48456 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

7 CFR Parts 201 and 361

[Docket No. 93–126–5]

RIN 0579–AA64

Imported Seed and Screenings

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: We are amending the

‘‘Imported Seed’’ regulations by moving

the regulations to a different chapter in

the Code of Federal Regulations;

establishing a seed analysis program

with Canada; and allowing U.S.

companies that import seed for cleaning

or screenings for processing to enter into

compliance agreements with the Animal

and Plant Health Inspection Service.

These changes are being made to reflect

recent amendments to the Federal Seed

Act and the transfer of responsibility for

the import provisions of the act from the

Agricultural Marketing Service to the

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service. These changes will bring the

imported seed regulations into

agreement with the amended Federal

Seed Act, eliminate the need for

sampling shipments of Canadian-origin

seed at the border, and allow certain

seed importers to clean seed without the

direct monitoring of an Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service

inspector.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 16, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Polly Lehtonen, Botanist, Biological

Assessment and Taxonomic Support,

PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133,

Riverdale, MD 20737–1236, (301) 734–

8896.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Under the authority of the Federal

Seed Act of 1939, as amended (FSA),

the U.S. Department of Agriculture

(USDA) regulates the importation and

interstate movement of certain

agricultural and vegetable seed and

screenings. Title III of the FSA, ‘‘Foreign

Commerce,’’ requires shipments of

imported agricultural and vegetable

seed to be labeled correctly and to be

tested for the presence of the seeds of

certain noxious weeds as a condition of

entry into the United States. The

USDA’s regulations implementing the

provisions of the FSA are found at 7

CFR part 201; the regulations

implementing the foreign commerce

provisions of the FSA are found in

§§ 201.101 through 201.230 (referred to

below as the regulations).

The responsibility for inspection of

imported seeds under Title III of the

FSA was transferred from the

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to

the Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service (APHIS) by a final rule

amending the delegations of authority

from the Secretary of Agriculture that

was published in the Federal Register

on September 22, 1982 (47 FR 41725),

and effective October 1, 1982.

In a proposed rule published in the

Federal Register on October 4, 1996 (61

FR 51791–51810, Docket No. 93–126–4),

we proposed to revise the regulations to

reflect amendments to the FSA and the

transfer of regulatory authority for Title

III of the FSA from AMS to APHIS. To

reflect that change in authority, we

proposed to move the regulations from

7 CFR chapter I, which is one of the

chapters in which AMS regulations

appear, to 7 CFR chapter III, where

APHIS’ plant-related regulations appear.

As part of that proposed move, we also

proposed to update the regulations to

reflect amendments to the FSA and

make nonsubstantive editorial changes

to the arrangement and wording of the

regulatory text to improve its clarity. We

also announced that we would host a

public hearing on November 21, 1996,

to provide interested persons with an

opportunity to present their views

regarding the proposed rule.

We solicited comments concerning

the proposed rule for 60 days ending

December 3, 1996. We received five

comments by that date. The November

21, 1996, hearing was held as

scheduled, but no members of the

public attended to present comments

(although one of the five comments

mentioned above was included in the

record of the public hearing at the

request of the person who submitted the

comment). The comments we received

were from U.S. and Canadian seed

analysts associations, a seed trade

association, and two State departments

of agriculture. Although all of the

commenters offered support for the

proposed rule, each of them offered

suggestions or sought clarification

regarding the changes proposed in the

proposed rule. Those comments are

discussed below.

Change in Responsible Canadian

Agency

On April 1, 1997, the Canadian Food

Inspection Agency, a public agency

reporting to Canada’s Minister of

Agriculture and Agri-Food, was

established. The Canadian Food

Inspection Agency’s responsibilities

include plant health activities

conducted at the Federal level,

including the seed analysis and

laboratory accreditation activities we

had attributed to Agriculture and AgriFood Canada in the proposed rule.

Therefore, for accuracy, we will refer to

the Canadian Food Inspection Agency,

rather than to Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, throughout this

document. We have also updated the

regulations in § 371.7(a) to reflect that

change.

Discussion of Comments

Comment: The proposed regulations

refer to an ‘‘official seed analyst,’’ which

is defined as a ‘‘registered member of

the Association of Official Seed

Analysts’’ (AOSA). The AOSA does not

have a category of ‘‘registered member,’’

and the voting category of membership

in AOSA is entitled ‘‘official

laboratory.’’ Therefore, the term ‘‘official

seed laboratory,’’ which would be

defined as an official laboratory member

of AOSA, should be used instead of

‘‘official seed analyst.’’

Response: We agree with the

commenter and have made the

suggested changes. Specifically, we

have changed the definition in § 361.1

of ‘‘official seed analyst’’ to ‘‘official

seed laboratory’’ with the suggested

definition, and we have changed a

reference in § 361.8(a)(1) from ‘‘official

seed analyst’’ to ‘‘official seed

laboratory.’’

Comment: Members of the

Commercial Seed Analysts Association

of Canada (CSAAC) should be given the

same recognition as the registered seed

technologists and official seed analysts

mentioned in the proposed rule.

Response: The role of the registered

seed technologist and official seed

analyst (now official seed laboratory, as

noted above) in the proposed

regulations and in this final rule is

limited to analyzing representative

samples of seed cleaned in the United

States under a compliance agreement as

set forth in § 361.8(a)(1). While it is

likely that members of CSAAC are

working in laboratories associated with

or accredited by the Canadian Food

Inspection Agency and will, thus, be

involved in the analysis and

certification of seed in Canada under

§ 361.7, we do not foresee that they

would be involved in the analysis of

seed after it has been imported into the

United States and cleaned. For that

reason, we do not believe it is necessary

to explicitly mention CSAAC or its

members in the regulations. Therefore,

we have made no changes in this final

rule based on that comment.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 48457

Comment: The noxious weed seed

tolerances set out in § 361.6(b) are too

lenient. As it is currently written, the

discovery of two seeds in an initial

examination triggers a second

examination; if two or fewer seeds are

found in the second examination, the lot

of seed may be imported. Such a

tolerance would allow approximately

100 noxious weed seeds per 50 lb. bag

for a crop seed the size of wheat. The

discovery of even one or two seeds in

a second examination serves only to

confirm that prohibited noxious weed

seeds are present in the lot of seed. The

regulations should be changed to

require a second examination upon the

discovery of a single noxious weed seed;

if the second examination yields one or

more noxious weed seeds, then the lot

of seed should be refused entry.

Response: The tolerances established

under the FSA are consistent with those

of the Association of Official Seed

Analysts (AOSA) and the Association of

American Seed Control Officials’

‘‘Recommended Uniform State Seed

Law’’ (RUSSL), as amended in July

1996. The RUSSL recommends that

State seed laws recognize the tolerances

in AOSA’s ‘‘Rules for Testing Seeds.’’

Also, within the framework of the

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

and the North American Free Trade

Agreement, a quarantine action such as

that recommended by the commenter,

i.e. prohibiting all weed seeds with no

tolerances, is not appropriate for pests

that are widespread in the importing

country. All of the weeds for which we

allow tolerances are already established

and widespread in the United States.

Therefore, we have made no changes in

this final rule based on that comment.

Comment: The list of noxious weeds

in § 361.6 does not include many

species of weeds that are prohibited in

many States. This could result in a State

having to accept an imported lot of seed

that contains weed seeds that are

prohibited by that State but not by

regulations. The list of noxious weeds in

§ 361.6 should be expanded to include

noxious weed seed prohibited by States.

Response: The commenter is correct

in noting that many States prohibit

weeds that are not included on the list

of noxious weeds in § 361.6; it is also

true, however, that the list in § 361.6 is

more restrictive than the noxious weed

lists maintained by some other States.

Generally speaking, the weeds found in

the list in § 361.6 are those weeds

prohibited most often by individual

States. Any State may inspect seed

shipments sold within its borders and

can issue a ‘‘stop sale’’ if a State

inspector finds weeds on the State’s

prohibited list. Further, the AMS’

regulations in 7 CFR 201.50 recognize

each States’ prohibited weed list in

enforcing the interstate provisions of the

FSA. Because individual States have the

authority to prevent the sale within

their borders of seed containing weed

seeds prohibited under State

regulations, we do not believe it is

necessary to amend the imported seed

regulations to reflect the noxious weed

lists of all the States. We have, therefore,

made no changes in this final rule based

on that comment.

Comment: As set forth in the

proposed rule, the regulations in § 361.7

are unclear as to who in Canada will be

doing the sampling of seed intended for

export to the United States. Sampling

must be performed by persons trained in

proper sampling and who are in no way

biased as to test outcome.

Response: The sampling in Canada

will be performed in the manner seen as

necessary by the commenter. Seed

samples drawn in Canada pursuant to

the regulations in § 361.7 will be

analyzed by the Canadian Food

Inspection Agency or by a private seed

laboratory accredited by the Canadian

Food Inspection Agency, and the

Canadian Food Inspection Agency has

informed APHIS that it will require

those laboratories testing seed for export

to the United States to test only

‘‘officially recognized samples’’ as

defined by the Canada Seeds

Regulations. Thus, the seed will have to

be drawn according to recognized

methods by an accredited grader, a

person licensed to operate an approved

conditioner, or a person accredited by

an official certifying agency to sample

seed.

Comment: APHIS should require

sampling for seed imported for feeding

purposes. Seed screenings are often

used as a component of feed and may

contain a high percentage of viable

noxious weed seeds. There should be

limitations on viable noxious weed

seeds in feed and some measure of

sampling or monitoring.

Response: As we noted in the

proposed rule with regard to screenings,

the process usually used to produce

animal feed—i.e., an extrusion process

that includes heating and pelletizing—

is sufficient to devitalize any live seed,

which reduces to an insignificant level

any risk that the feed would contain any

viable noxious weed seeds. We do not,

therefore, believe that it is necessary to

require sampling or monitoring for

imported seed declared for feeding

purposes.

Comment: When seed intended for

planting purposes is imported and

found to be adulterated with noxious

weed seeds, the regulations would allow

the seed to enter the United States if the

importer withdraws the original

declaration and files a new declaration

stating that the seed is being imported

for feeding or manufacturing purposes.

How can APHIS be sure that the

importer will not use the seed for

planting purposes once it reaches its

final destination in the United States?

Response: There are avenues that an

importer can pursue to render

adulterated seed fit for planting

purposes and penalties in place to

discourage the type of action envisioned

by the commenter. If a lot of seed is

deemed to be adulterated, the importer

of the seed would have the option of

sending the seed to a seed-cleaning

facility. After the noxious weed seeds

are removed, the importer could sell the

seed for planting purposes. When an

importer instead chooses to file a new

declaration for the seed, that new

declaration must include a statement

that no part of the seed will be used for

planting purposes, and the importer will

be bound to abide by the new

declaration. Under § 304 of the FSA (7

U.S.C. 1586), it is unlawful for any

person to sell or offer for sale any seed

or screenings for seeding (planting)

purposes if the seed or screenings were

imported for other than seeding

(planting) purposes. Any seed sold,

delivered for transportation in interstate

commerce, or transported in interstate

or foreign commerce in violation of any

of the provisions of the FSA would,

under § 405 of the FSA (7 U.S.C. 1595),

be subject to seizure. Further, § 406 of

the FSA (7 U.S.C. 1596) provides that

any person who knowingly violates any

provision of the FSA or the regulations

shall be deemed guilty of a

misdemeanor and, upon conviction

thereof, shall pay a fine of $1,000 for the

first offense and a fine of not more than

$2,000 for each subsequent offense. In

addition, if the importer intends to sell

the adulterated seed for planting

purposes but files a new declaration

stating that the seed is to be used for

feed or manufacturing purposes merely

to secure the release of the seed, the

importer could be subject to the

provisions of 18 U.S.C. 1001, which

provides, in part, that ‘‘Whoever, in any

matter within the jurisdiction of any

department or agency of the United

States knowingly and willfully * * *

makes any false, fictitious or fraudulent

statements or representations, or makes

or uses any false writing or document

knowing the same to contain any false,

fictitious or fraudulent statement or

entry, shall be fined under this title or

imprisoned not more than five years, or

both.’’
48458 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

Comment: Section 361.3 contains

references to seed treated with

mercurials. Is it not the case that

mercurial seed treatments were banned

several years ago?

Response: With regard to the

treatment of seeds with mercurials or

similarly toxic substances, the scope of

the FSA and the regulations is limited

to requiring that such treated seed be

properly labeled. Those labeling

requirements, as noted by the

commenter, are contained in § 361.3 of

the regulations. However, because

mercurials are harmful to humans and

vertebrate animals, they would be

covered under the Food and Drug

Administration’s (FDA’s) regulations in

16 CFR 2.25(b), which state, in part, that

the FDA ‘‘will regard as adulterated any

interstate shipment of the food seeds

wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley, and

sorghum bearing a poisonous treatment

in excess of a recognized tolerance or

treatment for which no tolerance or

exemption from tolerance is recognized

in regulations promulgated pursuant to

section 408 of the Federal Food, Drug,

and Cosmetic Act, unless such seeds

have been adequately denatured by a

suitable color to prevent their

subsequent inadvertent use as food for

man or feed for animals.’’ Thus, seeds

deemed adulterated by the FDA would

be subject to appropriate action by the

FDA under its authority.

Comment: Will APHIS monitor the

Canadian seed testing laboratories that

analyze the seed to be exported to the

United States? What actions will be

taken if APHIS finds that one of those

Canadian laboratories is conducting

incorrect or incomplete analyses on

seed to be exported to the United States?

Response: APHIS will take samples of

Canadian-origin seed for monitoring

purposes. If our test results do not agree

with those of the Canadian seed-testing

laboratory that analyzed the seed, we

will notify the Canadian Food

Inspection Agency of the discrepancy

and cooperate with the Canadian Food

Inspection Agency in its investigation of

the cause of the discrepancy. If

sampling or laboratory errors are found

to have occurred, corrective action will

be initiated by the Canadian Food

Inspection Agency. Further, APHIS will

increase its monitoring of seed

shipments that have been analyzed by

the laboratory in question.

Comment: Section 361.9 of the

proposed rule states that seed importers

must retain a seed sample from each lot

of imported seed for at least 1 year. This

requirement is too burdensome and

should be eliminated; such samples will

not assist in the tracing or monitoring of

potential problems. In addition, it has

traditionally been the role of the seed

exporter to maintain samples of seed

from each lot shipped.

Response: As we noted in the

proposed rule, seed companies must

already retain records and samples to

comply with the AMS’ regulations

promulgated under the interstate

provisions of the FSA, so we do not

believe that the recordkeeping

requirements of this rule place an

additional burden on those companies.

Further, even if exporters retain samples

from lots of seed shipped to this

country, only the importer’s sample can

be relied upon to accurately reflect the

content of the seed lot that was actually

received in the United States. Therefore,

we continue to believe that it is

necessary for importers to retain a seed

sample to provide a reference that

would help APHIS to trace the source of

potential problems and monitor the

efficacy of noxious weed examinations

and cleaning.

Other Changes

We have made a change to the

wording of the introductory text of

paragraph (a) in § 361.4, ‘‘Inspection at

the port of first arrival.’’ In the proposed

rule, that paragraph stated that all

agricultural seed, vegetable seed, and

screenings offered for entry into the

United States shall be ‘‘subject to

inspection’’ at the port of first arrival.

Because the phrase ‘‘subject to

inspection’’ does not accurately

represent what must occur at the port of

first arrival prior to seed and screenings,

or any other agricultural commodity,

being released for entry into the United

States, we have changed that paragraph

to make it clear that the seed or

screenings must be made available for

examination by an inspector and must

remain at the port of first arrival until

released by an inspector.

Similarly, we have changed those

sections of the regulations that refer to

an APHIS inspector’s ‘‘supervision’’ of

certain activities, i.e., the destruction or

cleaning of seed, the correction of the

labeling on a lot of seed, the removal of

seed from containers, and the

enforcement of compliance agreements.

To state that an APHIS inspector will

‘‘supervise’’ such activities may imply

that the inspector is in a position of

authority over the persons conducting

such activities and is, therefore,

responsible for all issues associated

with the conduct of those activities,

even issues unrelated to the inspector’s

authority such as worker safety or

compliance with labor laws. The actual

role of an APHIS inspector in such

situations is to ensure that the

requirements of APHIS’ regulations are

being satisfied; therefore, we have

replaced references to ‘‘supervision’’

with references to ‘‘monitoring’’ to more

clearly represent the role of APHIS

inspectors participating in activities

conducted in connection with the

regulations.

Therefore, based on the rationale set

forth in the proposed rule and in this

document, we are adopting the

provisions of the proposal as a final rule

with the changes discussed in this

document.

Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory

Flexibility Act

This rule has been reviewed under

Executive Order 12866. The rule has

been determined to be not significant for

purposes of Executive Order 12866 and,

therefore, has not been reviewed by the

Office of Management and Budget.

We are amending the ‘‘Imported

Seed’’ regulations by moving the

regulations to a different chapter in the

Code of Federal Regulations,

establishing a seed analysis program

with Canada, and allowing U.S.

companies that import seed for cleaning

or screenings for processing to enter into

compliance agreements with APHIS.

With these changes, the regulations will

reflect recent amendments to the FSA

and the transfer of responsibility for the

import provisions of the act from AMS

to APHIS, eliminate the need for

sampling shipments of Canadian-origin

seed at the border, and allow certain

seed importers to clean seed with

monitoring by an APHIS inspector.

No economic impact will result from

shifting the regulations to a different

chapter in the Code of Federal

Regulations. However, the elimination

of the requirement that shipments of

Canadian-origin seed be sampled at the

border will result in savings to APHIS.

This rule will require that all shipments

of Canadian-origin agricultural or

vegetable seed be accompanied by a

certificate of analysis issued by the

Canadian Food Inspection Agency or by

a private seed laboratory accredited by

the Canadian Food Inspection Agency;

that certificate of analysis precludes the

need for sampling and testing those

shipments of Canadian-origin seed. The

certificate of analysis will confirm the

seed shipment meets the noxious weed

tolerances and labeling requirements of

the FSA and the regulations. Therefore,

APHIS will no longer have to rely on

U.S. Customs Service inspectors at the

Canadian border to draw samples from

shipments of imported seed and mail

the seed samples to APHIS’’ Seed

Examination Facility (SEF) in Beltsville,

MD, for testing. Under the provisions of

this rule, the cost of the analysis and
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 48459

subsequent certification will be borne

by the owner or exporter of the seed, so

there will be a reduction in the

sampling and testing costs currently

borne by APHIS. We estimate that

APHIS will save over $103,000 annually

in salary and related expenditures

associated with the testing of Canadianorigin seed.

Imports of field and garden seeds

from Canada represent 80 percent of

total U.S. seed imports; from 1992 to

1994, imports of the regulated

agricultural and vegetable seeds from

Canada into the United States averaged

107,270 tons per year, with an average

value of $63.059 million. From fiscal

year 1989 to fiscal year 1993, the

number of seed shipments sampled

increased from 2,451 to 3,615 shipments

per year, an increase of 47.5 percent;

over the same period, SEF tested an

average of 2,907 seed samples per year.

In fiscal years 1994 and 1995,

approximately 5,000 Canadian seed

samples were tested. Only 3 percent of

Canadian seed shipments were refused

admission for noxious weed content.

This final rule’s requirement that

Canadian-origin seed be certified prior

to import into the United States will

eliminate the need for the routine

testing of Canadian-origin seed and thus

eliminate the costs associated with that

testing. Without the certificate

requirement, the SEF botanist spent

approximately 90 percent of his time

testing Canadian-origin seed for noxious

weed seeds, while his assistant spent

about 50 percent of his time on this task.

In terms of salaries and benefits, the

costs associated with the SEF’s testing

of Canadian seed are estimated to

exceed $100,000 annually. With the

certificate requirement for Canadian

seed in place, the time and costs spent

on testing Canadian seed may be shifted

into the SEF’s other areas of

responsibility.

This rule will also result in savings in

salary for the time spent by APHIS or

State inspectors monitoring the cleaning

of seed lots refused admission due to

noxious weed seed content. In fiscal

year 1995, 61 seed shipments were

refused entry due to noxious weed seed

content above tolerances. An inspector

spends an average of about 4 hours

monitoring the cleaning of each refused

shipment. The savings in the inspector’s

monitoring time in this activity is

estimated as $1,262.

This rule also allows companies that

import uncleaned seed for

reconditioning and resale to enter into

a compliance agreement with APHIS,

which will likely yield a savings to

APHIS in inspection time since only

periodic inspections of these companies

will be necessary to ensure compliance

with the conditions of the agreement. In

fiscal year 1995, two companies in

Idaho imported a total of 48 lots of seed

that required cleaning; APHIS employed

a contractor to monitor the cleaning of

those adulterated seed lots. A company

operating under a compliance

agreement will not require monitoring

for every lot of seed imported for

cleaning, so we expect there will be an

estimated $1,664 annual savings in

salary and benefits as a result of seedcleaning companies entering into

compliance agreements with APHIS.

In total, we expect an estimated

annual reduction of approximately

$103,000 in the costs associated with

the sampling and testing of Canadian

origin seed and the monitoring of seed

cleaning.

This rule is expected to impact

exporters of Canadian-origin seed, the

majority of which—over 95 percent—are

Canadian businesses. The cost of

obtaining a certificate of analysis from a

Canadian government or private

laboratory is estimated to range from

$13.00 to $58.00 per lot, depending on

the type of seed to be analyzed, or an

average of $35 per lot. The cost is the

same regardless of the size of the lot,

which can range from 50 to 50,000

pounds. Based upon fiscal year 1995

figures, there are approximately 6,000

seed shipments per year from Canada

that will require certification as a

condition of importation into the United

States. For the majority of shipments,

the cost of the certification does not

represent an additional expense because

much of the seed is likely to have been

tested anyway to meet the requirements

of the exporting company’s contracts

with its importing customers.

Nevertheless, the cost of a certificate is

small in comparison to the average

value of a seed shipment (which is

typically worth thousands of dollars)

and will not, therefore, impose a

significant economic burden on

Canadian seed exporters, large or small.

For this reason, any cost that is passed

on to U.S. buyers of Canadian seed is

likewise estimated to be small.

Less than 2 percent of the Canadian

seed imported into the United States is

imported through transactions between

Canadian seed exporters and individual

U.S. farms. (Individual farms located

near the U.S.-Canadian border typically

import small amounts of Canadian seed

to be used directly on farms.) While the

exact number of these entities is not

known, it is expected that the impact to

these individuals will be small because

seed sold in such small quantities is, in

almost all cases, already analyzed and

certified prior to its entry into the

United States.

Under these circumstances, the

Administrator of the Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service has

determined that this action will not

have a significant economic impact on

a substantial number of small entities.

Executive Order 12988

This rule has been reviewed under

Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice

Reform. This rule: (1) Preempts all State

and local laws and regulations that are

inconsistent with this rule; (2) has no

retroactive effect; and (3) does not

require administrative proceedings

before parties may file suit in court

challenging this rule.

Paperwork Reduction Act

In accordance with the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501

et seq.), the information collection or

recordkeeping requirements included in

this proposed rule have been approved

by the Office of Management and

Budget (OMB) under OMB control

number 0579–0124.

Regulatory Reform

This action is part of the President’s

Regulatory Reform Initiative, which,

among other things, directs agencies to

remove obsolete and unnecessary

regulations and to find less burdensome

ways to achieve regulatory goals.

List of Subjects

7 CFR Part 201

Advertising, Agricultural

commodities, Imports, Labeling,

Reporting and recordkeeping

requirements, Seeds, Vegetables.

7 CFR Part 361

Agricultural commodities, Imports,

Labeling, Quarantine, Reporting and

recordkeeping requirements, Seeds,

Vegetables, Weeds.

Accordingly, title 7, chapters I and III,

of the Code of Federal Regulations are

amended as follows:

PART 201—FEDERAL SEED ACT

REGULATIONS

1. The authority citation for part 201

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1592.

§ 201.38 [Amended]

2. Section 201.38 is amended by

removing the words ‘‘§§ 201.208 and

201.209’’ and adding the words ‘‘§ 361.4

of this title’’ in their place.
48460 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

§§ 201.101 through 201.230 [Removed]

3. In 7 CFR part 201, §§ 201.101

through 201.230 are removed.

4. A new 7 CFR part 361 is added to

read as follows:

PART 361—IMPORTATION OF SEED

AND SCREENINGS UNDER THE

FEDERAL SEED ACT

Sec.

361.1 Definitions.

361.2 General restrictions on the

importation of seed and screenings.

361.3 Declarations and labeling.

361.4 Inspection at the port of first arrival.

361.5 Sampling of seeds.

361.6 Noxious weed seeds.

361.7 Special provisions for Canadianorigin seed and screenings.

361.8 Cleaning of imported seed and

processing of certain Canadian-origin

screenings.

361.9 Recordkeeping.

361.10 Costs and charges.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1581–1610; 7 CFR 2.22,

2.80, and 371.2(c).

§ 361.1 Definitions.

Terms used in the singular form in

this part shall be construed as the

plural, and vice versa, as the case may

demand. The following terms, when

used in this part, shall be construed,

respectively, to mean:

Administrator. The Administrator of

the Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,

or any other individual to whom the

Administrator delegates authority to act

in his or her stead.

Agricultural seed. The following

kinds and varieties of grass, forage, and

field crop seed that are used for seeding

purposes in the United States:

Agrotricum—x Agrotriticum Ciferri and

Giacom.

Alfalfa—Medicago sativa L.

Alfilaria—Erodium cicutarium (L.) L’Her.

Alyceclover—Alysicarpus vaginalis (L.) DC.

Bahiagrass—Paspalum notatum Fluegge

Barley—Hordeum vulgare L.

Barrelclover—Medicago truncatula Gaertn.

Bean, adzuki—Vigna angularis (Willd.) Ohwi

and Ohashi

Bean, field—Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Bean, mung—Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek

Beet, field—Beta vulgaris L. subsp. vulgaris

Beet, sugar—Beta vulgaris L. subsp. vulgaris

Beggarweed, Florida—Desmodium tortuosum

(Sw.) DC.

Bentgrass, colonial—Agrostis capillaris L.

Bentgrass, creeping—Agrostis stolonifera L.

var. palustris (Huds.) Farw.

Bentgrass, velvet—Agrostis canina L.

Bermudagrass—Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.

var. dactylon

Bermudagrass, giant—Cynodon dactylon (L.)

Pers. var. aridus Harlan and de Wet

Bluegrass, annual—Poa annua L.

Bluegrass, bulbous—Poa bulbosa L.

Bluegrass, Canada—Poa compressa L.

Bluegrass, glaucantha—Poa glauca Vahl

Bluegrass, Kentucky—Poa pratensis L.

Bluegrass, Nevada—Poa secunda J.S. Presl

Bluegrass, rough—Poa trivialis L.

Bluegrass, Texas—Poa arachnifera Torr.

Bluegrass, wood—Poa nemoralis L.

Bluejoint—Calamagrostis canadensis

(Michx.) P. Beauv.

Bluestem, big—Andropogon gerardii Vitm.

var. gerardii

Bluestem, little—Schizachyrium scoparium

(Michx.) Nash

Bluestem, sand—Andropogon hallii Hack.

Bluestem, yellow—Bothriochloa ischaemum

(L.) Keng

Bottlebrush-squirreltail—Elymus elymoides

(Raf.) Swezey

Brome, field—Bromus arvensis L.

Brome, meadow—Bromus biebersteinii

Roem. and Schult.

Brome, mountain—Bromus marginatus

Steud.

Brome, smooth—Bromus inermis Leyss.

Broomcorn—Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench

Buckwheat—Fagopyrum esculentum Moench

Buffalograss—Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.)

Engelm.

Buffelgrass—Cenchrus ciliaris L.

Burclover, California—Medicago polymorpha

L.

Burclover, spotted—Medicago arabica (L.)

Huds.

Burnet, little—Sanguisorba minor Scop.

Buttonclover—Medicago orbicularis (L.)

Bartal.

Canarygrass—Phalaris canariensis L.

Canarygrass, reed—Phalaris arundinacea L.

Carpetgrass—Axonopus fissifolius (Raddi)

Kuhlm.

Castorbean—Ricinus communis L.

Chess, soft—Bromus hordeaceus L.

Chickpea—Cicer arietinum L.

Clover, alsike—Trifolium hybridum L.

Clover, arrowleaf—Trifolium vesiculosum

Savi

Clover, berseem—Trifolium alexandrinum L.

Clover, cluster—Trifolium glomeratum L.

Clover, crimson—Trifolium incarnatum L.

Clover, Kenya—Trifolium semipilosum

Fresen.

Clover, ladino—Trifolium repens L.

Clover, lappa—Trifolium lappaceum L.

Clover, large hop—Trifolium campestre

Schreb.

Clover, Persian—Trifolium resupinatum L.

Clover, red or

Red clover, mammoth—Trifolium pratense

L.

Red clover, medium—Trifolium pratense

L.

Clover, rose—Trifolium hirtum All.

Clover, small hop or suckling—Trifolium

dubium Sibth.

Clover, strawberry—Trifolium fragiferum L.

Clover, sub or subterranean—Trifolium

subterraneum L.

Clover, white—Trifolium repens L. (also see

Clover, ladino)

Clover—(also see Alyceclover, Burclover,

Buttonclover, Sourclover,

Sweetclover)

Corn, field—Zea mays L.

Corn, pop—Zea mays L.

Cotton—Gossypium spp.

Cowpea—Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.

subsp. unguiculata

Crambe—Crambe abyssinica R.E. Fries

Crested dogtail—Cynosurus cristatus L.

Crotalaria, lance—Crotalaria lanceolata E.

Mey.

Crotalaria, showy—Crotalaria spectabilis

Roth

Crotalaria, slenderleaf—Crotalaria brevidens

Benth. var. intermedia (Kotschy) Polh.

Crotalaria, striped or smooth—Crotalaria

pallida Ait.

Crotalaria, sunn—Crotalaria juncea L.

Crownvetch—Coronilla varia L.

Dallisgrass—Paspalum dilatatum Poir.

Dichondra—Dichondra repens Forst. and

Forst. f.

Dropseed, sand—Sporobolus cryptandrus

(Torr.) A. Gray

Emmer—Triticum dicoccon Schrank

Fescue, chewings—Festuca rubra L. subsp.

commutata Gaud.

Fescue, hair—Festuca tenuifolia Sibth.

Fescue, hard—Festuca brevipila Tracey

Fescue, meadow—Festuca pratensis Huds.

Fescue, red—Festuca rubra L. subsp. rubra

Fescue, sheep—Festuca ovina L. var. ovina

Fescue, tall—Festuca arundinacea Schreb.

Flax—Linum usitatissimum L.

Galletagrass—Hilaria jamesii (Torr.) Benth.

Grama, blue—Bouteloua gracilis (Kunth)

Steud.

Grama, side-oats—Bouteloua curtipendula

(Michx.) Torr.

Guar—Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.

Guineagrass—Panicum maximum Jacq. var.

maximum

Hardinggrass—Phalaris stenoptera Hack.

Hemp—Cannabis sativa L.

Indiangrass, yellow—Sorghastrum nutans

(L.) Nash

Indigo, hairy—Indigofera hirsuta L.

Japanese lawngrass—Zoysia japonica Steud.

Johnsongrass—Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.

Kenaf—Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Kochia, forage—Kochia prostrata (L.) Schrad.

Kudzu—Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr. var.

lobata (Willd.) Maesen and S. Almeida

Lentil—Lens culinaris Medik.

Lespedeza, Korean—Kummerowia stipulacea

(Maxim.) Makino

Lespedeza, sericea or Chinese—Lespedeza

cuneata (Dum.-Cours.) G. Don

Lespedeza, Siberian—Lespedeza juncea (L. f.)

Pers.

Lespedeza, striate—Kummerowia striata

(Thunb.) Schindler

Lovegrass, sand—Eragrostis trichodes (Nutt.)

Wood

Lovegrass, weeping—Eragrostis curvula

(Schrad.) Nees

Lupine, blue—Lupinus angustifolius L.

Lupine, white—Lupinus albus L.

Lupine, yellow—Lupinus luteus L.

Manilagrass—Zoysia matrella (L.) Merr.

Meadow foxtail—Alopecurus pratensis L.

Medic, black—Medicago lupulina L.

Milkvetch or cicer milkvetch—Astragalus

cicer L.

Millet, browntop—Brachiaria ramosa (L.)

Stapf

Millet, foxtail—Setaria italica (L.) Beauv.

Millet, Japanese—Echinochloa frumentacea

Link

Millet, pearl—Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.

Millet, proso—Panicum miliaceum L.

Molassesgrass—Melinis minutiflora Beauv.

Mustard, black—Brassica nigra (L.) Koch

Mustard, India—Brassica juncea (L.) Czernj.

and Coss.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 48461

Mustard, white—Sinapis alba L.

Napiergrass—Pennisetum purpureum

Schumach.

Needlegrass, green—Stipa viridula Trin.

Oat—Avena byzantina C. Koch, A. sativa L.,

A. nuda L.

Oatgrass, tall—Arrhenatherum elatius (L.)

J.S. Presl and K.B. Presl

Orchardgrass—Dactylis glomerata L.

Panicgrass, blue—Panicum antidotale Retz.

Panicgrass, green—Panicum maximum Jacq.

var. trichoglume Robyns

Pea, field—Pisum sativum L.

Peanut—Arachis hypogaea L.

Poa trivialis—(see Bluegrass, rough)

Rape, annual—Brassica napus L. var. annua

Koch

Rape, bird—Brassica rapa L. subsp. rapa

Rape, turnip—Brassica rapa L. subsp.

silvestris (Lam.) Janchen

Rape, winter—Brassica napus L. var. biennis

(Schubl. and Mart.) Reichb.

Redtop—Agrostis gigantea Roth

Rescuegrass—Bromus catharticus Vahl

Rhodesgrass—Chloris gayana Kunth

Rice—Oryza sativa L.

Ricegrass, Indian—Oryzopsis hymenoides

(Roem. and Schult.) Ricker

Roughpea—Lathyrus hirsutus L.

Rye—Secale cereale L.

Rye, mountain—Secale strictum (K.B. Presl)

K.B. Presl subsp. strictum

Ryegrass, annual or Italian—Lolium

multiflorum Lam.

Ryegrass, intermediate—Lolium x hybridum

Hausskn.

Ryegrass, perennial—Lolium perenne L.

Ryegrass, Wimmera—Lolium rigidum Gaud.

Safflower—Carthamus tinctorius L.

Sagewort, Louisiana—Artemisia ludoviciana

Nutt.

Sainfoin—Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.

Saltbush, fourwing—Atriplex canescens

(Pursh) Nutt.

Sesame—Sesamum indicum L.

Sesbania—Sesbania exaltata (Raf.) A.W. Hill

Smilo—Piptatherum miliaceum (L.) Coss.

Sorghum—Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench

Sorghum almum—Sorghum x almum L.

Parodi

Sorghum-sudangrass—Sorghum x

drummondii (Steud.) Millsp. and Chase

Sorgrass—Rhizomatous derivatives of a

johnsongrass x sorghum cross or a

johnsongrass x sudangrass cross

Southernpea—(See Cowpea)

Sourclover—Melilotus indicus (L.) All.

Soybean—Glycine max (L.) Merr.

Spelt—Triticum spelta L.

Sudangrass—Sorghum x drummondii

(Steud.) Millsp. and Chase

Sunflower—Helianthus annuus L.

Sweetclover, white—Melilotus albus Medik.

Sweetclover, yellow—Melilotus officinalis

Lam.

Sweet vernalgrass—Anthoxanthum

odoratum L.

Sweetvetch, northern—Hedysarum boreale

Nutt.

Switchgrass—Panicum virgatum L.

Timothy—Phleum pratense L.

Timothy, turf—Phleum bertolonii DC.

Tobacco—Nicotiana tabacum L.

Trefoil, big—Lotus uliginosus Schk.

Trefoil, birdsfoot—Lotus corniculatus L.

Triticale—x Triticosecale Wittm. (Secale x

Triticum)

Vaseygrass—Paspalum urvillei Steud.

Veldtgrass—Ehrharta calycina J.E. Smith

Velvetbean—Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. var.

utilis (Wight) Burck

Velvetgrass—Holcus lanatus L.

Vetch, common—Vicia sativa L. subsp. sativa

Vetch, hairy—Vicia villosa Roth subsp.

villosa

Vetch, Hungarian—Vicia pannonica Crantz

Vetch, monantha—Vicia articulata Hornem.

Vetch, narrowleaf or blackpod—Vicia sativa

L. subsp. nigra (L.) Ehrh.

Vetch, purple—Vicia benghalensis L.

Vetch, woollypod or winter—Vicia villosa

Roth subsp. varia (Host) Corb.

Wheat, common—Triticum aestivum L.

Wheat, club—Triticum compactum Host

Wheat, durum—Triticum durum Desf.

Wheat, Polish—Triticum polonicum L.

Wheat, poulard—Triticum turgidum L.

Wheat x Agrotricum—Triticum x

Agrotriticum

Wheatgrass, beardless—Pseudoroegneria

spicata (Pursh) A. Love

Wheatgrass, crested or fairway crested—

Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn.

Wheatgrass, crested or standard crested—

Agropyron desertorum (Link) Schult.

Wheatgrass, intermediate—Elytrigia

intermedia (Host) Nevski subsp.

intermedia

Wheatgrass, pubescent—Elytrigia intermedia

(Host) Nevski subsp. intermedia

Wheatgrass, Siberian—Agropyron fragile

(Roth) Candargy subsp. sibiricum (Willd.)

Meld.

Wheatgrass, slender—Elymus trachycaulus

(Link) Shinn.

Wheatgrass, streambank—Elymus

lanceolatus (Scribn. and J.G. Smith) Gould

subsp. lanceolatus

Wheatgrass, tall—Elytrigia elongata (Host)

Nevski

Wheatgrass, western—Pascopyrum smithii

(Rydb.) A. Love

Wildrye, basin—Leymus cinereus (Scribn.

and Merr.) A. Love

Wildrye, Canada—Elymus canadensis L.

Wildrye, Russian—Psathyrostachys juncea

(Fisch.) Nevski

Zoysia japonica—(see Japanese lawngrass)

Zoysia matrella—(see Manilagrass)

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service (APHIS). The Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service of the U.S.

Department of Agriculture.

APHIS inspector. Any employee of

the Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service or any other individual

authorized by the Administrator to

enforce this part.

Coated Seed. Any seed unit covered

with any substance that changes the

size, shape, or weight of the original

seed. Seeds coated with ingredients

such as, but not limited to, rhizobia,

dyes, and pesticides are excluded.

Declaration. A written statement of a

grower, shipper, processor, dealer, or

importer giving for any lot of seed the

kind, variety, type, origin, or the use for

which the seed is intended.

Hybrid. When applied to kinds or

varieties of seed means the first

generation seed of a cross produced by

controlling the pollination and by

combining two or more inbred lines;

one inbred or a single cross with an

open-pollinated variety; or two selected

clones, seed lines, varieties, or species.

‘‘Controlling the pollination’’ means to

use a method of hybridization that will

produce pure seed that is at least 75

percent hybrid seed. Hybrid

designations shall be treated as variety

names.

Import/importation. To bring into the

territorial limits of the United States.

Kind. One or more related species or

subspecies that singly or collectively is

known by one common name, e.g.,

soybean, flax, or carrot.

Lot of seed. A definite quantity of

seed identified by a lot number, every

portion or bag of which is uniform,

within permitted tolerances, for the

factors that appear in the labeling.

Mixture. Seeds consisting of more

than one kind or variety, each present

in excess of 5 percent of the whole.

Official seed laboratory. An official

laboratory member of the Association of

Official Seed Analysts.

Pelleted seed. Any seed unit covered

with a substance that changes the size,

shape, or weight of the original seed in

order to improve the plantability or

singulation of the seed.

Person. Any individual, partnership,

corporation, company, society,

association, receiver, trustee, or other

legal entity or organized group.

Port of first arrival. The land area

(such as a seaport, airport, or land

border station) where a person, or a

land, water, or air vehicle, first arrives

after entering the territorial limits of the

United States, and where inspection of

articles is carried out by APHIS

inspectors.

Registered seed technologist. A

registered member of the Society of

Commercial Seed Technologists.

Screenings. Chaff, sterile florets,

immature seed, weed seed, inert matter,

and any other materials removed in any

way from any seeds in any kind of

cleaning or processing and which

contains less than 25 percent of live

agricultural or vegetable seeds.

State. Any State, the District of

Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the

Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico,

the Virgin Islands of the United States,

and any other territory or possession of

the United States.

United States. All of the States.

Variety. A subdivision of a kind

which is characterized by growth, plant,

fruit, seed, or other characteristics by

which it can be differentiated from other

sorts of the same kind.
48462 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

Vegetable seed. The seed of the

following kinds and varieties that are or

may be grown in gardens or on truck

farms and are or may be generally

known and sold under the name of

vegetable seed:

Artichoke—Cynara cardunculus L. subsp.

cardunculus

Asparagus—Asparagus officinalis Baker

Asparagusbean or yard-long bean—Vigna

unguiculata (L.) Walp. subsp.

sesquipedalis (L.) Verdc.

Bean, garden—Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Bean, lima—Phaseolus lunatus L.

Bean, runner or scarlet runner—Phaseolus

coccineus L.

Beet—Beta vulgaris L. subsp. vulgaris

Broadbean—Vicia faba L.

Broccoli—Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis L.

Brussels sprouts—Brassica oleracea L. var.

gemmifera DC.

Burdock, great—Arctium lappa L.

Cabbage—Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata

L.

Cabbage, Chinese—Brassica rapa L. subsp.

pekinensis (Lour.) Hanelt

Cabbage, tronchuda—Brassica oleracea L.

var. costata DC.

Cantaloupe—(see Melon)

Cardoon—Cynara cardunculus L. subsp.

cardunculus

Carrot—Daucus carota L. subsp. sativus

(Hoffm.) Arcang.

Cauliflower—Brassica oleracea L. var.

botrytis L.

Celeriac—Apium graveolens L. var.

rapaceum (Mill.) Gaud.

Celery—Apium graveolens L. var. dulce

(Mill.) Pers.

Chard, Swiss—Beta vulgaris L. subsp. cicla

(L.) Koch

Chicory—Cichorium intybus L.

Chives—Allium schoenoprasum L.

Citron—Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum.

and Nakai var. citroides (Bailey) Mansf.

Collards—Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala

DC.

Corn, sweet—Zea mays L.

Cornsalad—Valerianella locusta (L.)

Laterrade

Cowpea—Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.

subsp. unguiculata

Cress, garden—Lepidium sativum L.

Cress, upland—Barbarea verna (Mill.) Asch.

Cress, water—Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum

(L.) Hayek

Cucumber—Cucumis sativus L.

Dandelion—Taraxacum officinale Wigg.

Dill—Anethum graveolens L.

Eggplant—Solanum melongena L.

Endive—Cichorium endivia L.

Gherkin, West India—Cucumis anguria L.

Kale—Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala DC.

Kale, Chinese—Brassica oleracea L. var.

alboglabra (Bailey) Musil

Kale, Siberian—Brassica napus L. var.

pabularia (DC.) Reichb.

Kohlrabi—Brassica oleracea L. var.

gongylodes L.

Leek—Allium porrum L.

Lettuce—Lactuca sativa L.

Melon—Cucumis melo L.

Muskmelon—(see Melon).

Mustard, India—Brassica juncea (L.) Czernj.

and Coss.

Mustard, spinach—Brassica perviridis

(Bailey) Bailey

Okra—Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench

Onion—Allium cepa L.

Onion, Welsh—Allium fistulosum L.

Pak-choi—Brassica rapa L. subsp. chinensis

(L.) Hanelt

Parsley—Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) A.W.

Hill

Parsnip—Pastinaca sativa L.

Pea—Pisum sativum L.

Pepper—Capsicum spp.

Pe-tsai—(see Chinese cabbage).

Pumpkin—Cucurbita pepo L., C. moschata

(Duchesne) Poiret, and C. maxima

Duchesne

Radish—Raphanus sativus L.

Rhubarb—Rheum rhabarbarum L.

Rutabaga—Brassica napus L. var.

napobrassica (L.) Reichb.

Sage—Salvia officinalis L.

Salsify—Tragopogon porrifolius L.

Savory, summer—Satureja hortensis L.

Sorrel—Rumex acetosa L.

Southernpea—(see Cowpea).

Soybean—Glycine max (L.) Merr.

Spinach—Spinacia oleracea L.

Spinach, New Zealand—Tetragonia

tetragonioides (Pall.) Ktze.

Squash—Cucurbita pepo L., C. moschata

(Duchesne) Poiret, and C. maxima

Duchesne

Tomato—Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.

Tomato, husk—Physalis pubescens L.

Turnip—Brassica rapa L. subsp. rapa

Watermelon—Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.)

Matsum. and Nakai var. lanatus

§ 361.2 General restrictions on the

importation of seed and screenings.

(a) No person shall import any

agricultural seed, vegetable seed, or

screenings into the United States unless

the importation is in compliance with

this part.

(b) Any agricultural seed, vegetable

seed, or screenings imported into the

United States not in compliance with

this part shall be subject to exportation,

destruction, disposal, or any remedial

measures that the Administrator

determines are necessary to prevent the

dissemination into the United States of

noxious weeds.

(c) Except as provided in § 361.7(b),

coated or pelleted seed may enter the

United States only if each lot of seed is

accompanied by an officially drawn and

sealed sample of seed drawn from the

lot before the seed was coated or

pelleted. The sample must be drawn in

a manner consistent with that described

in § 361.5 of this part.

(d) Except as provided in

§§ 361.4(a)(3) and 361.7(c), screenings of

all agricultural seed and vegetable seed

are prohibited entry into the United

States.

§ 361.3 Declarations and labeling.

(a) All lots of agricultural seed,

vegetable seed, and screenings imported

into the United States must be

accompanied by a declaration from the

importer of the seed or screenings. The

declaration must state the kind, variety,

and origin of each lot of seed or

screenings and the use for which the

seed or screenings are being imported.

(b) Each container of agricultural seed

and vegetable seed imported into the

United States for seeding (planting)

purposes must be labeled to indicate the

identification code or designation for

the lot of seed; the name of each kind

or kind and variety of agricultural seed

or the name of each kind and variety of

vegetable seed present in the lot in

excess of 5 percent of the whole; and the

designation ‘‘hybrid’’ when the lot

contains hybrid seed. Kind and variety

names used on the label shall conform

to the kind and variety names used in

the definitions of ‘‘agricultural seed’’

and ‘‘vegetable seed’’ in § 361.1. If any

seed in the lot has been treated, each

container must be further labeled, in

type no smaller than 8 point, as follows:

(1) The label must indicate that the

seed has been treated and provide the

name of the substance or process used

to treat the seed. Substance names used

on the label shall be the commonly

accepted coined, chemical (generic), or

abbreviated chemical name.

(i) Commonly accepted coined names

are commonly recognized as names of

particular substances, e.g., thiram,

captan, lindane, and dichlone.

(ii) Examples of commonly accepted

chemical (generic) names are blue-stone,

calcium carbonate, cuprous oxide, zinc

hydroxide, hexachlorobenzene, and

ethyl mercury acetate. The terms

‘‘mercury’’ or ‘‘mercurial’’ may be used

in labeling all types of mercurials.

(iii) Examples of commonly accepted

abbreviated chemical names are BHC

(1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexachlorocyclohexane)

and DDT (dichloro diphenyl

trichloroethane).

(2) If the seed has been treated with

a mercurial or similarly toxic substance

harmful to humans and vertebrate

animals, the label must include a

representation of a skull and crossbones

and a statement indicating that the seed

has been treated with poison. The skull

and crossbones must be at least twice

the size of the type used for the

information provided on the label, and

the poison warning statement must be

written in red letters on a background of

distinctly contrasting color. Mercurials

and similarly toxic substances include

the following:

Aldrin, technical

Demeton

Dieldrin

p-Dimethylaminobenzenediazo sodium

sulfonate

Endrin
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 48463

Ethion

Heptachlor

Mercurials, all types

Parathion

Phorate

Toxaphene

O-O-Diethyl-O-(isopropyl-4-methyl-6-

pyrimidyl) thiophosphate

O,O-Diethyl-S-2-(ethylthio) ethyl

phosphorodithioate

(3) If the seed has been treated with

a substance other than one classified as

a mercurial or similarly toxic substance

under paragraph (b)(2) of this section,

and the amount remaining with the seed

is harmful to humans or other vertebrate

animals, the label must indicate that the

seed is not to be used for food, feed, or

oil purposes. Any amount of any

substance used to treat the seed that

remains with the seed will be

considered harmful when the seed is in

containers of more than 4 ounces,

except that the following substances

will not be deemed harmful when

present at a rate less than the number of

parts per million (p/m) indicated:

Allethrin—2 p/m

Malathion—8 p/m

Methoxyclor—2 p/m

Piperonyl butoxide—20 p/m (8 p/m on oat

and sorghum)

Pyrethrins—3 p/m (1 p/m on oat and

sorghum)

(c) In the case of seed in bulk, the

information required under paragraph

(b) of this section shall appear in the

invoice or other records accompanying

and pertaining to such seed. If the seed

is in containers and in quantities of

20,000 pounds or more, regardless of the

number of lots included, the

information required on each container

under paragraph (b) of this section need

not be shown on each container if each

container has stenciled upon it or bears

a label containing a lot designation and

the invoice or other records

accompanying and pertaining to such

seed bear the various statements

required for the respective seeds.

(d) Each container of agricultural seed

and vegetable seed imported into the

United States for cleaning need not be

labeled to show the information

required under paragraph (b) of this

section if:

(1) The seed is in bulk;

(2) The seed is in containers and in

quantities of 20,000 pounds or more,

regardless of the number of lots

involved, and the invoice or other

records accompanying and pertaining to

the seed show that the seed is for

cleaning; or

(3) The seed is in containers and in

quantities of less than 20,000 pounds,

and each container carries a label that

bears the words ‘‘Seed for cleaning.’’

§ 361.4 Inspection at the port of first

arrival.

(a) All agricultural seed, vegetable

seed, and screenings imported into the

United States shall be made available

for examination by an APHIS inspector

at the port of first arrival and shall

remain at the port of first arrival until

released by an APHIS inspector. Lots of

agricultural seed, vegetable seed, or

screenings may enter the United States

without meeting the sampling

requirements of paragraph (b) of this

section if the lot is:

(1) Seed that is not being imported for

seeding (planting) purposes and the

declaration required by § 361.3(a) states

the purpose for which the seed is being

imported;

(2) Seed that is being shipped in bond

through the United States;

(3) Screenings from seeds of wheat,

oats, barley, rye, buckwheat, field corn,

sorghum, broomcorn, flax, millet, proso,

soybeans, cowpeas, field peas, or field

beans that are not being imported for

seeding (planting) purposes and the

declaration accompanying the

screenings as required under § 361.2(a)

indicates that the screenings are being

imported for processing or

manufacturing purposes;

(4) Seed that is being imported for

sowing for experimental or breeding

purposes, is not for sale, is limited in

quantity to the amount indicated in

column 3 of table 1 of § 361.5, and is

accompanied by a declaration stating

the purpose for which it is being

imported (seed imported for increase

purposes only will not be considered as

being imported for experimental or

breeding purposes); or

(5) Seed that was grown in the United

States, exported, and is now returning to

the United States, provided that the

person importing the seed into the

United States furnishes APHIS with the

following documentation:

(i) Export documents indicating the

quantity of seed and number of

containers, the date of exportation from

the United States, the distinguishing

marks on the containers at the time of

exportation, and the name and address

of the United States exporter;

(ii) A document issued by a Customs

or other government official of the

country to which the seed was exported

indicating that the seed was not

admitted into the commerce of that

country; and

(iii) A document issued by a Customs

or other government official of the

country to which the seed was exported

indicating that the seed was not

commingled with other seed after being

exported to that country.

(b) Except as provided in

§§ 361.5(a)(2) and 361.7, samples will be

taken from all agricultural seed and

vegetable seed imported into the United

States for seeding (planting) purposes

prior to being released into the

commerce of the United States.

(1) Samples of seed will be taken from

each lot of seed in accordance with

§ 361.5 to determine whether any seeds

of noxious weeds listed in § 361.6(a) are

present. If seeds of noxious weeds are

present at a level higher than the

tolerances set forth in § 361.6(b), the lot

of seed will be deemed to be adulterated

and will be rejected for entry into the

United States for seeding (planting)

purposes. Once deemed adulterated, the

lot of seed must be:

(i) Exported from the United States;

(ii) Destroyed under the monitoring of

an APHIS inspector;

(iii) Cleaned under APHIS monitoring

at a seed-cleaning facility that is

operated in accordance with § 361.8(a);

or

(iv) If the lot of seed is adulterated

with the seeds of a noxious weed listed

in § 361.6(a)(2), the seed may be allowed

entry into the United States for feeding

or manufacturing purposes, provided

the importer withdraws the original

declaration and files a new declaration

stating that the seed is being imported

for feeding or manufacturing purposes

and that no part of the seed will be used

for seeding (planting) purposes.

(2) Seed deemed adulterated may not

be mixed with any other seed unless the

Administrator determines that two or

more lots of seed deemed adulterated

are of substantially the same quality and

origin. In such cases, the Administrator

may allow the adulterated lots of seed

to be mixed for cleaning as provided in

paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this section.

(3) If the labeling of a lot of seed is

false or misleading in any respect, the

seed will be rejected for entry into the

United States. A falsely labeled lot of

seed must be:

(i) Exported from the United States;

(ii) Destroyed under the monitoring of

an APHIS inspector; or

(iii) The seed may be allowed entry

into the United States if the labeling is

corrected under the monitoring of an

APHIS inspector to accurately reflect

the character of the lot of seed.

§ 361.5 Sampling of seeds.

(a) Sample sizes. As provided in

§ 361.4(b), samples of seed will be taken

from each lot of seed being imported for

seeding (planting) purposes to

determine whether any seeds of noxious

weeds listed in § 361.6(a) are present.

The samples shall be drawn in the

manner described in paragraphs (b) and
48464 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

(c) of this section. Unused portions of

samples of rare or expensive seeds will

be returned by APHIS upon request of

the importer.

(1) A minimum sample of not less

than 1 quart shall be drawn from each

lot of agricultural seed; a minimum

sample of not less than 1 pint shall be

drawn from each lot of vegetable seed,

except that a sample of 1⁄4 pint will be

sufficient for a vegetable seed

importation of 5 pounds or less. The

minimum sample shall be divided

repeatedly until a working sample of

proper weight has been obtained. If a

mechanical divider cannot be used or is

not available, the sample shall be

thoroughly mixed, then placed in a pile;

the pile shall be divided repeatedly into

halves until a working sample of the

proper weight remains. The weights of

the working samples for noxious weed

examination for each lot of seed are

shown in column 1 of table 1 of this

section. If the lot of seed is a mixture,

the following methods shall be used to

determine the weight of the working

sample:

(i) If the lot of seed is a mixture

consisting of one predominant kind of

seed or a group of kinds of similar size,

the weight of the working sample shall

be the weight shown in column 1 of

table 1 of this section for the kind or

group of kinds that comprises more than

50 percent of the sample.

(ii) If the lot of seed is a mixture

consisting of two or more kinds or

groups of kinds of different sizes, none

of which comprises over 50 percent of

the sample, the weight of the working

sample shall be the weighted average (to

the nearest half gram) of the weight

shown in column 1 of table 1 of this

section for each of the kinds that

comprise the sample, as determined by

the following method:

(A) Multiply the percentage of each

component of the mixture (rounded off

to the nearest whole number) by the

sample sizes shown in column 1 of table

1 of this section;

(B) add all these products;

(C) total the percentages of all

components of the mixtures; and

(D) divide the sum in paragraph

(a)(1)(ii)(B) of this section by the total in

paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(C) of this section.

(2) It is not ordinarily practical to

sample and test small lots of seed

offered for entry. The maximum sizes of

lots of each kind of seed not ordinarily

sampled are shown in column 2 of table

1 of this section.

(3) The maximum sizes of lots of each

kind of seed allowed entry without

sampling for sowing for experimental or

breeding purposes as provided in

§ 361.4(a)(4) are shown in column 3 of

table 1 of this section.

TABLE 1

Name of seed

Working weight

for noxious weed

examination

(grams)

Maximum weight

of seed lot not ordinarily sampled

(pounds)

Maximum weight

of seed lot permitted entry for

experimental or

breeding purposes

without sampling

(pounds)

(1) (2) (3)

VEGETABLE SEED:

Artichoke ............................................................................................................. 500 25 50

Asparagus ........................................................................................................... 500 25 50

Asparagusbean ................................................................................................... 500 25 50

Bean .................................................................................................................... 25 200

Garden ......................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Lima ............................................................................................................. 500 25 200

Runner ......................................................................................................... 500 25 200

Beet ..................................................................................................................... 300 25 50

Broadbean ........................................................................................................... 500 25 200

Broccoli ................................................................................................................ 50 5 10

Brussels sprouts .................................................................................................. 50 5 10

Burdock, great ..................................................................................................... 150 10 50

Cabbage .............................................................................................................. 50 5 10

Cabbage, Chinese .............................................................................................. 50 5 10

Cabbage, tronchuda ............................................................................................ 100 5 10

Cantaloupe (see Melon) ......................................................................................

Cardoon ............................................................................................................... 500 25 50

Carrot .................................................................................................................. 50 5 10

Cauliflower ........................................................................................................... 50 5 10

Celeriac ............................................................................................................... 25 5 10

Celery .................................................................................................................. 25 5 10

Chard, Swiss ....................................................................................................... 300 25 50

Chicory ................................................................................................................ 50 5 10

Chives ................................................................................................................. 50 5 10

Citron ................................................................................................................... 500 25 50

Collards ............................................................................................................... 50 5 10

Corn, sweet ......................................................................................................... 500 25 200

Cornsalad ............................................................................................................ 50 5 10

Cowpea ............................................................................................................... 500 25 200

Cress, garden ...................................................................................................... 50 5 10

Cress, upland ...................................................................................................... 35 5 10

Cress, water ........................................................................................................ 25 5 10

Cucumber ............................................................................................................ 500 25 50

Dandelion ............................................................................................................ 35 5 10

Dill ....................................................................................................................... 50 5 10

Eggplant .............................................................................................................. 50 5 10

Endive ................................................................................................................. 50 5 10
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 48465

TABLE 1—Continued

Name of seed

Working weight

for noxious weed

examination

(grams)

Maximum weight

of seed lot not ordinarily sampled

(pounds)

Maximum weight

of seed lot permitted entry for

experimental or

breeding purposes

without sampling

(pounds)

(1) (2) (3)

Gherkin, West India ............................................................................................ 160 25 50

Kale ..................................................................................................................... 50 5 10

Kale, Chinese ...................................................................................................... 50 5 10

Kale, Siberian ...................................................................................................... 80 5 10

Kohlrabi ............................................................................................................... 50 5 10

Leek ..................................................................................................................... 50 5 10

Lettuce ................................................................................................................. 50 5 10

Melon ................................................................................................................... 500 25 50

Mustard, India ..................................................................................................... 50 25 100

Mustard, spinach ................................................................................................. 50 5 10

Okra ..................................................................................................................... 500 25 50

Onion ................................................................................................................... 50 5 10

Onion, Welsh ....................................................................................................... 50 5 10

Pak-choi .............................................................................................................. 50 5 10

Parsley ................................................................................................................ 50 5 10

Parsnip ................................................................................................................ 50 5 10

Pea ...................................................................................................................... 500 25 200

Pepper ................................................................................................................. 150 5 10

.

Pumpkin .............................................................................................................. 500 25 50

Radish ................................................................................................................. 300 25 50

Rhubarb ............................................................................................................... 300 5 10

Rutabaga ............................................................................................................. 50 5 10

Sage .................................................................................................................... 150 25 50

Salsify .................................................................................................................. 300 25 50

Savory, summer .................................................................................................. 35 5 10

Sorrel ................................................................................................................... 35 5 10

Soybean .............................................................................................................. 500 25 200

Spinach ............................................................................................................... 150 25 50

Spinach, New Zealand ........................................................................................ 500 25 50

Squash ................................................................................................................ 500 25 50

Tomato ................................................................................................................ 50 5 10

Tomato, husk ...................................................................................................... 35 5 10

Turnip .................................................................................................................. 50 5 10

Watermelon ......................................................................................................... 500 25 50

AGRICULTURAL SEED:

Agrotricum ........................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Alfalfa .................................................................................................................. 50 25 100

Alfilaria ................................................................................................................. 50 25 100

Alyceclover .......................................................................................................... 50 25 100

Bahiagrass .......................................................................................................... 50 25 100

Barrelclover ......................................................................................................... 100 25 100

Barley .................................................................................................................. 500 100 500

Bean, adzuki ....................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Bean, field ........................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Bean, mung ......................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Bean (see Velvetbean) .......................................................................................

Beet, field ............................................................................................................ 500 100 500

Beet, sugar .......................................................................................................... 500 100 1,000

Beggarweed ........................................................................................................ 50 25 100

Bentgrass, colonial .............................................................................................. 2.5 25 100

Bentgrass, creeping ............................................................................................ 2.5 25 100

Bentgrass, velvet ................................................................................................. 2.5 25 100

Bermudagrass ..................................................................................................... 10 25 100

Bermudagrass, giant ........................................................................................... 10 25 100

Bluegrass, annual ............................................................................................... 10 25 100

Bluegrass, bulbous .............................................................................................. 40 25 100

Bluegrass, Canada .............................................................................................. 5 25 100

Bluegrass, glaucantha ......................................................................................... 10 25 100

Bluegrass, Kentucky ........................................................................................... 10 25 100

Bluegrass, Nevada .............................................................................................. 10 25 100

Bluegrass, rough ................................................................................................. 5 25 100

Bluegrass, Texas ................................................................................................ 10 25 100

Bluegrass, wood .................................................................................................. 5 25 100

Bluejoint ............................................................................................................... 5 25 100
48466 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

TABLE 1—Continued

Name of seed

Working weight

for noxious weed

examination

(grams)

Maximum weight

of seed lot not ordinarily sampled

(pounds)

Maximum weight

of seed lot permitted entry for

experimental or

breeding purposes

without sampling

(pounds)

(1) (2) (3)

Bluestem, big ...................................................................................................... 70 25 100

Bluestem, little ..................................................................................................... 50 25 100

Bluestem, sand ................................................................................................... 100 25 100

Bluestem, yellow ................................................................................................. 10 25 100

Bottlebrush-squirreltail ......................................................................................... 90 25 100

Brome, field ......................................................................................................... 50 25 100

Brome, meadow .................................................................................................. 130 25 100

Brome, mountain ................................................................................................. 200 25 100

Brome, smooth .................................................................................................... 70 25 100

Broomcorn ........................................................................................................... 400 100 500

Buckwheat ........................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Buffalograss:

(Burs) ........................................................................................................... 200 25 100

(Caryopses) .................................................................................................. 30 25 100

Buffelgrass:

(Fascicles) .................................................................................................... 66 25 100

(Caryopses) .................................................................................................. 20 25 100

Burclover, California:

(In bur) ......................................................................................................... 500 100 500

(Out of bur) .................................................................................................. 70 25 100

Burclover, spotted:

(In bur) ......................................................................................................... 500 100 500

(Out of bur) .................................................................................................. 50 25 100

Burnet, little ......................................................................................................... 250 25 100

Buttonclover ........................................................................................................ 70 25 100

Canarygrass ........................................................................................................ 200 25 100

Canarygrass, reed ............................................................................................... 20 25 100

Carpetgrass ......................................................................................................... 10 25 100

Castorbean .......................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Chess, soft .......................................................................................................... 50 25 100

Chickpea ............................................................................................................. 500 100 500

Clover, alsike ....................................................................................................... 20 25 100

Clover, arrowleaf ................................................................................................. 40 25 100

Clover, berseem .................................................................................................. 50 25 100

Clover, cluster ..................................................................................................... 10 25 100

Clover, crimson ................................................................................................... 100 25 100

Clover, Kenya ...................................................................................................... 20 25 100

Clover, Ladino ..................................................................................................... 20 25 100

Clover, Lappa ...................................................................................................... 20 25 100

Clover, large hop ................................................................................................. 10 25 100

Clover, Persian .................................................................................................... 20 25 100

Clover, red ........................................................................................................... 50 25 100

Clover, rose ......................................................................................................... 70 25 100

Clover, small hop (suckling) ................................................................................ 20 25 100

Clover, strawberry ............................................................................................... 50 25 100

Clover, sub (subterranean) ................................................................................. 250 25 100

Clover, white ....................................................................................................... 20 25 100

Corn, field ............................................................................................................ 500 100 1,000

Corn, pop ............................................................................................................ 500 100 1,000

Cotton .................................................................................................................. 500 100 500

Cowpea ............................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Crambe ................................................................................................................ 250 25 100

Crested dogtail .................................................................................................... 20 25 100

Crotalaria, lance .................................................................................................. 70 25 100

Crotalaria, showy ................................................................................................ 250 25 100

Crotalaria, slenderleaf ......................................................................................... 100 25 100

Crotalaria, striped ................................................................................................ 100 25 100

Crotalaria, Sunn .................................................................................................. 500 25 100

Crownvetch ......................................................................................................... 100 25 100

Dallisgrass ........................................................................................................... 40 25 100

Dichondra ............................................................................................................ 50 25 100

Dropseed, sand ................................................................................................... 2.5 25 100

Emmer ................................................................................................................. 500 100 500

Fescue, Chewings ............................................................................................... 30 25 100

Fescue, hair ........................................................................................................ 10 25 100
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 48467

TABLE 1—Continued

Name of seed

Working weight

for noxious weed

examination

(grams)

Maximum weight

of seed lot not ordinarily sampled

(pounds)

Maximum weight

of seed lot permitted entry for

experimental or

breeding purposes

without sampling

(pounds)

(1) (2) (3)

Fescue, hard ....................................................................................................... 20 25 100

Fescue, meadow ................................................................................................. 50 25 100

Fescue, red ......................................................................................................... 30 25 100

Fescue, sheep ..................................................................................................... 20 25 100

Fescue, tall .......................................................................................................... 50 25 100

Flax ...................................................................................................................... 150 25 100

Galletagrass:

(Other than caryopses) ................................................................................ 100 25 100

(Caryopses) .................................................................................................. 50 25 100

Grama, blue ........................................................................................................ 20 25 100

Grama, side-oats:

(Other than caryopses) ................................................................................ 60 25 100

(Caryopses) .................................................................................................. 20 25 100

Guar .................................................................................................................... 500 25 100

Guineagrass ........................................................................................................ 20 25 100

Hardinggrass ....................................................................................................... 30 25 100

Hemp ................................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Indiangrass, yellow .............................................................................................. 70 25 100

Indigo, hairy ......................................................................................................... 70 25 100

Japanese lawngrass ........................................................................................... 20 25 100

Johnsongrass ...................................................................................................... 100 25 100

Kenaf ................................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Kochia, forage ..................................................................................................... 20 25 100

Kudzu .................................................................................................................. 250 25 100

Lentil .................................................................................................................... 500 25 100

Lespedeza, Korean ............................................................................................. 50 25 100

Lespedeza, sericea or Chinese .......................................................................... 30 25 100

Lespedeza, Siberian ........................................................................................... 30 25 100

Lespedeza, striate ............................................................................................... 50 25 100

Lovegrass, sand .................................................................................................. 10 25 100

Lovegrass, weeping ............................................................................................ 10 25 100

Lupine, blue ......................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Lupine, white ....................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Lupine, yellow ..................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Manilagrass ......................................................................................................... 20 25 100

Meadow foxtail .................................................................................................... 30 25 100

Medick, black ...................................................................................................... 50 25 100

Milkvetch ............................................................................................................. 90 25 100

Millet, browntop ................................................................................................... 80 25 100

Millet, foxtail ........................................................................................................ 50 25 100

Millet, Japanese .................................................................................................. 90 25 100

Millet, pearl .......................................................................................................... 150 25 100

Millet, proso ......................................................................................................... 150 25 100

Molassesgrass .................................................................................................... 5 25 100

Mustard, black ..................................................................................................... 20 25 100

Mustard, India ..................................................................................................... 50 25 100

Mustard, white ..................................................................................................... 150 25 100

Napiergrass ......................................................................................................... 50 25 100

Needlegrass, green ............................................................................................. 70 25 100

Oat ....................................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Oatgrass, tall ....................................................................................................... 60 25 100

Orchardgrass ....................................................................................................... 30 25 100

Panicgrass, blue .................................................................................................. 20 25 100

Panicgrass, green ............................................................................................... 20 25 100

Pea, field ............................................................................................................. 500 100 500

Peanut ................................................................................................................. 500 100 500

Poa trivialis (see bluegrass, rough)

Rape, annual ....................................................................................................... 70 25 100

Rape, bird ............................................................................................................ 70 25 100

Rape, turnip ......................................................................................................... 50 25 100

Rape, winter ........................................................................................................ 100 25 100

Redtop ................................................................................................................. 2.5 25 100

Rescuegrass ....................................................................................................... 200 25 100

Rhodesgrass ....................................................................................................... 10 25 100

Rice ..................................................................................................................... 500 100 500
48468 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

TABLE 1—Continued

Name of seed

Working weight

for noxious weed

examination

(grams)

Maximum weight

of seed lot not ordinarily sampled

(pounds)

Maximum weight

of seed lot permitted entry for

experimental or

breeding purposes

without sampling

(pounds)

(1) (2) (3)

Ricegrass, Indian ................................................................................................ 70 25 100

Roughpea ............................................................................................................ 500 100 500

Rye ...................................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Rye, mountain ..................................................................................................... 280 25 100

Ryegrass, annual ................................................................................................ 50 25 100

Ryegrass, intermediate ....................................................................................... 80 25 100

Ryegrass, perennial ............................................................................................ 50 25 100

Ryegrass, Wimmera ............................................................................................ 50 25 100

Safflower ............................................................................................................. 500 100 500

Sagewort, Louisiana ............................................................................................ 5 25 100

Sainfoin ............................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Saltbush, fourwing ............................................................................................... 150 25 100

Seasame ............................................................................................................. 70 25 100

Sesbania ............................................................................................................. 250 25 100

Smilo ................................................................................................................... 20 25 100

Sorghum .............................................................................................................. 500 100 1,000

Sorghum almum .................................................................................................. 150 25 100

Sorghum-sudangrass hybrid ............................................................................... 500 100 1,000

Sorgrass .............................................................................................................. 150 25 100

Sourclover ........................................................................................................... 50 25 100

Soybean .............................................................................................................. 500 100 500

Spelt .................................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Sudangrass ......................................................................................................... 250 25 100

Sunflower ............................................................................................................ 500 100 500

Sweetclover, white .............................................................................................. 50 25 100

Sweetclover, yellow ............................................................................................. 50 25 100

Sweet vernalgrass ............................................................................................... 20 25 100

Sweetvetch, northern .......................................................................................... 190 25 100

Switchgrass ......................................................................................................... 40 25 100

Timothy ................................................................................................................ 10 25 100

Timothy, turf ........................................................................................................ 10 25 100

Tobacco ............................................................................................................... 5 1 1

Trefoil, big ........................................................................................................... 20 25 100

Trefoil, birdsfoot .................................................................................................. 30 25 100

Triticale ................................................................................................................ 500 100 500

Vaseygrass .......................................................................................................... 30 25 100

Veldtgrass ........................................................................................................... 40 25 100

Velvetbean .......................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Velvetgrass .......................................................................................................... 10 25 100

Vetch, common ................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Vetch, hairy ......................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Vetch, Hungarian ................................................................................................ 500 100 500

Vetch, Monantha ................................................................................................. 500 100 500

Vetch, narrowleaf ................................................................................................ 500 100 500

Vetch, purple ....................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Vetch, woolypod .................................................................................................. 500 100 500

Wheat, common .................................................................................................. 500 100 500

Wheat, club ......................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Wheat, durum ...................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Wheat, Polish ...................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Wheat, poulard .................................................................................................... 500 100 500

Wheat x Agrotricum ............................................................................................ 500 100 500

Wheatgrass, beardless ....................................................................................... 80 25 100

Wheatgrass, fairway crested ............................................................................... 40 25 100

Wheatgrass, standard crested ............................................................................ 50 25 100

Wheatgrass, intermediate ................................................................................... 150 25 100

Wheatgrass, pubescent ...................................................................................... 150 25 100

Wheatgrass, Siberian .......................................................................................... 50 25 100

Wheatgrass, slender ........................................................................................... 70 25 100

Wheatgrass, streambank .................................................................................... 50 25 100

Wheatgrass, tall .................................................................................................. 150 25 100

Wheatgrass, western .......................................................................................... 100 25 100

Wildrye, basin ...................................................................................................... 80 25 100

Wild-rye, Canada ................................................................................................ 110 25 100

Wild-rye, Russian ................................................................................................ 60 25 100
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 48469

TABLE 1—Continued

Name of seed

Working weight

for noxious weed

examination

(grams)

Maximum weight

of seed lot not ordinarily sampled

(pounds)

Maximum weight

of seed lot permitted entry for

experimental or

breeding purposes

without sampling

(pounds)

(1) (2) (3)

Zoysia Japonica (see Japanese lawngrass)

Zoysia matrella (see Manilagrass)

(b) Method of sampling. (1) When an

importation consists of more than one

lot, each lot shall be sampled separately.

(2) For lots of six or fewer bags, each

bag shall be sampled. A total of at least

five trierfuls shall be taken from the lot.

(3) For lots of more than six bags, five

bags plus at least 10 percent of the

number of bags in the lot shall be

sampled. (Round off numbers with

decimals to the nearest whole number,

raising 0.5 to the next whole number.)

Regardless of the lot size, it is not

necessary to sample more than 30 bags.

(4) When the lot of seed to be sampled

is comprised of seed in small containers

that cannot practically be sampled as

described in paragraph (b)(2) or (b)(3) of

this section, entire unopened containers

may be taken in sufficient number to

supply a sample that meets the

minimum size requirements of

paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(c) Drawing samples. Samples will not

be drawn unless each container is

labeled to show the lot designation and

the name of the kind and variety of each

agricultural seed, or kind and variety of

each vegetable seed, appearing on the

invoice and other entry papers, and a

declaration has been filed by the

importer as required under § 361.2(a). In

order to secure a representative sample,

an APHIS inspector will draw equal

portions from evenly distributed parts of

the quantity of seed to be sampled; the

APHIS inspector, therefore, must be

given access to all parts of that quantity.

(1) For free-flowing seed in bags or in

bulk, a probe or trier shall be used. For

small free-flowing seed in bags, a probe

or trier long enough to sample all

portions of the bag shall be used. When

drawing more than one trierful of seed

from a bag, a different path through the

seed shall be used when drawing each

sample.

(2) For non-free-flowing seed in bags

or bulk that may be difficult to sample

with a probe or trier, samples shall be

obtained by thrusting one’s hand into

the seed and withdrawing

representative portions. The hand shall

be inserted in an open position with the

fingers held closely together while the

hand is being inserted and the portion

withdrawn. When more than one

handful is taken from a bag, the

handfuls shall be taken from wellseparated points.

(3) When more than one sample is

drawn from a single lot, the samples

may be combined into a composite

sample unless it appears that the

quantity of seed represented as a lot is

not of uniform quality, in which case

the separate samples shall be forwarded

together, but without being combined

into a composite sample.

(d) In most cases, samples will be

drawn and examined by an APHIS

inspector at the port of first arrival. The

APHIS inspector may release a

shipment if no contaminants are found

and the labeling is sufficient. If

contaminants are found or the labeling

of the seed is insufficient, the APHIS

inspector may forward the sample to the

USDA Seed Examination Facility (SEF),

Beltsville, MD, for analysis, testing, or

examination. APHIS will notify the

owner or consignee of the seed that

samples have been drawn and

forwarded to the SEF and that the

shipment must be held intact pending a

decision by APHIS as to whether the

seed is within the noxious weed seed

tolerances of § 361.6 and is accurately

labeled. If the decision pending is with

regard to the noxious weed seed content

of the seed and the seed has been

determined to be accurately labeled, the

seed may be released for delivery to the

owner or consignee under the following

conditions:

(1) The owner or consignee executes

with Customs either a Customs singleentry bond or a Customs term bond, as

appropriate, in such amount as is

prescribed by applicable Customs

regulations;

(2) The bond must contain a condition

for the redelivery of the seed or any part

thereof upon demand of the Port

Director of Customs at any time;

(3) Until the seed is approved for

entry upon completion of APHIS’

examination, the seed must be kept

intact and not tampered with in any

way, or removed from the containers

except under the monitoring of an

APHIS inspector; and

(4) The owner or consignee must keep

APHIS informed as to the location of the

seed until it is finally entered into the

commerce of the United States.

§ 361.6 Noxious weed seeds.

(a) Seeds of the plants listed in

paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this

section shall be considered noxious

weed seeds.

(1) Seeds with no tolerances

applicable to their introduction:

Aeginetia spp.

Ageratina adenophora (Sprengel) King &

Robinson

Alectra spp.

Alternanthera sessilis (L.) R. Brown ex de

Candolle

Asphodelus fistulosus L.

Avena sterilis L. (including Avena

ludoviciana Durieu)

Azolla pinnata R. Brown

Borreria alata (Aublet) de Candolle

Carthamus oxyacantha M. Bieberstein

Chrysopogon aciculatus (Retzius) Trinius

Commelina benghalensis L.

Crupina vulgaris Cassini

Cuscuta spp.

Digitaria abyssinica (=D. scalarum)

Digitaria velutina (Forsskal) Palisot de

Beauvois

Drymaria arenarioides Humboldt &

Bonpland ex Roemer & Schultes

Eichhornia azurea (Swartz) Kunth

Emex australis Steinheil

Emex spinosa (L.) Campdera

Galega officinalis L.

Heracleum mantegazzianum Sommier &

Levier

Hydrilla verticillata (Linnaeus f.) Royle

Hygrophila polysperma T. Anderson

Imperata brasiliensis Trinius

Imperata cylindrica (L.) Raeuschel

Ipomoea aquatica Forsskal

Ipomoea triloba L.

Ischaemum rugosum Salisbury

Lagarosiphon major (Ridley) Moss

Leptochloa chinensis (L.) Nees

Limnophila sessiliflora (Vahl) Blume

Lycium ferocissimum Miers

Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) Blake

Melastoma malabathricum L.

Mikania cordata (Burman f.) B. L. Robinson
48470 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

Mikania micrantha Humboldt, Bonpland, &

Kunth

Mimosa invisa Martius

Mimosa pigra L. var. pigra

Monochoria hastata (L.) Solms-Laubach

Monochoria vaginalis (Burman f.) C. Presl

Nassella trichotoma (Nees) Hackel ex

Arechavaleta

Opuntia aurantiaca Lindley

Orobanche spp.

Oryza longistaminata A. Chevalier &

Roehrich

Oryza punctata Kotschy ex Steudel

Oryza rufipogon Griffith

Ottelia alismoides (L.) Pers.

Paspalum scrobiculatum L.

Pennisetum clandestinum Hochstetter ex

Chiovenda

Pennisetum macrourum Trinius

Pennisetum pedicellatum Trinius

Pennisetum polystachion (L.) Schultes

Prosopis alapataco R. A. Philippi

Prosopis argentina Burkart

Prosopis articulata S. Watson

Prosopis burkartii Munoz

Prosopis caldenia Burkart

Prosopis calingastana Burkart

Prosopis campestris Grisebach

Prosopis castellanosii Burkart

Prosopis denudans Bentham

Prosopis elata (Burkart) Burkart

Prosopis farcta (Solander ex Russell)

Macbride

Prosopis ferox Grisebach

Prosopis fiebrigii Harms

Prosopis hassleri Harms

Prosopis humilis Gillies ex Hooker & Arnott

Prosopis kuntzei Harms

Prosopis pallida (Humboldt & Bonpland ex

Willdenow) Humboldt, Bonpland, & Kunth

Prosopis palmeri S. Watson

Prosopis reptans Bentham var. reptans

Prosopis rojasiana Burkart

Prosopis ruizlealii Burkart

Prosopis ruscifolia Grisebach

Prosopis sericantha Gillies ex Hooker &

Arnott

Prosopis strombulifera (Lamarck) Bentham

Prosopis torquata (Cavanilles ex Lagasca y

Segura) de Candolle

Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Lour.) Clayon

(=R. exaltata (L.) L. f.)

Rubus fruticosus L. (complex)

Rubus moluccanus L.

Saccharum spontaneum L.

Sagittaria sagittifolia L.

Salsola vermiculata L.

Salvinia auriculata Aublet

Salvinia biloba Raddi

Salvinia herzogii de la Sota

Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitchell

Setaria pallide-fusca (Schumacher) Stapf &

Hubbard

Solanum torvum Swartz

Solanum viarum Dunal

Sparganium erectum L.

Striga spp.

Tridax procumbens L.

Urochloa panicoides Beauvois

(2) Seeds with tolerances applicable

to their introduction:

Acroptilon repens (L.) DC. (=Centaurea

repens L.) (=Centaurea picris)

Cardaria draba (L.) Desv.

Cardaria pubescens (C. A. Mey.) Jarmol.

Convolvulus arvensis L.

Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.

Elytrigia repens (L.) Desv. (=Agropyron

repens (L.) Beauv.)

Euphorbia esula L.

Sonchus arvensis L.

Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.

(b) The tolerance applicable to the

prohibition of the noxious weed seeds

listed in paragraph (a)(2) of this section

shall be two seeds in the minimum

amount required to be examined as

shown in column 1 of table 1 of § 361.5.

If fewer than two seeds are found in an

initial examination, the shipment from

which the sample was drawn may be

entered. If two seeds are found in an

initial examination, a second sample

must be examined. If two or fewer seeds

are found in the second examination,

the shipment from which the samples

were drawn may be entered. If three or

more seeds are found in the second

examination, the shipment from which

the samples were drawn may not be

entered. If three or more seeds are found

in an initial examination, the shipment

from which the sample was drawn may

not be entered.

(c) Any seed of any noxious weed that

can be determined by visual inspection

(including the use of transmitted light or

dissection) to be within one of the

following categories shall be considered

inert matter and not counted as a weed

seed:

(1) Damaged seed (other than grasses)

with over one half of the embryo

missing;

(2) Grass florets and caryopses classed

as inert:

(i) Glumes and empty florets of weedy

grasses;

(ii) Damaged caryopses, including free

caryopses, with over one-half the rootshoot axis missing (the scutellum

excluded);

(iii) Immature free caryopses devoid

of embryo or endosperm;

(iv) Free caryopses of quackgrass

(Elytrigia repens) that are 2 mm or less

in length; or

(v) Immature florets of quackgrass

(Elytrigia repens) in which the

caryopses are less than one-third the

length of the palea. The caryopsis is

measured from the base of the rachilla.

(3) Seeds of legumes (Fabaceae) with

the seed coats entirely removed.

(4) Immature seed units, devoid of

both embryo and endosperm, such as

occur in (but not limited to) the

following plant families: buckwheat

(Polygonaceae), morning glory

(Convolvulaceae), nightshade

(Solanaceae), and sunflower

(Asteraceae).

(5) Dodder (Cuscuta spp.) seeds

devoid of embryos and seeds that are

ashy gray to creamy white in color are

inert matter. Dodder seeds should be

sectioned when necessary to determine

if an embryo is present, as when the

seeds have a normal color but are

slightly swollen, dimpled, or have

minute holes.

§ 361.7 Special provisions for Canadianorigin seed and screenings.

(a) In addition to meeting the

declaration and labeling requirements of

§ 361.2 and all other applicable

provisions of this part, all Canadianorigin agricultural seed and Canadianorigin vegetable seed imported into the

United States from Canada for seeding

(planting) purposes or cleaning must be

accompanied by a certificate of analysis

issued by the Canadian Food Inspection

Agency or by a private seed laboratory

accredited by the Canadian Food

Inspection Agency. Samples of seed

shall be drawn using sampling methods

comparable to those detailed in § 361.5

of this part. The seed analyst who

examines the seed at the laboratory

must be accredited to analyze the kind

of seed covered by the certificate.

(1) If the seed is being imported for

seeding (planting) purposes, the

certificate of analysis must verify that

the seed meets the noxious weed seed

tolerances of § 361.6. Such seed will not

be subject to the sampling requirements

of § 361.3(b).

(2) If the seed is being imported for

cleaning, the certificate of analysis must

name the kinds of noxious weed seeds

that are to be removed from the lot of

seed. Seed being imported for cleaning

must be consigned to a facility operated

in accordance with § 361.8(a).

(b) Coated or pelleted agricultural

seed and coated or pelleted vegetable

seed of Canadian origin may be

imported into the United States if the

seed was analyzed prior to being coated

or pelleted and is accompanied by a

certificate of analysis issued in

accordance with paragraph (a) of this

section.

(c) Screenings otherwise prohibited

under this part may be imported from

Canada if the screenings are imported

for processing or manufacture and are

consigned to a facility operating under

a compliance agreement as provided by

§ 361.8(b).

(Approved by the Office of Management and

Budget under control number 0579–0124)

§ 361.8 Cleaning of imported seed and

processing of certain Canadian-origin

screenings.

(a) Imported seed that is found to

contain noxious weed seeds at a level

higher than the tolerances set forth in

§ 361.6(b) may be cleaned under the
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 48471

1Compliance Agreement forms are available

without charge from Permit Unit, PPQ, APHIS, 4700

River Road Unit 136, Riverdale, MD 20737–1236,

and from local offices of the Plant Protection and

Quarantine. (Local offices are listed in telephone

directories).

monitoring of an APHIS inspector. The

cleaning will be at the expense of the

owner or consignee.

(1) At the location where the seed is

being cleaned, the identity of the seed

must be maintained at all times to the

satisfaction of the Administrator. The

refuse from the cleaning must be placed

in containers and securely sealed and

identified. Upon completion of the

cleaning, a representative sample of the

seed will be analyzed by a registered

seed technologist, an official seed

laboratory, or by APHIS; if the seed is

found to be within the noxious weed

tolerances set forth in § 361.6(b), the

seed may be allowed entry into the

United States;

(2) The refuse from the cleaning must

be destroyed under the monitoring of an

APHIS inspector at the expense of the

owner or consignee of the seed.

(3) Any person engaged in the

business of cleaning imported seed may

enter into a compliance agreement

under paragraph (c) of this section to

facilitate the cleaning of seed imported

into the United States under this part.

(b) Any person engaged in the

business of processing screenings who

wishes to process screenings imported

from Canada under § 361.7(c) that are

otherwise prohibited under this part

must enter into a compliance agreement

under paragraph (c) of this section.

(c) A compliance agreement for the

cleaning of imported seed or processing

of otherwise prohibited screenings from

Canada shall be a written agreement 1

between a person engaged in such a

business, the State in which the

business operates, and APHIS, wherein

the person agrees to comply with the

provisions of this part and any

conditions imposed pursuant thereto.

Any compliance agreement may be

canceled orally or in writing by the

APHIS inspector who is monitoring its

enforcement whenever the inspector

finds that the person who entered into

the compliance agreement has failed to

comply with the provisions of this part

or any conditions imposed pursuant

thereto. If the cancellation is oral, the

decision and the reasons for the

decision shall be confirmed in writing,

as promptly as circumstances permit.

Any person whose compliance

agreement has been canceled may

appeal the decision to the

Administrator, in writing, within 10

days after receiving written notification

of the cancellation. The appeal shall

state all of the facts and reasons upon

which the person relies to show that the

compliance agreement was wrongfully

canceled. The Administrator shall grant

or deny the appeal, in writing, stating

the reasons for such decision, as

promptly as circumstances permit. If

there is a conflict as to any material fact,

a hearing shall be held to resolve such

conflict. Rules of practice concerning

such a hearing will be adopted by the

Administrator.

§ 361.9 Recordkeeping.

(a) Each person importing agricultural

seed or vegetable seed under this part

must maintain a complete record,

including copies of the declaration and

labeling required under this part and a

sample of seed, for each lot of seed

imported. Except for the seed sample,

which may be discarded 1 year after the

entire lot represented by the sample has

been disposed of by the person who

imported the seed, the records must be

maintained for 3 years following the

importation.

(b) Each sample of vegetable seed and

each sample of agricultural seed must be

at least equal in weight to the sample

size prescribed for noxious weed seed

examination in table 1 of § 361.5.

(c) An APHIS inspector shall, during

normal business hours, be allowed to

inspect and copy the records.

(Approved by the Office of Management and

Budget under control number 0579–0124)

§ 361.10 Costs and charges.

Unless a user fee is payable under

§ 354.3 of this chapter, the services of an

APHIS inspector during regularly

assigned hours of duty and at the usual

places of duty will be furnished without

cost. The U.S. Department of

Agriculture’s provisions relating to

overtime charges for an APHIS

inspector’s services are set forth in part

354 of this chapter. The U.S.

Department of Agriculture will not be

responsible for any costs or charges

incident to inspections or compliance

with this part, other than for the

services of the APHIS inspector during

regularly assigned hours of duty and at

the usual places of duty. All expenses

incurred by the U.S. Department of

Agriculture (including travel, per diem

or subsistence, and salaries of officers or

employees of the Department) in

connection with the monitoring of

cleaning, labeling, other reconditioning,

or destruction of seed, screenings, or

refuse under this part shall be

reimbursed by the owner or consignee

of the seed or screenings.

Done in Washington, DC, this 10th day of

September 1997.

Terry L. Medley,

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 97–24524 Filed 9–15–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation

Service

7 CFR Part 633

Water Bank Program

AGENCY: Natural Resources

Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION: Final Rule.

SUMMARY: The Department of

Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994

authorized the establishment of the

Natural Resources Conservation Service

(NRCS) and transferred responsibility

for the Water Bank Program (WBP) from

the Agricultural Stabilization (ASCS)

and Conservation Service to the NRCS,

formerly the Soil Conservation Service

(SCS). This final rule provides the

process by which the WBP will be

administered within the NRCS.

DATES: Effective date: September 16,

1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Robert Misso (Program Manager), (202)

720–3534.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Executive Order 12866

The Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) has determined that this final

rule is not significant.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

It has been determined that the

Regulatory Flexibility Act is not

applicable to this rule because the NRCS

is not required by 5 U.S.C. 553 or any

other provision of law to publish a

notice of proposed rulemaking with

respect to the subject matter of this rule.

Further, because this rule merely

reflects a statutory change in

administrative responsibility,

publication for public comment is

unnecessary.

Environmental Evaluation

This regulatory action, which merely

recognizes a transfer in administrative

responsibilities, is categorically

excluded by 7 CFR1b.3(a)(1). Therefore,

neither an environmental assessment

nor an environmental impact statement

is needed.