47272 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 150 / Monday, August 5, 2013 / Notices 

1On March 6, 2012, APHIS published in the 

Federal Register (77 FR 13258–13260, Docket No. 

APHIS–2011–0129) a notice describing our public 

review process for soliciting public comments and 

information when considering petitions for 

determinations of nonregulated status for GE 

organisms. To view the notice, go to http:// 

www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS2011-0129. 

2To view the notice, the petition, and the 

comments we received, go to http://www.

regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012- 

0020. 

Dated: July 23, 2013. 

Edward B. Knipling, 

Administrator, Agricultural Research Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–18845 Filed 8–2–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–03–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Research Service 

Notice of Intent to Grant Exclusive 

License 

AGENCY: Agricultural Research Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Agricultural Research Service, intends 

to grant to Central Washington Grain 

Growers, Inc. of Waterville, Washington, 

an exclusive license to the pea variety 

named ‘‘Lynx’’. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before September 4, 2013. 

ADDRESS: Send comments to: USDA, 

ARS, Office of Technology Transfer, 

5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Rm. 4–1174, 

Beltsville, Maryland 20705–5131. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: June 

Blalock of the Office of Technology 

Transfer at the Beltsville address given 

above; telephone: 301–504–5989. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Federal Government’s rights in this 

plant variety are assigned to the United 

States of America, as represented by the 

Secretary of Agriculture. It is in the 

public interest to so license this plant 

variety as Central Washington Grain 

Growers, Inc. of Waterville, Washington 

has submitted a complete and sufficient 

application for a license. The 

prospective exclusive license will be 

royalty-bearing and will comply with 

the terms and conditions of 35 U.S.C. 

209 and 37 CFR 404.7. The prospective 

exclusive license may be granted unless, 

within thirty (30) days from the date of 

this published Notice, the Agricultural 

Research Service receives written 

evidence and argument which 

establishes that the grant of the license 

would not be consistent with the 

requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 

CFR 404.7. 

Robert Griesbach, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2013–18847 Filed 8–2–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–03–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2012–0020] 

Monsanto Co.; Availability of Plant 

Pest Risk Assessment and 

Environmental Assessment for 

Determination of Nonregulated Status 

of Soybean Genetically Engineered for 

Increased Yield 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service is making available 

for public comment our plant pest risk 

assessment and our draft environmental 

assessment regarding a request from the 

Monsanto Company seeking a 

determination of nonregulated status of 

soybean designated as MON 87712, 

which has been genetically engineered 

for increased yield. We are soliciting 

comments on whether this genetically 

engineered soybean is likely to pose a 

plant pest risk. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before September 

4, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/ 

#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0020. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2012–0020, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

Supporting documents and any 

comments we receive on this docket 

may be viewed at http://www.

regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=

APHIS-2012-0020 or in our reading 

room, which is located in room 1141 of 

the USDA South Building, 14th Street 

and Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC. Normal reading room 

hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except holidays. To be 

sure someone is there to help you, 

please call (202) 799–7039 before 

coming. 

Supporting documents are also 

available on the APHIS Web site at 

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

biotechnology/petitions_table_

pending.shtml under APHIS Petition 

Number 11–202–01p. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Rebecca Stankiewicz Gabel, Chief, 

Biotechnology Environmental Analysis 

Branch, Environmental Risk Analysis 

Programs, Biotechnology Regulatory 

Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 

147, Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) 

851–3927, email: rebecca.l.stankiewiczgabel@aphis.usda.gov. To obtain copies 

of the supporting documents for this 

petition, contact Ms. Cindy Eck at (301) 

851–3892, email: 

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Under the authority of the plant pest 

provisions of the Plant Protection Act (7 

U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), the regulations in 

7 CFR part 340, ‘‘Introduction of 

Organisms and Products Altered or 

Produced Through Genetic Engineering 

Which Are Plant Pests or Which There 

Is Reason to Believe Are Plant Pests,’’ 

regulate, among other things, the 

introduction (importation, interstate 

movement, or release into the 

environment) of organisms and products 

altered or produced through genetic 

engineering that are plant pests or that 

there is reason to believe are plant pests. 

Such genetically engineered (GE) 

organisms and products are considered 

‘‘regulated articles.’’ 

The regulations in § 340.6(a) provide 

that any person may submit a petition 

to the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) seeking a 

determination that an article should not 

be regulated under 7 CFR part 340. 

APHIS has received a petition (APHIS 

Petition Number 11–202–01p) from the 

Monsanto Company (Monsanto) of St. 

Louis, MO, seeking a determination of 

nonregulated status of soybean (Glycine 

max) designated as event MON 87712, 

which has been genetically engineered 

for increased yield. The petition stated 

that this soybean is unlikely to pose a 

plant pest risk and, therefore, should 

not be a regulated article under APHIS’ 

regulations in 7 CFR part 340. 

According to our process 1 for 

soliciting public comment when 

considering petitions for determinations 

of nonregulated status of GE organisms, 

APHIS accepts written comments 

regarding a petition once APHIS deems 

it complete. In a notice 2 published in 

the Federal Register on July 13, 2012, 

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