products altered or 

produced through genetic engineering 

that are plant pests or that there is 

reason to believe are plant pests. Such 

genetically engineered organisms and 

products are considered ‘‘regulated 

articles.’’ 

The regulations in § 340.6(a) provide 

that any person may submit a petition 

to the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) seeking a 

determination that an article should not 

be regulated under 7 CFR part 340. 

APHIS received a petition (APHIS 

Petition Number 10–161–01p) from 

Okanagan Specialty Fruits, Inc., 

(Okanagan) of British Columbia, 

Canada, seeking a determination of 

nonregulated status of apples (Malus x 

domestica) designated as events GD743 

and GS784, which have been genetically 

engineered to resist browning. The 

petition states that these apples are 

unlikely to pose a plant pest risk and, 

therefore, should not be a regulated 

article under APHIS’ regulations in 7 

CFR part 340. 

According to our process 1 for 

soliciting public comment when 

considering petitions for determinations 

of nonregulated status of genetically 

engineered (GE) organisms, APHIS 

accepts written comments regarding a 

petition once APHIS deems it complete. 

In a notice 2 published in the Federal 

Register on July 13, 2012 (77 FR 41362– 

41363, Docket No. APHIS–2012–0025), 

APHIS announced the availability of the 

Okanagan petition for public comment. 

APHIS solicited comments on the 

petition for 60 days ending on 

September 11, 2012, in order to help 

identify potential environmental and 

interrelated economic issues and 

impacts that APHIS may determine 

should be considered in our evaluation 

of the petition. 

APHIS received 1,939 comments on 

the petition. Several of these comments 

included electronic attachments 

consisting of consolidated documents of 

many identical or nearly identical 

letters, for a total of 72,745 comments. 

Issues raised during the comment 

period included concerns regarding 

marketing and economic impacts; crosspollination; and health, nutrition, and 

food safety. APHIS decided, based on its 

review of the petition and its evaluation 

and analysis of the comments received 

during the 60-day public comment 

period on the petition, that the petition 

involves a GE organism that involves a 

new crop trait or raises substantive new 

issues. According to our public review 

process for such petitions (see footnote 

1), APHIS first solicits written 

comments from the public on a draft 

environmental assessment (EA) and a 

plant pest risk assessment (PPRA) for a 

30-day comment period through the 

publication of a Federal Register notice. 

Then, after reviewing and evaluating the 

comments on the draft EA and the PPRA 

and other information, APHIS revises 

the PPRA as necessary and prepares a 

final EA and, based on the final EA, a 

National Environmental Policy Act 


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8590 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 32 / Wednesday, February 18, 2015 / Notices 

3 In a notice (see footnote 2) published in the 

Federal Register on November 8, 2013, (78 FR 

67100–67101, Docket No. APHIS–2012–0025), 

APHIS announced the availability of a draft EA and 

a PPRA for public comment for 30 days, ending 

December 9, 2013. In a notice published in Federal 

Register on December 31, 2013, (78 FR 79568– 

79569, Docket No. APHIS–2012–0025), APHIS 

reopened the comment period on the draft EA and 

the PPRA for an additional 30 days, ending January 

30, 2014. We also indicated in that notice that we 

would consider all comments received between 

December 10, 2013 (the day after the close of the 

original comment period) and the date of the notice. 

(NEPA) decision document (either a 

finding of no significant impact (FONSI) 

or a notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement). If a 

FONSI is reached, APHIS furnishes a 

response to the petitioner, either 

approving or denying the petition. 

APHIS also publishes a notice in the 

Federal Register announcing the 

regulatory status of the GE organism and 

the availability of APHIS’ final EA, 

PPRA, FONSI, and our regulatory 

determination. 

APHIS sought public comment on a 

draft EA and a PPRA from November 8, 

2013, to January 30, 2014.3 APHIS 

solicited comments on the draft EA, the 

PPRA, and whether the subject apples 

are likely to pose a plant pest risk. 

APHIS received 105,971 comments 

during the comment period, of which 

100,976 were form letters. The majority 

of the comments expressed general 

opposition to APHIS making a 

determination of nonregulated status of 

GE organisms. Issues raised during the 

comment period included concerns 

regarding potential effects on human 

and animal health and nontarget 

organisms and economic impacts on 

apple growers. APHIS has addressed the 

issues raised during the comment 

period and has provided responses to 

comments as an attachment to the 

FONSI. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

After reviewing and evaluating the 

comments received during the comment 

period on the draft EA and the PPRA 

and other information, APHIS has 

prepared a final EA. The EA has been 

prepared to provide the public with 

documentation of APHIS’ review and 

analysis of any potential environmental 

impacts associated with the 

determination of nonregulated status of 

Okanagan’s apple events GD743 and 

GS784. The EA was prepared in 

accordance with: (1) NEPA, as amended 

(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’ NEPA Implementing 

Procedures (7 CFR part 372). Based on 

our EA, the response to public 

comments, and other pertinent scientific 

data, APHIS has reached a FONSI with 

regard to the preferred alternative 

identified in the EA (to make a 

determination of nonregulated status of 

apple events GD743 and GS784). 

Determination 

Based on APHIS’ analysis of field and 

laboratory data submitted by Okanagan, 

references provided in the petition, 

peer-reviewed publications, information 

analyzed in the EA, the PPRA, 

comments provided by the public, and 

information provided in APHIS’ 

response to those public comments, 

APHIS has determined that Okanagan’s 

apple events GD743 and GS784 are 

unlikely to pose a plant pest risk and 

therefore are no longer subject to our 

regulations governing the introduction 

of certain GE organisms. 

Copies of the signed determination 

document, PPRA, final EA, FONSI, and 

response to comments, as well as the 

previously published petition and 

supporting documents, are available as 

indicated in the ADDRESSES and FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT sections 

of this notice. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701–7772 and 7781– 

7786; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 

371.3. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 12th day of 

February 2015. 

Michael C. Gregoire, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03272 Filed 2–17–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Economic Development Administration 

Notice of Petitions by Firms for 

Determination of Eligibility To Apply 

for Trade Adjustment Assistance 

AGENCY: Economic Development 

Administration, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice and opportunity for 

public comment. 

Pursuant to Section 251 of the Trade 

Act 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2341 

et seq.), the Economic Development 

Administration (EDA) has received 

petitions for certification of eligibility to 

apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance 

from the firms listed below. 

Accordingly, EDA has initiated 

investigations to determine whether 

increased imports into the United States 

of articles like or directly competitive 

with those produced by each of these 

firms contributed importantly to the 

total or partial separation of the firm’s 

workers, or threat thereof, and to a 

decrease in sales or production of each 

petitioning firm. 

LIST OF PETITIONS RECEIVED BY EDA FOR CERTIFICATION ELIGIBILITY TO APPLY FOR TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE

[1/21/2015 through 2/11/2015] 

Firm name Firm address Date accepted for 

investigation Product(s) 

Detroit Tool & Engineering, Inc ........... 1107 Springer Road, Lebanon, MO 

65536.

2/6/2015 The firm manufactures customized 

fabricated metal products including 

HVAC, appliances, heavy truck, machine bases, fixtures, electrical panels and rotating safety clamps.

Master Hatters of Texas, Inc ............... 2945 Market Street, Garland, TX 

75041.

2/11/2015 The firm manufactures hats.

Any party having a substantial 

interest in these proceedings may 

request a public hearing on the matter. 

A written request for a hearing must be 

submitted to the Trade Adjustment 

Assistance for Firms Division, Room 

71030, Economic Development 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Commerce, Washington, DC 20230, no 


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