This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

11598 

Vol. 80, No. 42 

Wednesday, March 4, 2015 

1To view the proposed rule, supporting 

documents, and comments we received, go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;

D=APHIS-2008-0023. 

2Ex parte rules are designed to prevent unequal 

access or the perception of favoritism during the 

active rulemaking period occurring after a new rule 

is proposed. 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

7 CFR Part 340 

[Docket No. APHIS–2008–0023] 

RIN 0579–AC31 

Importation, Interstate Movement, and 

Release Into the Environment of 

Certain Genetically Engineered 

Organisms 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Proposed rule; withdrawal. 

SUMMARY: We are withdrawing a 

proposed rule that would have amended 

the regulations regarding the 

introduction (importation, interstate 

movement, and environmental release 

(field testing)) of certain genetically 

engineered organisms. We are doing this 

in light of the experience we have 

gained over the past 28 years, 

continuing advances in biotechnology, 

and comments we received on the rule. 

We will begin a fresh stakeholder 

engagement aimed at exploring 

alternative policy approaches. This 

engagement will begin with a series of 

webinars that will provide the 

stakeholder community an opportunity 

to provide initial feedback. Information 

on these webinars will be announced in 

the coming month. 

DATES: Effective March 4, 2015, the 

proposed rule published on October 9, 

2008 (73 FR 60008), is withdrawn. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. 

Chessa Huff-Woodard, Biotechnology 

Regulatory Services, APHIS, 4700 River 

Road Unit 146, Riverdale, MD 20737– 

1236; (301) 8513943. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On October 9, 2008, the Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

published in the Federal Register a 

proposal 1 (73 FR 60008–60048, Docket 

No. APHIS–2008–0023) to amend the 

regulations regarding the introduction 

(importation, interstate movement, and 

environmental release (field testing)) of 

certain genetically engineered (GE) 

organisms in response to advancements 

in biotechnology and APHIS’ 

accumulated experience in 

implementing the current regulations. 

The proposed revisions were extensive 

and included significant changes to the 

scope of the regulations and the 

mechanics of APHIS’ regulatory 

oversight. These changes included 

aligning the regulations with provisions 

of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 

7701 et seq.) and eliminating the current 

notification and permitting procedures 

and developing a multiple-category 

permitting system in its place. 

APHIS sought public comment on the 

proposal from October 9, 2008, to June 

29, 2009. We received over 88,300 

comments by the close of the comment 

period. These were received in 5,580 

submissions that included unique 

comments, form letters, and signatories 

to petitions. We thoroughly reviewed 

each comment we received. Comments 

were from a variety of stakeholders, 

including advocacy groups; State, 

Tribal, and foreign governments; 

university researchers; farmers, 

businesses, trade associations and other 

regulated entities; and private citizens. 

We wish to thank the commenters for 

sharing their knowledge and views on 

this important subject. 

Many commenters indicated that the 

proposed scope and many of the 

provisions of the rule were unclear. 

With regard to the scope of the proposed 

changes, some commenters asserted that 

APHIS regulations needed to be more 

rigorous and far-reaching, while others 

believed that the proposed regulations 

were overly restrictive. Other 

commenters indicated that they were 

not clear as to what would and would 

not be regulated, and raised concerns 

regarding what future criteria might be 

used to determine what organisms 

would fall under APHIS regulatory 

jurisdiction. Concerns regarding 

oversight of crops that produce 

pharmaceutical and industrial 

compounds and increased regulatory 

burden are just a few examples of the 

complex issues raised by commenters. 

Many commenters also expressed 

opposition to genetic engineering in 

general and expressed concerns with a 

wide range of issues, many of which 

were outside the scope of the proposed 

rule. For example, commenters stated 

that APHIS should consider non-safety 

based risks, such as economic and social 

impacts, including impacts on the 

marketability of non-GE products. Other 

commenters requested that APHIS 

regulations include provisions related to 

the labeling of GE products and raised 

concerns regarding health effects of GE 

products and increased pesticide use. 

Based on the experience we have 

gained over the past 28 years, 

continuing advances in biotechnology, 

and the scope of comments received on 

the proposed rule, we have decided to 

withdraw it and to begin a fresh 

stakeholder engagement aimed at 

exploring alternative policy approaches. 

Because of rules limiting ex parte 2

communications with respect to active 

rulemakings, publication of the 2008 

proposed rule has constrained our 

ability to talk about alternatives with 

stakeholders. Withdrawing the proposed 

rule will lift this constraint and provide 

for a more timely and transparent 

dialogue. Once it is withdrawn, the 

nature of our conversations with 

stakeholders can change, allowing 

APHIS to discuss regulatory issues in 

ways that were not possible while the 

proposal was in formal rulemaking. Our 

intention is to utilize an open and 

robust policy dialogue to drive the 

development of a forward-looking rule 

that will provide a foundation for our 

future regulatory activities. 

Therefore, we are withdrawing the 

October 9, 2008, proposed rule. As we 

explore a full range of policy 

alternatives, we will consider the 

comments we received on the proposed 

rule, as well as new scientific 

knowledge whenever it is available, and 

continue to seek the active and open 

input of stakeholders. In the coming 

months, we will engage stakeholders on 

biotechnology regulation alternatives to 

ensure the safe environmental release 

(field testing), interstate movement, and 

importation of certain GE organisms 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 42 / Wednesday, March 4, 2015 / Proposed Rules 11599 

3 Information on upcoming webinars will be 

available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/ 

aphis/ourfocus/biotechnology/!ut/p/a1/04_Sj9CPy

kssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfGjzOK9_D2MDJ0MjDzd3V

2dDDz93HwCzL29jAyMTIEKIvEo8DYlTr-zu6OH

ibmPgYGBiYWRgaeLk4eLuaWvgYGnGXH6DX

AARwNC-sP1o_AqAfkArACfE8EK8LihIDc0NMIg0x

MA5AbGNw!!/?1dmy&urile=wcm%3apath%3a

%2Faphis_content_library%2Fsa_our_focus%2Fsa_

biotechnology%2Fsa_news%2Fct_news. 

4Call-in and Webcast information is available at 

the agricultural coexistence workshop Web page at: 

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

newsroom/stakeholder-info/!ut/p/a1/nVFNU4Mw

EP0tHjxmEkgk4Ug7foBKD9W25MJskyixFChEx_

57gem1aN3bzr739u1bLPEGywq-7Ds4W1dQ

Dr0MchYL36fEj8ULFyQi8zBZxCtC6E0PyHoAOV

MRGfnJ4sH3Zj3_fhnekjhd3T2LJ04fZwFeY4ml

qlzjCpxBU9guV3XlTOXy0m5baIlowbar;

XpIMctvWny8f52HcOdqaoS23ablBolNU4CxljRoc

aBYp6iCnOkdAAiAPVEBiujQcnxxOWfrl4dDyhk

PATYCKUrPfAzy5JAry88KjkD3-yH4eDjPq0h3y_

Hd78M–5m_7oX9Ih2b2mKZHb1A2VTHxo!/?1dmy

&urile=wcm%3apath%3a%2Faphis_content_

library%2Fsa_about_aphis%2Fsa_stakeholders

%2Fct_coexistence_meeting. A notice announcing 

the workshop was published on February 3, 2015 

(80 FR 5729–5731, Docket No. APHIS–2013–0047). 

regulated under 7 CFR part 340. Plans 

for that engagement are underway and 

will begin with a series of webinars that 

will provide the stakeholder community 

an opportunity to provide initial 

feedback. Information on these webinars 

will be announced in the coming month 

and will be available on the APHIS Web 

site.3 For those interested in additional 

information in advance of the webinars, 

this will be one of many topics at an 

upcoming U.S. Department of 

Agriculture workshop 4 on coexistence 

that is being held on March 12–13, 

2015, and will be made widely available 

via webcast. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701–7772 and 7781– 

7786; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 

371.3. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 27th day of 

February 2015. 

Kevin Shea, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–04463 Filed 3–3–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

10 CFR Part 429 

[Docket No. EERE–2013–BT–NOC–0005] 

Appliance Standards and Rulemaking 

Federal Advisory Committee: Notice of 

Open Meeting and Webinar 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Department of 

Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of open meeting and 

webinar. 

SUMMARY: This document announces a 

meeting of the Appliance Standards and 

Rulemaking Federal Advisory 

Committee (ASRAC). 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Thursday, March 19, 2015 from 9 a.m. 

to 1 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: U.S. Department of Energy, 

Forrestal Building, Room 8E–089, 1000 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20585. For individuals 

that wish to attend by webinar, please 

register at—https://

attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/

9166475973377623554. After registering 

you will receive an email with the 

appropriate link to join the meeting and 

the necessary call-in information. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John 

Cymbalsky, ASRAC Designated Federal 

Officer, U.S. Department of Energy 

(DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, 950 L’Enfant Plaza 

SW., Washington, DC, 20024. Email: 

asrac@ee.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public 

Law 92–463, 86 Stat. 770, requires that 

agencies publish notice of an advisory 

committee meeting in the Federal 

Register. 

Purpose of Meeting: To provide 

advice and recommendations to the 

Energy Department on the development 

of standards and test procedures for 

residential appliances and commercial 

equipment. 

Tentative Agenda: (Subject to change; 

final agenda will be posted at http://

www.appliancestandards.energy.gov): 

• Discussion of formation of working 

groups to negotiate proposed rules for 

commercial and industrial fans and 

miscellaneous refrigeration products. 

• Discussion of other topics where 

ASRAC can assist the Appliance and 

Equipment Standards Program 

• Discussion of public engagement 

under DOE’s retrospective regulatory 

review plan 

Public Participation: Members of the 

public are welcome to observe the 

business of the meeting and, if time 

allows, may make oral statements 

during the specified period for public 

comment. To attend the meeting and/or 

to make oral statements regarding any of 

the items on the agenda, email asrac@

ee.doe.gov. In the email, please indicate 

your name, organization (if appropriate), 

citizenship, and contact information. 

Please note that foreign nationals 

participating in the public meeting are 

subject to advance security screening 

procedures which require advance 

notice prior to attendance at the public 

meeting. If a foreign national wishes to 

participate in the public meeting, please 

inform DOE as soon as possible by 

contacting Ms. Regina Washington at 

(202) 586–1214 or by email: 

Regina.Washington@ee.doe.gov so that 

the necessary procedures can be 

completed. Anyone attending the 

meeting will be required to present a 

government photo identification, such 

as a passport, driver’s license, or 

government identification. Due to the 

required security screening upon entry, 

individuals attending should arrive 

early to allow for the extra time needed. 

Due to the REAL ID Act implemented 

by the Department of Homeland 

Security (DHS) recent changes regarding 

ID requirements for individuals wishing 

to enter Federal buildings from specific 

states and U.S. territories. Driver’s 

licenses from the following states or 

territory will not be accepted for 

building entry and one of the alternate 

forms of ID listed below will be 

required. 

DHS has determined that regular 

driver’s licenses (and ID cards) from the 

following jurisdictions are not 

acceptable for entry into DOE facilities: 

Alaska, Louisiana, New York, American 

Samoa, Maine, Oklahoma, Arizona, 

Massachusetts, Washington, and 

Minnesota. 

Acceptable alternate forms of PhotoID include: U. S. Passport or Passport 

Card; An Enhanced Driver’s License or 

Enhanced ID-Card issued by the states 

of Minnesota, New York or Washington 

(Enhanced licenses issued by these 

states are clearly marked Enhanced or 

Enhanced Driver’s License); A military 

ID or other Federal government issued 

Photo-ID card. 

Members of the public will be heard 

in the order in which they sign up for 

the Public Comment Period. Time 

allotted per speaker will depend on the 

number of individuals who wish to 

speak but will not exceed five minutes. 

Reasonable provision will be made to 

include the scheduled oral statements 

on the agenda. The co-chairs of the 

Committee will make every effort to 

hear the views of all interested parties 

and to facilitate the orderly conduct of 

business. 

Participation in the meeting is not a 

prerequisite for submission of written 

comments. ASRAC invites written 

comments from all interested parties. 

Any comments submitted must identify 

the ASRAC, and provide docket number 

EERE–2013–BT–NOC–0005. Comments 

may be submitted using any of the 

following methods: 

1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

2. Email: ASRAC@ee.doe.gov. Include 

docket number EERE–2013–BT–NOC– 

0005 in the subject line of the message. 


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