34714 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 123 / Wednesday, June 30, 2021 / Notices 

1To view the final rule, go to 

www.regulations.gov and enter APHIS–2018–0034 

in the Search field. 

2To view the notice, go to www.regulations.gov 

and enter APHIS–2012–0025 in the Search field. 

please call (202) 799–7039 before 

coming. 

Supporting documents for this 

petition are also available on the APHIS 

website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/ 

aphis/ourfocus/biotechnology/permitsnotifications-petitions/petitions/ 

petition-status. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Cindy Eck, Biotechnology Regulatory 

Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 

147, Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) 

851–3892; email: cynthia.a.eck@

usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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, ‘‘Movement of Organisms Modified 

or Produced Through Genetic 

Engineering,’’ regulate, among other 

things, the importation, interstate 

movement, or release into the 

environment of organisms modified or 

produced through genetic engineering 

that are plant pests or pose a plausible 

plant pest risk. 

The extension for nonregulated status 

described in this notice is being 

evaluated under the version of the 

regulations effective at the time that it 

was received. The Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

issued a final rule, published in the 

Federal Register on May 18, 2020 (85 

FR 29790–29838, Docket No. APHIS– 

2018–0034),1 revising 7 CFR part 340; 

however, the final rule is being 

implemented in phases. This extension 

of a determination of nonregulated 

status is being evaluated in accordance 

with the regulations at 7 CFR 340.6 

(2020) as it was received by APHIS on 

July 31, 2020. 

On February 18, 2015,2 APHIS 

announced its determination of 

nonregulated status of Okanagan 

Specialty Fruits Inc.’s (OSF) GD743 and 

GS784 apple lines which were 

developed using genetic engineering to 

resist browning. OSF has submitted a 

request to extend a determination of 

nonregulated status of GD743 and 

GS784 apple lines to PG451 apple 

(APHIS Petition Number 20–213–01ext) 

which has been developed using genetic 

engineering to resist browning. 

As described in the extension request, 

PG451 apple was developed through 

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation 

of apple leaf tissue using the binary 

plasmid vector pGEN–03 to suppress 

genes for polyphenol oxidase, which 

causes browning. GD743 and GS784 

apple lines were developed using the 

same plasmid vector and the same 

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation 

method. 

Based on the information in the 

request, we have concluded that PG451 

apple is similar to GD743 and GS784 

apple lines. PG451 apple is currently 

regulated under 7 CFR part 340. 

As part of our decision-making 

process regarding the regulatory status 

of an organism developed using genetic 

engineering, APHIS prepared a draft 

plant pest risk similarity assessment 

(PPRSA) to compare PG451 apple to the 

antecedents. Based on the similarity of 

PG451 apple to the antecedents GD743 

and GS784 apple lines as described in 

the PPRSA, APHIS concludes that 

PG451 apple is unlikely to pose a 

greater plant pest risk than the 

unmodified organism from which it was 

derived and should no longer be 

regulated under 7 CFR part 340. 

APHIS has analyzed information 

submitted by OSF, references provided 

in the extension request, peer-reviewed 

publications, and supporting 

documentation prepared for the 

antecedent organism. Based on APHIS’ 

analysis of this information and the 

similarity of PG451 apple to the 

antecedents GD743 and GS784 apple 

lines, APHIS has determined that PG451 

apple is unlikely to pose a plant pest 

risk. We have therefore reached a 

preliminary decision to approve the 

request to extend the determination of 

nonregulated status for PG451 apple 

line, whereby PG451 apple would no 

longer be subject to our regulations 

governing organisms developed using 

genetic engineering. 

We are therefore publishing this 

notice to make available our evaluation 

and inform the public of our 

preliminary decision to extend the 

determination of nonregulated status of 

PG451 apple. 

APHIS will accept written comments 

on the request for extension, PPRSA, 

and our preliminary determination for 

PG451 apple for 30 days. These 

documents are available for public 

review as indicated under ADDRESSES

and FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

above. Copies of these documents may 

also be obtained by contacting the 

person listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. 

After the comment period closes, 

APHIS will review all written comments 

received during the comment period 

and any other relevant information. All 

comments will be available for public 

review. After reviewing and evaluating 

the comments, if APHIS determines that 

no substantive information has been 

received that would warrant APHIS 

altering its preliminary regulatory 

determination, our preliminary 

regulatory determination will become 

final and effective upon notification of 

the public through an announcement on 

our website at https://

www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/ 

biotechnology/permits-notificationspetitions/petitions/petition-status. 

APHIS will also furnish a response to 

the petitioner regarding our final 

regulatory determination. No further 

Federal Register notice will be 

published announcing the final 

regulatory determination of PG451 

apple. 

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 24th day of 

June 2021. 

Michael Watson, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–13901 Filed 6–29–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2020–0021] 

Bayer; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

Determination of Nonregulated Status 

for Maize Developed Using Genetic 

Engineering for Dicamba, Glufosinate, 

Quizalofop, and 2,4- 

Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid 

Resistance, With Tissue-Specific 

Glyphosate Resistance Facilitating the 

Production of Hybrid Maize Seed; 

Reopening of Comment Period 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement; 

reopening of comment period. 

SUMMARY: We are reopening the 

comment period for our notice of intent 

to prepare an environmental impact 

statement regarding a request from 

Bayer seeking a determination of 

nonregulated status for maize developed 

using genetic engineering for dicamba, 

glufosinate, quizalofop, and 2,4- 

dichlorophenoxyacetic acid resistance 

with tissue-specific glyphosate 

resistance facilitating the production of 

hybrid maize seed. This action will 

allow interested persons additional time 

to prepare and submit comments. 

DATES: The comment period for the 

notice of intent published on April 28, 


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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 123 / Wednesday, June 30, 2021 / Notices 34715 

1To view the notice, go to www.regulations.gov. 

Enter APHIS–2020–0021 in the Search field. 

2021 (86 FR 22384) is reopened. We will 

consider all comments that we receive 

on or before July 30, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov and enter 

APHIS–2020–0021 in the Search field. 

Select the Documents tab, then select 

the Comment button in the list of 

documents. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2020–0021, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

3A–03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

The petition and any comments we 

receive on this docket may be viewed at 

www.regulations.gov or in our reading 

room, which is located in room 1620 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. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Cindy Eck, Biotechnology Regulatory 

Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 

147, Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; phone 

(301)851–3892; email: cynthia.a.eck@

usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 

28, 2021, we published in the Federal 

Register (86 FR 22384–22386, Docket 

No. APHIS–2020–0021) 1 a notice of 

intent to prepare an environmental 

impact statement regarding a request 

from Bayer seeking a determination of 

nonregulated status for maize developed 

using genetic engineering for dicamba, 

glufosinate, quizalofop, and 2,4- 

dichlorophenoxyacetic acid resistance 

with tissue-specific glyphosate 

resistance facilitating the production of 

hybrid maize seed. 

Comments on the notice of intent 

were required to be received on or 

before May 28, 2021. We are reopening 

the comment period on Docket No. 

APHIS–2020–0021 for an additional 30 

days from the date of publication of this 

notice. This action will allow interested 

persons additional time to prepare and 

submit comments. We will also consider 

all comments received between May 29, 

2021 (the day after the close of the 

original comment period) and the date 

of this notice. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 24th day of 

June 2021. 

Michael Watson, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–13904 Filed 6–29–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Foreign Agricultural Service 

Notice of Request for a Revision of a 

Currently Approved Information 

Collection 

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, 

Agriculture (USDA). 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces that the Foreign 

Agricultural Service (FAS) intends to 

request a revision of a currently 

approved information collection for 

Sugar Import Licensing Programs. 

DATES: Comments should be received on 

or before August 30, 2021 to be assured 

of consideration. 

ADDRESSES: FAS invites interested 

persons to submit comments on this 

notice by any of the following methods: 

b Federal eRulemaking Portal: This 

website provides the ability to type 

short comments directly into the 

comment field or attach a file for 

lengthier comments. Go to https://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line 

instructions at the site for submitting 

comments. 

b Mail, hand delivery, or courier: 

William Janis, International Economist, 

Multilateral Affairs Division, Trade 

Policy and Geographic Affairs, Foreign 

Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Room 5550, Stop 1070, 

1400 Independence Ave. SW, 

Washington, DC 20250–1070. 

b Email: William.Janis@usda.gov. 

Include OMB Number 0551–0015 in the 

subject line of the message. 

All comments submitted must include 

the agency name and OMB Number 

below. Comments received in response 

to this docket will be made available for 

public inspection and posted without 

change, including any personal 

information, online at http://

www.regulations.gov and at the mail 

address listed above between 8:00 a.m. 

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

except holidays. 

Persons with disabilities who require 

an alternative means for communication 

of information (e.g., Braille, large print, 

audiotape, etc.) should contact Angela 

Ubrey (Human Resources, 202–772– 

4836) or Constance Goodwin (Office of 

Civil Rights, 202–379–6431). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

William Janis at the address stated 

above, by telephone at (202) 720–2194 

or by email at: William.Janis@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: 

Sugar Imported for Export as Refined 

Sugar or as Sugar-Containing Products 

or used in the Production of Certain 

Polyhydric Alcohols. 

OMB Number: 0551–0015. 

Expiration Date of Approval: August 

31, 2021. 

Type of Request: Revision of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: The primary objective of the 

Sugar Import Licensing Program is to 

permit entry of raw cane sugar, 

unrestricted by the quantitative limit 

established by the sugar tariff-rate quota, 

for re-export in refined form or in sugar 

containing products or for production of 

certain polyhydric alcohols. As many as 

250 licensees are currently eligible to 

participate in these programs. 

Estimate of Burden: The public 

reporting burden for each respondent 

resulting from information collection 

under the USDA Sugar Import Licensing 

Program varies in direct relation to the 

number and type of agreements entered 

into by such respondent. The estimated 

average reporting burden for the USDA 

Sugar Import Licensing Program is 0.26 

hours per response. Under 7 CFR part 

1530, the information collected is used 

by the licensing authority to manage, 

plan, evaluate, and account for program 

activities. The reports and records are 

required to ensure the proper operations 

of these programs. 

Respondents: Sugar refiners, 

manufacturers of sugar containing 

products, and producers of polyhydric 

alcohol. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

146. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 10. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 388 hours. 

Request for Comments: The public is 

invited to submit comments and 

suggestions on all aspects of this 

information collection to help us to: (1) 

Evaluate whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of FAS’s functions, 

including whether the information will 

have practical utility; (2) Evaluate the 

accuracy of FAS’s estimate of burden 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (3) 

Enhance the quality, utility and clarity 

of the information to be collected; and 


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