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

28796 

Vol. 78, No. 95 

Thursday, May 16, 2013 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Doc. No. AMS–FV–13–0002] 

Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) 

Inviting Applications for the Specialty 

Crop Block Grant Program–Farm Bill 

(SCBGP–FB) 

Correction 

In notice document 2013–11048, 

appearing on pages 27178–27181 in the 

issue of Thursday, May 9, 2013, make 

the following correction: 

In the table appearing on page 27181, 

in the second column, the second line 

‘‘85,231.03’’ should read, ‘‘185,231.03’’. 

[FR Doc. C1–2013–11048 Filed 5–15–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 1505–01–D 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2013–0043] 

Monsanto Co.; Notice of Intent To 

Prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement for Determination of 

Nonregulated Status of Herbicide 

Resistant Soybeans and Cotton, and 

Notice of Virtual Public Meeting 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are announcing to the 

public that the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) intends to 

prepare an environmental impact 

statement (EIS) on environmental 

impacts that may result from the 

potential approval of two petitions from 

the Monsanto Company (Monsanto) 

seeking a determination of nonregulated 

status of herbicide resistant soybeans 

and cotton. Issues to be addressed in the 

EIS include the potential environmental 

impacts associated with the increased 

use of certain herbicides and possible 

selection for and spread of weeds 

resistant to the herbicide dicamba 

combined with resistance to other 

herbicides (multiple resistance). We are 

also requesting public comments to 

further delineate the scope of the 

alternatives and environmental impacts 

and issues to be included in this EIS. 

We are also announcing that APHIS will 

be hosting a virtual public meeting 

during the scoping period. The purpose 

of the scoping meeting will be to allow 

the public an opportunity to comment 

on the range of alternatives and 

environmental impacts and issues 

discussed in the EIS. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before June 17, 

2013. We will also consider comments 

made at a virtual public meeting that 

will be held during the comment period. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/ 

#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0043- 

0001. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2013–0043, 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-2013-0043 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. 

Other Information: Details regarding 

the virtual scoping meeting, including 

times, dates, and how to participate, 

will be available at http:// 

www.aphisvirtualmeetings.com. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Rebecca Stankiewicz Gabel, Branch 

Chief, Biotechnology Environmental 

Analysis Branch, Environmental Risk 

Analysis Programs, Biotechnology 

Regulatory Services, APHIS, 4700 River 

Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737– 

1238; (301) 851–3954. To obtain copies 

of the petition, contact Ms. Cindy Eck at 

(301) 851–3882, email: 

cynthia.a.eck@aphis.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Under the authority of the plant pest 

provisions of the Plant Protection Act 

(PPA), as amended (7 U.S.C. 7701 et 

seq.), 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 has received two petitions 

(referred to below as ‘‘the petitions’’) 

from the Monsanto Company 

(Monsanto) seeking a determination of 

nonregulated status for soybean and 

cotton cultivars genetically engineered 

to be resistant to herbicides. The first 

petition, APHIS Petition Number 10– 

188–01p, seeks a determination of 

nonregulated status of soybean (Glycine 

max) designated as event MON 87708, 

which has been genetically engineered 

for tolerance to the herbicide dicamba. 

The second petition, APHIS Petition 

Number 12–185–01p, seeks a 

determination of nonregulated status of 

cotton (Gossypium spp.) designated as 

event MON 88701, which has been 

genetically engineered for tolerance to 

the herbicides dicamba and glufosinate. 

The petitions state that these articles are 

unlikely to pose a plant pest risk and, 

therefore, should not be regulated 

articles under APHIS’ regulations in 7 

CFR part 340. These part 340 

regulations are authorized by the PPA to 


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