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

31078 

Vol. 79, No. 104 

Friday, May 30, 2014 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2014–0037] 

Notice of Request for Extension of 

Approval of an Information Collection; 

Karnal Bunt; Importation of Wheat and 

Related Articles 

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 

the regulations for the importation of 

wheat and related articles from regions 

affected with Karnal bunt. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before July 29, 

2014. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/

#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0037. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2014–0037, 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-2014-0037 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. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on the regulations for the 

importation of wheat and related 

articles from regions affected with 

Karnal bunt, contact Mr. William Aley, 

Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist, 

PPIP, RPM, PHP, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 

River Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 

20737; (301) 851–2130. 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: Karnal Bunt; Importation of 

Wheat and Related Articles. 

OMB Number: 0579–0240. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

approval of an information collection. 

Abstract: Under the Plant Protection 

Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), the Secretary 

of Agriculture is authorized, among 

other things, to prohibit or restrict the 

importation, entry, or interstate 

movement of plants, plant products, 

biological control organism, noxious 

weeds, means of conveyances, and other 

articles to prevent the introduction of 

plant pests or noxious weeds into the 

United States or their dissemination 

within the United States. This authority 

has been delegated to the Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service 

(APHIS). 

Karnal bunt is a fungal disease of 

wheat (Triticum aestivum), durum 

wheat (Triticum durum), and triticale 

(Triticum aestivum X Secale cereale), a 

hybrid of wheat and rye. Karnal bunt is 

caused by the smut fungus Tilletia 

indica (Mitra) Mundkhur and is spread 

by spores, primarily through movement 

of infected seed. Karnal bunt is found in 

Afghanistan, India, Iraq, Pakistan, and 

portions of Mexico and the United 

States. 

To prevent the introduction and 

spread of various wheat diseases, 

including Karnal bunt, APHIS’ 

regulations in ‘‘Subpart—Wheat 

Diseases’’ (7 CFR 319.59–1 through 

319.59–4) prohibit the importation of 

wheat seed, plants, straw, and other 

products into the United States from 

regions affected with Karnal bunt. 

The regulations require that certain 

regulated articles imported from Karnal 

bunt-free areas within regions regulated 

for Karnal bunt be accompanied by a 

phytosanitary certificate that must be 

completed by an official of the national 

plant protection organization of the 

region of origin. The certificate must 

include a declaration stating that the 

regulated articles originated in areas 

where Karnal bunt is not known to 

occur, as attested to either by survey 

results or by testing for bunted kernels 

or spores. 

We are asking the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to 

approve our use of this information 

collection activity 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 1.2 

hours per response. 

Respondents: U.S. importers/

exporters of wheat and the national 

plant protection organization of the 

region of origin. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 500. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 1. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 500. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 600 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 

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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 104 / Friday, May 30, 2014 / Notices 31079 

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, and the 

comments we received, go to http://

www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS2012-0090. 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

also become a matter of public record. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 23rd day of 

May 2014. 

Kevin Shea, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–12549 Filed 5–29–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2012–0090] 

Syngenta Seeds, Inc., and Bayer 

CropScience AG; Availability of Plant 

Pest Risk Assessment, Environmental 

Assessment, Preliminary Finding of No 

Significant Impact, and Preliminary 

Determination of Nonregulated Status 

of Soybean Genetically Engineered for 

Herbicide Resistance 

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 prepared a 

preliminary determination regarding a 

request from Syngenta Seeds, Inc., and 

Bayer CropScience AG seeking a 

determination of nonregulated status of 

soybean designated as SYHTOH2, 

which has been genetically engineered 

for resistance to the herbicide 

glufosinate and phydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase 

inhibiting herbicides such as 

isoxaflutole and mesotrione. We are also 

making available for public review our 

plant pest risk assessment, 

environmental assessment, and 

preliminary finding of no significant 

impact for the preliminary 

determination of nonregulated status. 

DATES: We will consider any 

information that we receive on or before 

June 30, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit any 

information by either of the following 

methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/

#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0090. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your information to Docket No. 

APHIS–2012–0090, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

3A–03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

Supporting documents for this 

petition and any other information we 

receive on this docket may be viewed at 

http://www.regulations.gov/

#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0090 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 for this 

petition are also available on the APHIS 

Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ 

biotechnology/petitions_table_

pending.shtml under APHIS Petition 

Number 12–215–01p. 

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: 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 (GE) 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 12–215–01p) from 

Syngenta Seeds, Inc., (Syngenta) and 

Bayer CropScience AG (BCS) of 

Research Triangle Park, NC, seeking a 

determination of nonregulated status of 

soybean (Glycine max) designated as 

event SYHTOH2, which has been 

genetically engineered to withstand 

exposure to the herbicide glufosinate 

and p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate 

dioxygenase inhibiting herbicides such 

as isoxaflutole and mesotrione. The 

petition states that this soybean is 

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 input when 

considering petitions for determinations 

of nonregulated status of GE organisms, 

APHIS accepts written comments 

regarding a petition once APHIS deems 

it complete. In a notice 2 published in 

the Federal Register on February 27, 

2013, (78 FR 13305–13307, Docket No. 

APHIS–2012–0090), APHIS announced 

the availability of the Syngenta/BCS 

petition for public comment. APHIS 

solicited comments on the petition for 

60 days ending on April 29, 2013, in 

order to help identify potential 

environmental and interrelated 

economic impacts that APHIS may 

determine should be considered in our 

evaluation of the petition. 

APHIS received 28 comments on the 

petition. Several of these comments 

included electronic attachments 

consisting of many identical or nearly 

identical letters, for a total of 584 

comments. Issues raised during the 

comment period include concerns 

regarding the development of herbicideresistant weeds, potential impacts on 

organic farmers, and health concerns. 

APHIS has evaluated the issues raised 

during the comment period and, where 

appropriate, has provided a discussion 

of these issues in our environmental 

assessment (EA). 

After public comments are received 

on a completed petition, APHIS 

evaluates those comments and then 

provides a second opportunity for 

public involvement in our 

decisionmaking process. According to 

our public input process (see footnote 

1), the second opportunity for public 

involvement follows one of two 

approaches, as described below. 

If APHIS decides, based on its review 

of the petition and its evaluation and 

analysis of comments received during 

the 60-day public comment period on 

the petition, that the petition involves a 

GE organism that raises no substantive 

new issues, APHIS will follow 

Approach 1 for public involvement. 

Under Approach 1, APHIS announces in 

the Federal Register the availability of 

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