8960 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 39 / Wednesday, February 28, 2007 / Notices 

www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/ 

06_28502r_ea.pdf 

Other Information: Additional 

information about APHIS and its 

programs is available on the Internet at 

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

John Cordts, Biotechnology Regulatory 

Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 

147, Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) 

734–5531. To obtain copies of the 

environmental assessment, contact Ms. 

Cynthia Eck at (301) 734–0667; e-mail: 

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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.’’ A permit must be obtained or 

a notification acknowledged before a 

regulated article may be introduced. The 

regulations set forth the permit 

application requirements and the 

notification procedures for the 

importation, interstate movement, or 

release in the environment of a 

regulated article. 

On October 2, 2006, APHIS received 

two Permit applications (06–278–01r 

and 06–278–02r) followed by a third 

Permit application (06–285–02r) 

received on October 12, 2006, from 

Ventria Bioscience, Sacramento, CA, for 

confined field plantings of rice (Oryza 

sativa) plants genetically engineered to 

express gene coding for the proteins 

lactoferrin, lysozyme, or serum albumin, 

respectively. The proposed field 

plantings are to be conducted in Geary 

County, KS. The subject plants have 

been genetically engineered, using 

techniques of micro-projectile 

bombardment or disarmed 

Agrobacterium-mediated 

transformation, to express proteins for 

human lactoferrin, lysozyme, or serum 

albumin. Expression of the genes is 

controlled by the rice glutelin 1 

promoter (GT1), the rice glutelin 1 

signal peptide (gt1), and the nopaline 

synthase (NOS) terminator sequence 

from Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The 

genes are expressed only in the 

endosperm. In addition, the plants may 

contain either or both of the coding 

sequences for the genes hygromycin 

phosphotransferase (hpt) or 

phosphinothricin acetyltransferase 

(pat), which are marker genes that allow 

for the selection of transgenic tissues in 

the laboratory using the antibiotic 

hygromycin and/or the herbicide 

bialaphos. Neither selectable marker 

gene is expressed in mature rice tissues, 

nor do they have any inherent plant pest 

characteristics or enhance gene transfer 

from plants to other organisms. The 

genetically engineered rice plants are 

considered regulated articles under the 

regulations in 7 CFR part 340 because 

they contain gene sequences from plant 

pathogens. 

The purpose of the field plantings are 

for pure seed production and for the 

extraction of lactoferrin, lysozyme, and 

serum albumin for a variety of research 

and commercial products. There is 

currently no commercial rice 

production in Geary County or in any 

other location in the state of Kansas. 

The planting will be conducted using 

physical confinement measures. In 

addition, the protocols and field plot 

design, as well as the procedures for 

termination of the field plantings, are 

designed to ensure that none of the 

subject rice plants persist in the 

environment after the crop is harvested. 

To provide the public with 

documentation of APHIS’ review and 

analysis of any potential environmental 

impacts and plant pest risks associated 

with the proposed release of these 

transgenic rice plants, an environmental 

assessment (EA) has been prepared. The 

EA was prepared in accordance with (1) 

The National Environmental Policy Act 

of 1969 (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). Copies of the EA are available 

from the individual listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 

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 22nd day of 

February 2007. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–3484 Filed 2–27–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2007–0026] 

Public Meetings; National Animal 

Identification System Animal 

Identification Number Device 

Distribution Databases 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings. 

SUMMARY: This is a notice to inform 

interested stakeholders of upcoming 

public meetings to discuss the 

implementation of private/State animal 

identification number device 

distribution databases for the animal 

identification component of the 

National Animal Identification System, 

which is a voluntary program. The 

meetings are being organized by the 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service. 

DATES: Two meetings will be held, the 

first on Monday, March 5, 2007, from 1 

p.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday, March 6, 

2007, from 8 a.m. to noon, and the 

second on Monday, March 12, 2007, 

from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday, 

March 13, 2007, from 8 a.m. to noon. 

ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be 

held in the Hilton Kansas City Airport, 

8801 NW. 112th Street, Kansas City, 

MO. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Neil Hammerschmidt, Coordinator, 

National Animal Identification System, 

VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 200, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1231; (301) 734–

5571. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of 

ongoing efforts to safeguard animal 

health, the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) initiated 

implementation of the National Animal 

Identification System (NAIS) in 2004. 

The NAIS is a cooperative State-Federalindustry program coordinated by 

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS). 

The first two components of the 

program, premises registration and 

animal identification, are well 

underway. The third component, animal 

tracing, is currently under development 

by APHIS and its State and industry 

partners. Industry, through private 

systems, and States will manage the 

animal tracking databases (ATDs) that 

maintain the movement records of 

animals. These information systems will 

provide the locations of a subject animal 

and the records of other animals that the 

subject animal came into contact with at 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 39 / Wednesday, February 28, 2007 / Notices 8961 

each premises. Currently, we have 

cooperative agreements with 14 

organizations that are participating by 

managing interim ATDs. 

The NAIS is a voluntary program, and 

protecting individuals’ private 

information and confidential business 

information is important to APHIS and 

to all participants and potential 

participants in the system. APHIS 

maintains only limited premises 

registration information and will not 

have direct access to animal 

identification or movement records. 

Animal health officials will request 

access to animal movement and location 

records only in the case of an animal 

disease event. 

In keeping with this policy, the 

records of animal identification number 

(AIN) devices distributed to a premises 

when used for voluntary participation 

in the NAIS will be held by private 

entities and organizations or by States in 

AIN device distribution databases (AIN 

DDDs), rather than in APHIS’s AIN 

Management System. This program 

change is, we believe, an important one 

that will serve to encourage 

participation in the voluntary animal 

identification component of the NAIS. 

While AIN tags used for disease and/ 

or regulatory programs such as the 

National Scrapie Eradication Program 

will continue to be administered 

through the AIN Management System, 

the distribution records of AIN devices 

to producers that voluntarily participate 

in the NAIS will not be maintained on 

that system. APHIS will continue to 

approve identification devices for 

official use in the NAIS and establish 

agreements with the manufacturers for 

the authorized use of the AIN. 

Producers will continue to need a 

premises identification number to 

obtain AIN tags. The revised system will 

still maintain the data requirements of 

the AIN Management System, but the 

records of AINs distributed to each 

premises will be held privately or by the 

States. The AIN DDDs will be integrated 

with the NAIS in a manner similar to 

the one used for the integration of 

private and State ATDs into our Animal 

Trace Processing System (ATPS). 

Authorized Federal and State animal 

health officials will need access to some 

of the animal tracking and animal 

identification information to be held in 

the privately or State-administered 

databases in certain situations. APHIS 

has defined the situations that would 

trigger the authorization for animal 

health officials to request information 

from AIN DDDs through the ATPS as 

follows: 

1. An indication of (suspect, 

presumptive positive, etc.) or confirmed 

positive test for a foreign animal 

disease; 

2. An animal disease emergency as 

determined by the Secretary of 

Agriculture and/or State Departments of 

Agriculture; and 

3. The need to conduct a traceback/ 

traceforward to determine the origin of 

infection for a program disease 

(brucellosis, tuberculosis, etc.). 

The transition to the private and State 

AIN DDDs is expected to begin in April 

2007. Therefore, in order to provide a 

forum for the discussion of issues 

related to privately and Stateadministered AIN DDDs, APHIS is 

holding two public meetings. Interested 

private organizations and State agencies 

that have databases that could integrate 

with the NAIS as AIN DDDs are 

encouraged to attend. Other 

stakeholders, such as producers and 

AIN tag manufacturers, device 

managers, and resellers, are also 

encouraged to participate. APHIS has 

approved AIN devices from several 

manufacturers. Producers can request 

AIN devices directly from these AIN tag 

manufacturers or from the AIN device 

managers or resellers who have 

marketing agreements with the 

authorized manufacturers. Additional 

companies and individuals may become 

engaged in the distribution of AIN 

devices. Because each of these groups 

and entities has a role in the 

distribution of AIN devices, a process 

that will be affected by this transition to 

State and private AIN DDDs, these 

entities too should consider 

participating in the meetings even if 

they do not plan on providing AIN 

DDDs. 

The first of the two public meetings 

is scheduled for Monday, March 5, 

2007, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and 

Tuesday, March 6, 2007, from 8 a.m. to 

noon. The second meeting is scheduled 

for Monday, March 12, 2007, from 1 

p.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday, March 13, 

2007, from 8 a.m. to noon. Information 

regarding the meetings may be obtained 

from the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 23rd day of 

February 2007. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–3509 Filed 2–27–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Commodity Credit Corporation 

Farm Service Agency 

Request for Extension of a Currently 

Approved Information Collection; 

Application for Payment of Amounts 

Due Persons Who Have Died, 

Disappeared, or Have Been Declared 

Incompetent (FSA–325) 

AGENCY: Commodity Credit 

Corporation/Farm Service Agency, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the intent of the 

Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) 

and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to 

request the renewal of a currently 

approved information collection. This 

information collection is used by CCC 

and FSA to document or determine 

whether representatives or survivors of 

a producer are entitled to receive 

payments earned by a producer who 

dies, disappears, or is declared 

incompetent before receiving payments 

or other disbursements. 

DATE: Comments on this notice must be 

received on or before April 30, 2007 to 

be assured consideration. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mike Sienkiewicz, Agricultural Program 

Specialist, Production, Emergencies, 

and Compliance Division, USDA, FSA, 

STOP 0517, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250–

0517, telephone (202)720–8959; 

Electronic mail: 

Mike.sienkiewica@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Application for Payment of 

Amounts Due Persons Who Have Died, 

Disappeared, or Have Been Declared 

Incompetent. 

OMB Control Number: 0560–0026. 

Expiration Date: September 30, 2007. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: Persons desiring to claim 

payment due a person who has died, 

disappeared, or has been declared 

incompetent must do so on Form FSA–

325, ‘‘Application for Payment of 

Amounts Due Persons Who Have Died, 

Disappeared, or Have Been Declared 

Incompetent’’. This information is used 

by FSA county office employees to 

document the relationship of heirs or 

beneficiaries and determine the order of 

precedence for disbursing payments to 

survivors of the person who has died, 


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