Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 242 / Friday, December 16, 2011 / Notices 78231 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0104] 

Notice of Request for Extension of 

Approval of an Information Collection; 

Importation of Peppers From Certain 

Central American Countries 

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 

regulations for the importation of 

peppers from certain Central American 

countries. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before February 

14, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/ 

#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0104- 

0001. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2011–0104, 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-2011-0104 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) 6902817 

before coming. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on regulations for the 

importation of peppers from certain 

Central American countries, contact Mr. 

Tony Roman, Import Specialist, 

Regulatory Coordination and 

Compliance, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River 

Road Unit 156, Riverdale, MD 20737; 

(301) 734–5820. For copies of more 

detailed information on the information 

collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles, 

APHIS’ Information Collection 

Coordinator, at (301) 851–2908. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Importation of Peppers From 

Certain Central American Countries. 

OMB Number: 0579–0274. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

approval of an information collection. 

Abstract: The Plant Protection Act 

(PPA, 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. Regulations 

authorized by the PPA concerning the 

importation of fruits and vegetables into 

the United States from certain parts of 

the world are contained in ‘‘Subpart– 

Fruits and Vegetables’’ (7 CFR 319.56– 

1 through 319.56–54). 

Under these regulations, peppers from 

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, 

Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama are 

subject to certain conditions before 

entering the United States to prevent the 

introduction of plant pests into the 

United States. The regulations require 

the use of information collection 

activities, including inspections by 

Central American national plant 

protection organization officials; fruit 

fly trapping, monitoring, and 

recordkeeping; box labeling; and a 

phytosanitary certificate. 

We are asking the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to 

approve our use of these information 

collection activities for an additional 3 

years. 

The purpose of this notice is to solicit 

comments from the public (as well as 

affected agencies) concerning our 

information collection. These comments 

will help us: 

(1) Evaluate whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

Agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of our 

estimate of the burden of the collection 

of information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and 

(4) Minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, through use, as 

appropriate, of automated, electronic, 

mechanical, and other collection 

technologies; e.g., permitting electronic 

submission of responses. 

Estimate of burden: The public 

reporting burden for this collection of 

information is estimated to average 

0.0037936 hours per response. 

Respondents: National plant 

protection organization officials and 

growers and shippers of peppers in 

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, 

Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 245. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 3,226.653061. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 790,530. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 2,999 hours. (Due to 

averaging, the total annual burden hours 

may not equal the product of the annual 

number of responses multiplied by the 

reporting burden per response.) 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

also become a matter of public record. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 12th day of 

December 2011. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–32324 Filed 12–15–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2010–0023] 

Notice of Decision To Authorize the 

Importation of Fresh Cape Gooseberry 

Fruit With Husks From Chile 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public of 

our decision to authorize the 

importation into the continental United 

States of fresh Cape gooseberry fruit 

(Physalis peruviana L.) with husks from 

Chile. Based on the findings of a pest 

risk analysis, which we made available 

to the public for review and comment 

through a previous notice, we 

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 Cape gooseberry 

fruit from Chile. 

DATES: Effective Date: December 16, 

2011. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Claudia Ferguson, Regulatory Policy 

Specialist, Regulations, Permits, and 

Manuals, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road 

Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737–1231, 

(301) 734–0754. 


jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
78232 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 242 / Friday, December 16, 2011 / Notices 

1To view the notice and the PRA, go to http:// 

www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS2010-0023. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Under the regulations in ‘‘Subpart— 

Fruits and Vegetables’’ (7 CFR 319.56– 

1 through 319.56–54, referred to below 

as the regulations), the Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

of the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

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 and spread within the 

United States. 

Section 319.56–4 of the regulations 

contains a performance-based process 

for approving the importation of 

commodities that, based on the findings 

of a pest risk analysis (PRA), can be 

safely imported 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 PRA that evaluates the risks 

associated with the importation of a 

particular fruit or vegetable. Following 

the close of the 60-day comment period, 

APHIS may authorize the importation of 

the fruit or vegetable subject to the 

identified designated measures if: (1) No 

comments were received on the PRA; (2) 

the comments on the PRA revealed that 

no changes to the PRA were necessary; 

or (3) changes to the PRA 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 August 11, 2011 (76 FR 

49726, Docket No. APHIS–2010–0023), 

in which we announced the availability, 

for review and comment, of a PRA that 

evaluates the risks associated with the 

importation into the continental United 

States of fresh Cape gooseberry fruit 

(Physalis peruviana L.) with husks from 

Chile. We solicited comments on the 

notice for 60 days ending on October 11, 

2011. We did not receive any comments 

by that date. 

Therefore, in accordance with the 

regulations in § 319.56–4(c)(2)(ii), we 

are announcing our decision to 

authorize the importation into the 

continental United States of fresh Cape 

gooseberry fruit from Chile subject to 

the following phytosanitary measures: 

• Cape gooseberry fruit will be 

subject to inspection upon arrival in the 

United States. 

• Each consignment of Cape 

gooseberry fruit must be accompanied 

by a phytosanitary certificate issued by 

NPPO of Chile stating: ‘‘The Cape 

gooseberry in the consignment has been 

inspected and is free of pests.’’ 

• Cape gooseberry fruit must be 

imported into the United States in 

commercial consignments only. 

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, 

fresh Cape gooseberry fruit from Chile 

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 12th day of 

December 2011. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–32317 Filed 12–15–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0046] 

Monsanto Co.; Determination of 

Nonregulated Status for Soybean 

Genetically Engineered To Have a 

Modified Fatty Acid Profile and for 

Tolerance to the Herbicide Glyphosate 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public of 

our determination that a soybean line 

developed by the Monsanto Co., 

designated as event MON 87705, which 

has been genetically engineered to have 

a modified fatty acid profile and for 

tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate, is 

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 the 

Monsanto Company 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 notice 

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 Date: December 16, 

2011. 

ADDRESSES: You may read the 

documents referenced in this notice and 

the comments we received in our 

reading room. The reading room 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) 6902817 before coming. 

Those documents are also available on 

the Internet at http:// 

www.aphis.usda.gov/biotechnology/ 

not_reg.html and are posted with the 

previous notice and the comments we 

received on the Regulations.gov Web 

site at http://www.regulations.gov/ 

#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0046. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Evan Chestnut, Policy Analyst, 

Biotechnology Regulatory Services, 

APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 147, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) 734– 

0942, email: 

evan.a.chestnut@aphis.usda.gov. To 

obtain copies of the documents 

referenced in this notice, contact Ms. 

Cindy Eck at (301) 734–0667, 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. 

Paragraphs (b) and (c) of § 340.6 

describe the form that a petition for a 

determination of nonregulated status 

must take and the information that must 

be included in the petition. 

APHIS received a petition (APHIS 

Petition Number 09–201–01p) from the 


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