This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

17143

Vol. 62, No. 68

Wednesday, April 9, 1997

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 96–079–2]

Dekalb Genetics Corp.; Availability of

Determination of Nonregulated Status

for Genetically Engineered Corn

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: We are advising the public of

our determination that the Dekalb

Genetics Corporation’s corn line

designated as DBT418 that has been

genetically engineered for lepidopteran

insect resistance is no longer considered

a regulated article under our regulations

governing the introduction of certain

genetically engineered organisms. Our

determination is based on our

evaluation of data submitted by the

Dekalb Genetics Corporation in its

petition for a determination of

nonregulated status, an analysis of other

scientific data, and our review of

comments received from the public in

response to a previous notice

announcing our receipt of the Dekalb

Genetics Corporation’s petition. This

notice also announces the availability of

our written determination document

and its associated environmental

assessment and finding of no significant

impact.

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 28, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The determination, an

environmental assessment and finding

of no significant impact, the petition,

and all written comments received

regarding the petition may be inspected

at USDA, room 1141, South Building,

14th Street and Independence Avenue

SW., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m.

and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,

except holidays. Persons wishing to

inspect those documents are asked to

call in advance of visiting at (202) 690–

2817.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Subhash Gupta, Biotechnologist, BSS,

PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 147,

Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) 734–

8761. To obtain a copy of the

determination or the environmental

assessment and finding of no significant

impact, contact Ms. Kay Peterson at

(301) 734–4885; e-mail:

mkpeterson@aphis.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On October 17, 1996, the Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

received a petition (APHIS Petition No.

96–291–01p) from the Dekalb Genetics

Corporation (Dekalb) of Mystic, CT,

seeking a determination that a corn line

designated as DBT418 that has been

genetically engineered for lepidopteran

insect resistance does not present a

plant pest risk and, therefore, is not a

regulated article under APHIS’

regulations in 7 CFR part 340.

On November 27, 1996, APHIS

published a notice in the Federal

Register (61 FR 60257–60258, Docket

No. 96–079–1) announcing that the

Dekalb petition had been received and

was available for public review. The

notice also discussed the role of APHIS,

the Environmental Protection Agency,

and the Food and Drug Administration

in regulating the subject corn line and

food products derived from it. In the

notice, APHIS solicited written

comments from the public as to whether

this corn line posed a plant pest risk.

The comments were to have been

received by APHIS on or before January

27, 1997. During the designated 60-day

comment period, APHIS received one

comment on the subject petition from a

university. The comment was favorable

to the petition.

Analysis

Corn line DBT418 has been

genetically engineered to express a

CryIA(c) insect control protein derived

from the common soil bacterium

Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki

(Bt). The petitioner states that the Bt

delta-endotoxin protein is effective in

controlling the European corn borer

throughout the growing season. The

subject corn line also expresses the bar

gene derived from Streptomyces

hygroscopicus that encodes the enzyme

phosphinothricin-N-acetyltransferase

(PAT), which, when introduced into the

plant cell, confers tolerance to the

herbicide glufosinate. The

microprojectile bombardment method

was used to transfer the added genes

into the parental corn line, and their

expression is controlled in part by gene

sequences from the plant pathogens

Agrobacterium tumefaciens and

cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV).

The subject corn line has been

considered a regulated article under

APHIS’ regulations in 7 CFR part 340

because it contains gene sequences

derived from plant pathogens. However,

evaluation of field data reports from

field tests of the corn line conducted

under APHIS notifications since 1993

indicates that there were no deleterious

effects on plants, nontarget organisms,

or the environment as a result of the

environmental release of corn line

DBT418.

Determination

Based on its analysis of the data

submitted by Dekalb and a review of

other scientific data, comment received,

and field tests of the subject corn line,

APHIS has determined that corn line

DBT418: (1) Exhibits no plant

pathogenic properties; (2) is no more

likely to become a weed than insect

resistant corn lines developed by

traditional breeding techniques; (3) is

unlikely to increase the weediness

potential for any other cultivated or

wild species with which it can

interbreed; (4) will not cause damage to

raw or processed agricultural

commodities; (5) will not harm

threatened or endangered species or

other organisms, such as bees, that are

beneficial to agriculture; and (6) should

not reduce the ability to control insects

in corn or other crops when cultivated.

Therefore, APHIS has concluded that

the subject corn line and any progeny

derived from hybrid crosses with other

nontransformed corn varieties will be as

safe to grow as corn in traditional

breeding programs that are not subject

to regulation under 7 CFR part 340.

The effect of this determination is that

Dekalb’s corn line DBT418 is no longer

considered a regulated article under

APHIS’ regulations in 7 CFR part 340.

Therefore, the requirements pertaining

to regulated articles under those

regulations no longer apply to the field

testing, importation, or interstate
17144 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 68 / Wednesday, April 9, 1997 / Notices

movement of the subject corn line or its

progeny. However, importation of corn

line DBT418 or seeds capable of

propagation are still subject to the

restrictions found in APHIS’ foreign

quarantine notices in 7 CFR part 319.

National Environmental Policy Act

An environmental assessment (EA)

has been prepared to examine the

potential environmental impacts

associated with this determination. The

EA was prepared in accordance with: (1)

The National Environmental Policy Act

of 1969, as amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C.

4321 et seq.), (2) Regulations of the

Council on Environmental Quality for

implementing the procedural provisions

of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), (3)

USDA regulations implementing NEPA

(7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA

Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part

372). Based on that EA, APHIS has

reached a finding of no significant

impact (FONSI) with regard to its

determination that Dekalb’s corn line

DBT418 and lines developed from it are

no longer regulated articles under its

regulations in 7 CFR part 340. Copies of

the EA and the FONSI are available

upon request from the individual listed

under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT.

Done in Washington, DC, this 3rd day of

April 1997.

Terry L. Medley,

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 97–9066 Filed 4–8–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service

Rural Business–Cooperative Service

Rural Utilities Service

Farm Service Agency

Notice of Request for Information

Collection

AGENCY: The Rural Housing Service,

Rural Business–Cooperative Service,

Rural Utilities Service and Farm Service

Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed collection; comments

request.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the Rural Housing

Service’s (RHS) intention to reinstate

the information collection procedures in

support of the Multi-Family Housing

Supervised Bank Account regulatory

requirements.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received on or before [insert date 60

days after date of publication in the

Federal Register] to be assured of

consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

James E. Vollmer, Senior Loan

Specialist, Multi-Family Housing

Portfolio Management Division, RHS,

Stop 0782, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue

SW, Washington, DC 20250–0782,

Telephone (202) 720–1060.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: 1902–A, Supervised Bank

Accounts.

OMB Number: 0575–0158.

Type of Request: Reinstate

information collection.

Abstract: The Rural Housing Service

(RHS) is a credit agency for Rural

Development. The RHS is an Agency of

the U.S. Department of Agriculture

(USDA). As a creditor of last resort the

Agency extends financial assistance in

support of housing for rural residents.

This regulation prescribes the policies

and responsibilities for the use of

supervised accounts. In carrying out its

mission as a supervised credit Agency,

this regulation authorizes the use of

supervised accounts for the

disbursement of funds. The use may be

necessitated to disburse Government

funds consistent with the various stages

of any development (construction) work

actually achieved. On limited occasions

a supervised account is used to provide

temporary credit counseling and

oversight to those being assisted who

demonstrate an inability to handle their

financial affairs responsibly. Another

use is for depositing multi-housing

reserve account funds in a manner

requiring Agency co-signature for

withdrawals. Multi-housing reserve

account funds are held in a sinking fund

for the future capital improvements

needs for apartment projects.

Supervised accounts are established to

ensure Government security is

adequately protected against fraud,

waste, and abuse.

The legislative authority for requiring

the use of supervised accounts is

contained in Section 339 of the

Consolidated Farm and Rural

Development Act (CON ACT), as

amended (7 U.S.C. 1989), and Section

510 of the Housing Act of 1949 (Housing

Act), as amended (42 U.S.C. 1480).

These provisions authorize the

Secretary of Agriculture to make such

rules and regulations as deemed

necessary to carry out the

responsibilities and duties the

Government is charged with

administering.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average 0.42 hours per

response.

Respondents: The primary

respondents are small business

organizations.

Estimated Number of Responses Per

Respondent: 2.48.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 26,260 hours.

Copies of this information collection

can be obtained from Johnnie Anderson,

Regulations and Paperwork

Management Division, at (202) 720–

9735.

Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the Agency,

including whether the information will

have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of

the Agency’s estimate of the burden of

the proposed collection of information,

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on those who are to respond, including

through the use of appropriate

automated, electronic, mechanical, or

other technological collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology. Comments may be sent to

Johnnie Anderson, Regulations and

Paperwork Management Division, Stop

0743, U.S. Department of Agriculture,

1400 Independence Avenue SW,

Washington, DC 20250–0743. All

responses to this notice will be

summarized and included in any

request for OMB approval. All

comments will also become a matter of

public record.

Dated: March 12, 1997.

Jan E. Shadburn,

Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service.

Dayton J. Watkins,

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative

Service.

Dated: March 24, 1997.

Wally B. Beyer,

Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.

Dated: March 27, 1997.

Grant Buntrock,

Administrator, Farm Service Agency.

[FR Doc. 97–8994 Filed 4–8–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–U