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Hand Carry Conditions for Soil

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The following conditions apply to all authorized soil hand-carry events.

At Least 20 Days Prior to Each Hand-Carry Event

At least 20 days prior to each hand-carry event, the permit holder or designee

must notify the PPQ Permit Compliance Officer or designee by email (

BlackWhiteGreenYellowlabelrequest@usda.gov) or telephone (866-524-5421) to

provide the following information below: 

1. Permit number

2. Permit holder’s name

3. Designated hand carrier’s name

4. Origin of permitted article

5. Date of return to U.S. port

6. Port of entry to United States

7. Airline and flight number, flight arrival time

8. Land Border: Vehicle make/model/license, 3- hour window arrival time

9. Detailed description of the transport method to be hand-carried

“A detailed description of the packaging method for the specimens.....i.e. vials

with cork lids wrapped in bubble wrap, in Ziploc bags, packed in a hard sided

hand carry cooler sealed with duct tape. These details will facilitate Customs
and Border Protection’s inspection at the port of entry.”

10. Detailed description of the specific material to be hand-carried

11. Specify the amount/article

12. Contact information for designated hand-carrier

The Compliance Officer or designee will notify an official of CBP Agricultural

Programs and Trade Liaison (APTL) to document and facilitate the entry of the soil.

Visit TSA's website prior to United States arrival if connecting a domestic flight with

hand-carried specimens.

TSA Contact Center:

Telephone (866-289-9673)

Email: TSA-ContactCenter@tsa.dhs.gov

Passengers can request special assistance with the screening process via the

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Contact Center.  Requests received via

the Contact Center will be assigned to the airport you’re traveling to or through, and

a local TSA Official may contact you for additional information.  Although special

handling may be requested when traveling with fragile or sensitive items, TSA must

conduct sufficient screening to ensure all property does not present a security

threat.

CBP Inspection Process

Inspection by CBP Officers must confirm that all hand carried articles are securely

packaged as per the permit conditions. In the event that a problem is detected, the

CBP officer may seize the package and require its movement to the nearest PPQ

Inspection Station for processing, clearance or destruction. The permit holder will be

responsible for all costs incidental to such forwarding.

After Inspection and Arrival at the Facility

After CBP confirmation and clearance through the first port of entry into the United

States, hand-carried soil must be transported directly to the containment facility

authorized in the permit.

Upon arrival at the facility, the PPQ Compliance Officer or designee must be notified

within 24 hours of the first business day. Notification may be faxed or emailed.
Fax Number: (301-734-5392)

Email: BlackWhiteGreenYellowlabelrequest@usda.gov

Notification must be by an independent third party (e.g. containment facility

director, departmental chair, campus biosafety officer, etc.). The notification must

include the permit number, date of arrival, the origin of the soil, and quantity.

Failure to notify the PPQ compliance officer or designee may result in loss of handcarry privileges. A PPQ inspector may also visit the facility to confirm the arrival of

the package and its contents.

Only person(s) whose name(s) is/are listed in the issued permit is/are

authorized to hand-carry.

Additional Soil Hand-Carry Considerations

The following considerations apply:

1. A new permit or an amendment to an existing permit authorizing hand-carry

will only be issued to persons transporting soil samples to facilities currently

approved to receive and contain them, or following an inspection of a newly

proposed receiving facility by PPQ personnel and a determination that the

facility is physically and operationally adequate to contain the permitted

articles.

2. The hand-carrier must declare the regulated material/organism at the port of

entry. The hand-carrier must present acceptable personal identification

documents to CBP upon request. The hand-carrier must also present a copy

and/or permit number of the valid PPQ Permit that authorizes the hand-carry.

3. Applications must specifically request hand-carry event, and identify all

individuals the applicant seeks to have authorized with the hand-carry of soil.

Applications must include current address, telephone number, fax number, and

email addresses of individuals not associated with the receiving facility who the

permit holder seeks to have authorized to hand-carry the soil.

4. An authorization of hand-carry of soil is not transferable and cannot be

assigned to other individuals or organizations not identified in the permit. The

amendment options are a Permit Unit function.

5. Requests for hand-carry of soil have been authorized based on factors similar to

the following: risk of the soil to United States agriculture and the environment,

country of origin of the shipment, need to transport under cryogenics, national
security, DOD/State Department governmental agency special needs,

timeliness associated with specific scientific procedures, and sometimes for

samples of negligible or low risk. All soil presents some degree of risk:

therefore, Permit Unit remains flexible to serve stakeholders and to protect US

agriculture taking most recent bio-security information available to guide

decision making.

6. An authorization for hand-carry of soil shall be denied for good cause when the

desired soil samples are deemed to pose exceptional risk, when the facility's

containment capabilities are likely to be exceeded, or when there is substantial

risk of diversion of regulated articles from reaching containment. Other factors

used in the determination include applicant history in complying with the terms

and conditions of prior permits and information provided by the applicant

supporting the need for a hand-carry event.

7. An authorization for hand-carry includes only the regulated article, soil, as

described and identified in the permit. Presence of unauthorized articles

(regulated and non-regulated) in any packages on an individual authorized to

hand-carry is a permit violation. Presence of unauthorized samples at the

receiving containment facility at any time is also evidence of a permit violation.

Regulatory breakdowns involving permits will be reported to IES/SITC and

investigated to the fullest extent of Plant Health Quarantine regulations,

7CFR330. Violators will be posted on the CITS database and infractions,

depending on severity, will cause greater scrutiny of future applications by

these individuals and companies.

8. Applicants with “hand carry” approval on their PPQ 525 permits will be required

to comply with a 20 day prior notification procedure for each “hand carry

event” authorized and coordinated by Riverdale/Permit Unit Compliance

Officers or designee and communicated to CBP Inspectors in the Ports of Entry.

Hand carried soil must be moved directly to the Approved Containment Facility

named on the accompanying permit. Any redirection of samples must have

prior approval of HQ Compliance Officer or designee or an official of CBP

Agricultural Programs and Trade Liaison (APTL).

9. Sub part a. Air Transportation:  The hand carry event applies to carry-on

luggage and soil samples are NOT allowed in checked baggage. The regulated

material must be within reach/possession of the designated carrier at all times

during travel. The permit holder and their hand carry designee are responsible

for secure packaging criteria and all efforts to insure sanitary/phytosanitary

integrity in transit. Any rules/requirements/stipulation/laws of industry,
government agency, or other entities of authority to the movement of samples

may take precedence over PPQ permit conditions. For example if the

commercial transporter limits personal articles to 10 lbs (or possibly not at all)

then the Permit Unit cannot leverage or expect the commercial carrier to

accommodate its needs and alternatives will have to be organized. Any

incidence of this nature would require reporting to the Riverdale Compliance

Officer or designee immediately (i.e. within 24 hours) of return to US and

clearly communicate the location and condition of regulated articles.

Sub part b. Border Crossing-Self Transport: The permit holder and their hand carry

designee are responsible for secure packaging criteria and all efforts to insure

sanitary/phytosanitary integrity in transit. Any rules/requirements/stipulation/laws of

industry, government agency, or other entities of authority to the transportation of

samples may take precedence over PPQ permit conditions. For example

unforeseeable circumstances which may render DOT or DHS-CBP to prohibit or

suspend land border self transport movement of soil in lieu of a security threat. In

such a case or any other circumstance, Permit Services cannot leverage or expect

the entity to accommodate its needs and alternatives will have to be organized. Any

incidence of this nature would require reporting to the Riverdale Compliance Officer

(or designee) immediately (i.e. within 24 hours) of return to US and clearly

communicate the location and condition of regulated articles.

All stakeholders are encouraged to participate in eAuthentication and take

advantage of direct access to the eFile system.