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

27301 

Vol. 76, No. 91 

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

May 5, 2011. 

The Department of Agriculture has 

submitted the following information 

collection requirement(s) to OMB for 

review and clearance under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13. Comments 

regarding (a) 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; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of burden including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

through the use of appropriate 

automated, electronic, mechanical, or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology should be addressed to: Desk 

Officer for Agriculture, Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB), 

OIRA_Submission@OMB.EOP.GOV or 

fax (202) 395–5806 and to Departmental 

Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail 

Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250– 

7602. Comments regarding these 

information collections are best assured 

of having their full effect if received 

within 30 days of this notification. 

Copies of the submission(s) may be 

obtained by calling (202) 720–8681. 

An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor a collection of information 

unless the collection of information 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number and the agency informs 

potential persons who are to respond to 

the collection of information that such 

persons are not required to respond to 

the collection of information unless it 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. 

Rural Housing Service 

Title: 7 CFR Part 3565, ‘‘Guaranteed 

Rural Rental Housing Program’’ and Its’ 

Supporting Handbook. 

OMB Control Number: 0575–0174. 

Summary of Collection: On March 26, 

1996, the Housing Opportunity Program 

Extension Act of 1996 was signed. One 

of the provisions of the Act was the 

authorization of the section 538 

Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing 

Program (GRRHP), adding the program 

to the Housing Act of 1949. The purpose 

of the GRRHP is to increase the supply 

of affordable rural rental housing 

through the use of loan guarantees that 

encourage partnerships between the 

Rural Housing Service (RHS), private 

lenders and public agencies. RUS will 

approve qualified lenders to participate 

and monitor lender performance to 

ensure program requirements are met. 

RHS will collect information from 

lenders on the eligibility cost, benefits, 

feasibility, and financial performance of 

the proposed project. 

Need and Use of the Information: 

RHS will collect information from 

lenders to manage, plan, evaluate, and 

account for Government resources and 

from time to time, propose 

demonstration programs that use loan 

guarantees or interest credit. The 

GRRHP regulation and handbook will 

provide lenders and agency staff with 

guidance on the origination, and 

servicing of GRRHP loans and the 

approval of qualified lenders. RHS will 

use the information to evaluate a 

lender’s request and make 

determination that the interests of the 

government are protected. Failure to 

collect information could have an 

adverse impact on the agency ability to 

monitor lenders and assess program 

effectiveness and effectively guarantee 

loans. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit; Not-for-profit 

Institutions. 

Number of Respondents: 150. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

Quarterly; Monthly; Annually. 

Total Burden Hours: 1,492. 

Charlene Parker, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2011–11491 Filed 5–10–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XT–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2007–0130] 

Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc.; 

Availability of Petition, Plant Pest Risk 

Assessment, and Environmental 

Assessment of Determination of 

Nonregulated Status for LepidopteranResistant Cotton 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service has received a 

petition from Syngenta Biotechnology, 

Inc., seeking a determination of 

nonregulated status for cotton 

designated as event COT67B, which has 

been genetically engineered to express a 

protein to protect cotton plants from 

lepidopteran insect damage. The 

petition has been submitted in 

accordance with our regulations 

concerning the introduction of certain 

genetically engineered organisms and 

products. We are soliciting comments 

on whether this genetically engineered 

cotton is likely to pose a plant pest risk. 

We are making available for public 

comment the Syngenta petition, our 

plant pest risk assessment, and our draft 

environmental assessment for the 

proposed determination of nonregulated 

status. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before July 11, 

2011. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/

component/main?main=DocketDetail&

d=APHIS–2007-0130 to submit or view 

comments and to view supporting and 

related materials available 

electronically. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Please send one copy of your comment 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES

27302 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 91 / Wednesday, May 11, 2011 / Notices 

to Docket No. APHIS–2007–0130, 

Regulatory Analysis and Development, 

PPD, APHIS, Station 3A–03.8, 4700 

River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 

20737–1238. Please state that your 

comment refers to Docket No. APHIS– 

2007–0130. 

Reading Room: You may read any 

comments that we receive on this 

docket 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) 690–2817 before 

coming. 

Availability of Documents: The 

petition, draft environmental 

assessment, and plant pest risk 

assessment are available on the 

Regulations.gov Web site (see link 

above) or on the APHIS Web site at 

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

aphisdocs/07_10801p.pdf, http:// 

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

07_10801p _dea.pdf, and http:// 

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

07_10801p _dpra.pdf. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Rick Coker, Biotechnology Regulatory 

Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 

147, Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) 

734–5720, e-mail: 

richard.s.coker@aphis.usda.gov. To 

obtain copies of the petition, draft 

environmental assessment, or plant pest 

risk assessment, contact Ms. Cindy Eck 

at (301) 734–0667, e-mail: 

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Under the authority of the plant pest 

provisions of the Plant Protection Act (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 a petition (APHIS 

Petition Number 07–108–01p) from 

Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc. 

(Syngenta), seeking a determination of 

nonregulated status for cotton 

(Gossypium spp.) designated as 

COT67B, which has been genetically 

engineered to express a Cry1Ab protein 

to protect cotton plants from 

lepidopteran insect damage, stating that 

cotton event COT67B is unlikely to pose 

a plant pest risk and, therefore, should 

not be a regulated article under APHIS’ 

regulations in 7 CFR part 340. 

As described in the petition, COT67B 

cotton produces a full-length Cry1Ab 

protein originally derived from Bacillus 

thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD–1 

which has activity against several 

important lepidopteran pest species of 

cotton. These include, but are not 

limited to, Helicoverpa zea (cotton 

bollworm), Heliothis virescens (tobacco 

budworm), Pectinophora gossypiella 

(pink bollworm), and Trichoplusia ni 

(cabbage looper). Cotton event COT67B 

is currently regulated under 7 CFR part 

340. Interstate movements and field 

tests of cotton event COT67B have been 

conducted under notifications 

acknowledged by APHIS. 

Field tests conducted under APHIS 

oversight allowed for evaluation in a 

natural agricultural setting while 

imposing measures to minimize the risk 

of persistence in the environment after 

completion of the test. Data are gathered 

on multiple parameters and used by the 

applicant to evaluate agronomic 

characteristics and product 

performance. These data are used by 

APHIS to determine if the new variety 

poses a plant pest risk. Syngenta has 

petitioned APHIS to make a 

determination that cotton event COT67B 

should not be regulated under 7 CFR 

part 340. 

In section 403 of the Plant Protection 

Act, ‘‘plant pest’’ is defined as any living 

stage of any of the following that can 

directly or indirectly injure, cause 

damage to, or cause disease in any plant 

or plant product: A protozoan, a 

nonhuman animal, a parasitic plant, a 

bacterium, a fungus, a virus or viroid, an 

infectious agent or other pathogen, or 

any article similar to or allied with any 

of the foregoing. APHIS has prepared a 

plant pest risk assessment to determine 

if cotton event COT67B is unlikely to 

pose a plant pest risk. 

APHIS has also prepared a draft 

environmental assessment (EA) in 

which it presents two alternatives based 

on its analyses of data submitted by 

Syngenta, a review of other scientific 

data, and field tests conducted under 

APHIS oversight. APHIS is considering 

the following alternatives: (1) Take no 

action, i.e., APHIS would not change the 

regulatory status of cotton event 

COT67B and it would continue to be a 

regulated article, or (2) approve the 

petition based on a determination of the 

nonregulated status of cotton event 

COT67B in whole. 

The draft EA has been prepared to 

provide the APHIS decisionmaker with 

a review and analysis of any potential 

environmental impacts associated with 

the proposed determination of 

nonregulated status for cotton event 

COT67B. The draft 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). 

In accordance with § 340.6(d) of the 

regulations, we are publishing this 

notice to inform the public that APHIS 

will accept written comments regarding 

the petition for a determination of 

nonregulated status from interested or 

affected persons for a period of 60 days 

from the date of this notice. We are also 

soliciting written comments from 

interested or affected persons on the 

plant pest risk assessment and the draft 

EA prepared to examine any potential 

environmental impacts of the proposed 

determination of the nonregulated status 

of the subject cotton line. The petition, 

draft EA, and plant pest risk assessment 

are available for public review, and 

copies of the petition, draft EA, and 

plant pest risk assessment are available 

as indicated under ADDRESSES and FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above. 

After the comment period closes, 

APHIS will review all written comments 

received during the comment period 

and any other relevant information. All 

comments received regarding the 

petition, draft EA, and plant pest risk 

assessment will be available for public 

review as indicated under ADDRESSES

above. After reviewing and evaluating 

the comments on the petition, the draft 

EA, plant pest risk assessment, and 

other data, APHIS will furnish a 

response to the petitioner, either 

approving or denying the petition. 

APHIS will also publish a notice in the 

Federal Register announcing the 

regulatory status of cotton event 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 91 / Wednesday, May 11, 2011 / Notices 27303 

COT67B and the availability of APHIS’ 

written environmental decision and 

regulatory determination. 

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 4th day of 

May 2011. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–11519 Filed 5–10–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0023] 

Monsanto Co.; Availability of Petition, 

Plant Pest Risk Assessment, and 

Environmental Assessment for 

Determination of Nonregulated Status 

for Corn Genetically Engineered for 

Drought Tolerance 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service has received a 

petition from the Monsanto Company 

seeking a determination of nonregulated 

status for corn designated as MON 

87460, which has been genetically 

engineered for drought tolerance. The 

petition has been submitted in 

accordance with our regulations 

concerning the introduction of certain 

genetically engineered organisms and 

products. We are soliciting comments 

on whether this genetically engineered 

corn is likely to pose a plant pest risk. 

We are making available for public 

comment the Monsanto petition, our 

plant pest risk assessment, and our draft 

environmental assessment for the 

proposed determination of nonregulated 

status. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before July 11, 

2011. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/ 

component/ 

main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS2011-0023 to submit or view comments 

and to view supporting and related 

materials available electronically. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Please send one copy of your comment 

to Docket No. APHIS-2011–0023, 

Regulatory Analysis and Development, 

PPD, APHIS, Station 3A–03.8, 4700 

River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 

20737–1238. Please state that your 

comment refers to Docket No. APHIS– 

2011–0023. 

Reading Room: You may read any 

comments that we receive on this 

docket 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) 690–2817 before 

coming. 

Availability of Documents: The 

petition, draft environmental 

assessment, and plant pest risk 

assessment are on available on the 

Regulations.gov Web site (see link 

above) or on the APHIS Web site at 

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

aphisdocs/09_05501p.pdf, http:// 

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

09_05501p _dea.pdf, and http:// 

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

09_05501p _dpra.pdf. 

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, e-mail: 

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

obtain copies of the petition, draft 

environmental assessment, or plant pest 

risk assessment, contact Ms. Cindy Eck 

at (301) 734–0667, e-mail: 

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Under the authority of the plant pest 

provisions of the Plant Protection Act (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 a petition (APHIS 

Petition Number 09–055–01p) from the 

Monsanto Company (Monsanto) of St. 

Louis, MO, seeking a determination of 

nonregulated status for corn (Zea mays 

L.) designated as event MON 87460, 

which has been genetically engineered 

for drought tolerance, stating that this 

corn is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk 

and, therefore, should not be a regulated 

article under APHIS’ regulations in 7 

CFR part 340. 

As described in the petition, an 

introduced gene called cold shock 

protein B, derived from the bacterium 

Bacillus subtilis, appears to help 

maintain plant cellular functions and is 

expected to reduce yield loss under 

water-limited conditions compared to 

conventional corn. Corn event MON 

87460 is currently regulated under 7 

CFR part 340. Interstate movements and 

field tests of corn event MON 87460 

have been conducted under permits 

issued or notifications acknowledged by 

APHIS. 

Field tests conducted under APHIS 

oversight allowed for evaluation in a 

natural agricultural setting while 

imposing measures to minimize the risk 

of persistence in the environment after 

completion of the test. Data are gathered 

on multiple parameters and used by the 

applicant to evaluate agronomic 

characteristics and product 

performance. These data are used by 

APHIS to determine if the new variety 

poses a plant pest risk. Monsanto has 

petitioned APHIS to make a 

determination that corn event MON 

87460 should not be regulated under 7 

CFR part 340. 

In section 403 of the Plant Protection 

Act, ‘‘plant pest’’ is defined as any living 

stage of any of the following that can 

directly or indirectly injure, cause 

damage to, or cause disease in any plant 

or plant product: A protozoan, a 

nonhuman animal, a parasitic plant, a 

bacterium, a fungus, a virus or viroid, an 

infectious agent or other pathogen, or 

any article similar to or allied with any 

of the foregoing. APHIS has prepared a 

plant pest risk assessment to determine 

if corn event MON 87460 is unlikely to 

pose a plant pest risk. 

APHIS has also prepared a draft 

environmental assessment (EA) in 

which it presents two alternatives based 

on its analyses of data submitted by 

Monsanto, a review of other scientific 

data, and field tests conducted under 

APHIS oversight. APHIS is considering 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES