[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 11, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18393-18394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-8800]



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Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

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.

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Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 69 / Tuesday, April 11, 1995 / 
Notices
[[Page 18393]]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 95-018-1]


Availability of Environmental Assessments and Findings of No 
Significant Impact

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that four environmental assessments 
and findings of no significant impact have been prepared by the Animal 
and Plant Health Inspection Service relative to the issuance or renewal 
of permits to allow the field testing of genetically engineered 
organisms. The environmental assessments provide a basis for our 
conclusion that the field testing of the genetically engineered 
organisms will not present a risk of introducing or disseminating a 
plant pest and will not have a significant impact on the quality of the 
human environment. Based on its findings of no significant impact, the 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that 
environmental impact statements need not be prepared.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the environmental assessments and findings of no 
significant impact are available for public inspection 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 
requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to facilitate entry into the 
reading room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Arnold Foudin, Deputy Director, 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Biotechnology, Biologics, 
and Environmental Protection, Biotechnology Permits, 4700 River Road 
Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737-1228; (301) 734-7612. For copies of the 
environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact, write 
to Mr. Clayton Givens at the same address. Please refer to the permit 
numbers listed below when ordering documents.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 7 CFR part 340 (referred 
to below as the regulations) regulate the introduction (importation, 
interstate movement, and release into the environment) of genetically 
engineered organisms and products that are plant pests or that there is 
reason to believe are plant pests (regulated articles). A permit must 
be obtained before a regulated article may be introduced into the 
United States. The regulations set forth the procedures for obtaining a 
limited permit for the importation or interstate movement of a 
regulated article and for obtaining a permit for the release into the 
environment of a regulated article. The Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS) has stated that it would prepare an 
environmental assessment and, when necessary, an environmental impact 
statement before issuing a permit for the release into the environment 
of a regulated article (see 52 FR 22906).
    In the course of reviewing each permit application, APHIS assessed 
the impact on the environment that releasing the organisms under the 
conditions described in the permit application would have. APHIS has 
issued permits for the field testing of the organisms listed below 
after concluding that the organisms will not present a risk of plant 
pest introduction or dissemination and will not have a significant 
impact on the quality of the human environment. The environmental 
assessments and findings of no significant impact, which are based on 
data submitted by the applicants and on a review of other relevant 
literature, provide the public with documentation of APHIS' review and 
analysis of the environmental impacts associated with conducting the 
field tests.
    Environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact 
have been prepared by APHIS relative to the issuance or renewal of 
permits to allow the field testing of the following genetically 
engineered organisms:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       Date                                                     
      Permit number               Permittee           issued           Organisms           Field test location  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
94-326-05, renewal of     Asgrow Seed Company.....    2-07-95  Watermelon plants         Michigan.              
 permit 94-055-03,                                              genetically engineered                          
 issued on 5-04-94.                                             to express resistance                           
                                                                to watermelon mosaic                            
                                                                virus 2, and zucchini                           
                                                                yellow mosaic virus.                            
94-332-01, renewal of     Asgrow Seed Company.....    2-08-95  Lettuce plants            Georgia.               
 permit 94-060-01,                                              genetically engineered                          
 issued on 6-01-94.                                             to express resistance                           
                                                                to tomato spotted wilt                          
                                                                virus.                                          
94-200-01...............  University of Georgia...    2-09-95  Canola plants             Georgia.               
                                                                genetically engineered                          
                                                                for insect resistance.                          
94-326-07, renewal of     Upjohn Company..........    2-09-95  Cantaloupe plants         California, Georgia,   
 permit 94-090-05,                                              genetically engineered    and Michigan.         
 issued on 6-17-94.                                             for resistance to                               
                                                                cucumber mosaic virus,                          
                                                                watermelon mosaic virus                         
                                                                2, zucchini yellow                              
                                                                mosaic virus, papaya                            
                                                                ringspot virus, and                             
                                                                squash mosaic virus.                            
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    [[Page 18394]] The environmental assessments and findings of no 
significant impact have been prepared in accordance with: (1) The 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (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 Guidelines Implementing NEPA (44 FR 50381-50384, August 28, 1979, 
and 44 FR 51272-51274, August 31, 1979).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 5th day of April 1995.

Alex B. Thiermann,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 95-8800 Filed 4-10-95; 8:45 am]

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