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

29369

Vol. 63, No. 103

Friday, May 29, 1998

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 98–009–2]

Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.;

Availability of Determination of

Nonregulated Status for Corn

Genetically Engineered for Male

Sterility and Glufosinate Herbicide

Tolerance

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: We are advising the public of

our determination that the Pioneer HiBred International, Inc., corn lines

designated as 676, 678, and 680, which

have been genetically engineered for

male sterility and tolerance to the

herbicide glufosinate as a marker, are no

longer considered regulated articles

under our regulations governing the

introduction of certain genetically

engineered organisms. Our

determination is based on our

evaluation of data submitted by Pioneer

Hi-Bred International, Inc., in its

petition for a determination of

nonregulated status and an analysis of

other scientific data. This notice also

announces the availability of our

written determination document and its

associated environmental assessment

and finding of no significant impact.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 14, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The determination, an

environmental assessment and finding

of no significant impact, and 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 to facilitate entry into the reading

room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Subhash Gupta, Biotechnology and

Biological Analysis, 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 December 8, 1997, the Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

received a petition (APHIS Petition No.

97–342–01p) from Pioneer Hi-Bred

International, Inc. (Pioneer), of

Johnston, IA, seeking a determination

that corn lines designated as 676, 678,

and 680, which have been genetically

engineered for male sterility and

tolerance to the herbicide glufosinate as

a marker, do not present a plant pest

risk and, therefore, are not regulated

articles under APHIS regulations in 7

CFR part 340.

On February 18, 1998, APHIS

published a notice in the Federal

Register (63 FR 8161–8162, Docket No.

98–009–1) announcing that the Pioneer

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 corn lines 676, 678, and 680

and food products derived from them.

In the notice, APHIS solicited written

comments from the public as to whether

these corn lines posed a plant pest risk.

The comments were to have been

received by APHIS on or before April

20, 1998. APHIS received no comments

on the subject petition during the

designated 60-day comment period.

Analysis

Corn lines 676, 678, and 680 have

been genetically engineered to contain a

dam gene derived from Escherichia coli.

The dam gene expresses a DNA adenine

methylase enzyme in specific plant

tissue, which results in the inability of

the transformed plants to produce

anthers or pollen. The subject corn lines

also contain the pat selectable marker

gene isolated from the bacterium

Streptomyces viridochromogenes. The

pat gene encodes a phosphinothricin

acetyltransferase (PAT) enzyme, which,

when introduced into a plant cell,

inactivates glufosinate. Linkage of the

dam gene, which induces male sterility,

with the pat gene, a glufosinate

tolerance gene used as a marker, enables

identification of the male sterile line for

the production of hybrid seed. The

subject corn lines were transformed by

the particle gun process, and expression

of the introduced genes is controlled in

part by gene sequences derived from the

plant pathogen cauliflower mosaic

virus.

Corn lines 676, 678, and 680 have

been considered regulated articles under

APHIS regulations in 7 CFR part 340

because they contain regulatory gene

sequences derived from a plant

pathogen. However, evaluation of field

data reports from field tests of the

subject corn lines conducted under

APHIS notifications since 1995

indicates that there were no deleterious

effects on plants, nontarget organisms,

or the environment as a result of the

environmental release of these corn

lines.

Determination

Based on its analysis of the data

submitted by Pioneer and a review of

other scientific data and field tests of

the subject corn lines, APHIS has

determined that corn lines 676, 678, and

680: (1) Exhibit no plant pathogenic

properties; (2) are no more likely to

become a weed than corn lines

developed by traditional breeding

techniques; (3) are unlikely to increase

the weediness potential for any other

cultivated or wild species with which

they can interbreed; (4) will not cause

damage to raw or processed agricultural

commodities; and (5) will not harm

threatened or endangered species or

other organisms, such as bees, that are

beneficial to agriculture. Therefore,

APHIS has concluded that corn lines

676, 678, and 680 and any progeny

derived from hybrid crosses with other

corn varieties will not exhibit new plant

pest properties, i.e., properties

substantially different from any

observed for the subject corn lines

already field tested, or those observed

for corn in traditional breeding

programs.

The effect of this determination is that

Pioneer’s corn lines designated as 676,

678, and 680 are no longer considered

regulated articles under APHIS’
29370 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 103 / Friday, May 29, 1998 / Notices

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

movement of Pioneer’s corn lines 676,

678, or 680 or their progeny. However,

the importation of the subject corn lines

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 (NEPA), as amended (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 Pioneer’s corn lines

676, 678, and 680 and lines developed

from them 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 22nd day of

May 1998.

Charles P. Schwalbe,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 98–14260 Filed 5–28–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Office of the Inspector General

Application for Funding Assistance

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment

request.

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce

(DOC), as part of its continuing effort to

reduce paperwork and respondent

burden, invites the general public and

other Federal agencies to take this

opportunity to comment on proposed

and/or continuing information

collections, as required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C.

3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before July 28, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Linda Engelmeier, Departmental

Forms Clearance Officer, Department of

Commerce, Room 5327, 14th and

Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington,

DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection

instrument and instructions should be

directed to Barbara A. Bynum,

Department of Commerce, Office of

Inspector General, 14th and

Constitution Avenue, NW, Room 7089,

Washington, DC 20230. She may be

reached at (202) 482–5348.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

DOC, through the Economic

Development Administration (EDA), the

Minority Business Development Agency

(MBDA), the International Trade

Administration (ITA), the National

Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA), the National

Telecommunications and Information

Agency (NTIA), and the National

Institute of Standards and Technology

(NTIS), and other programs, assists

reliable, capable individuals and firms

in the pursuit of various business

development, business enterprise

development and other forms of

economic development. The CD–346

form is used to establish the good

character of principal officers and

employees of organizations, firms, or

recipients or beneficiaries of grants,

loans, or loan guarantee programs,

through the organizations cited above.

This requirement is derived from 42

USC 3211(12); 44 USC 3101; and 15

USC 1519, as well as the responsibilities

cited in the Inspector General Act of

1978, Sec. 4(a)(3) and Departmental

Orders (DAO) 207–10 and 203–26.

II. Method of Collection

The information is collected in

written form.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0605–0001.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Regular Submission.

Affected Public: Individual,

businesses or other for-profit

organizations, not-for-profit institutions.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

2,000.

Estimated Time Per Response: 15

minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 500.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to

Public: $0 (no capital expenditures

required).

IV. Request for 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 shall have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden

(including hours and cost) of the

proposed collection of information; (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 respondents, including through the

use of automated collection techniques

or other forms of information

technology.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for OMB

approval of this information collection;

they also will become a matter of public

record.

Dated: May 22, 1998.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 98–14211 Filed 5–28–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE: 3510–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

Initiation of Antidumping and

Countervailing Duty Administrative

Reviews and Requests for Revocations

in Part

AGENCY: Import Administration,

International Trade Administration,

Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of initiation of

antidumping and countervailing duty

administrative reviews and requests for

revocations in part.

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce

has received requests to conduct

administrative reviews of various

antidumping and countervailing duty

orders and findings with April

anniversary dates. In accordance with

the Department’s regulations, we are

initiating those administrative reviews.

The Department of Commerce also

received a request to revoke one

antidumping duty order in part.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 29, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Holly A. Kuga, Office of AD/CVD

Enforcement, Import Administration,

International Trade Administration,