Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 83 / Monday, April 29, 1996 / Notices 18719

well as to organisms that may be

beneficial to plants, for example,

honeybees, rhizobia, etc.

The U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) is responsible for the

regulation of pesticides under the

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and

Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended (7

U.S.C. 136 et seq.). FIFRA requires that

all pesticides, including herbicides, be

registered prior to distribution or sale,

unless exempt by EPA regulation. In

cases in which genetically modified

plants allow for a new use of an

herbicide or involve a different use

pattern for the herbicide, EPA must

approve the new or different use. When

the use of the herbicide on the

genetically modified plant would result

in an increase in the residues of the

herbicide in a food or feed crop for

which the herbicide is currently

registered, or in new residues in a crop

for which the herbicide is not currently

registered, establishment of a new

tolerance or a revision of the existing

tolerance would be required. Residue

tolerances for pesticides are established

by EPA under the Federal Food, Drug

and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) (21 U.S.C.

201 et seq.), and the Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) enforces

tolerances set by EPA under the FFDCA.

Currently, glufosinate is not registered

for use on soybeans.

FDA published a statement of policy

on foods derived from new plant

varieties in the Federal Register on May

29, 1992 (57 FR 22984–23005). The FDA

statement of policy includes a

discussion of FDA’s authority for

ensuring food safety under the FFDCA,

and provides guidance to industry on

the scientific considerations associated

with the development of foods derived

from new plant varieties, including

those plants developed through the

techniques of genetic engineering.

In accordance with § 340.6(d) of the

regulations, we are publishing this

notice to inform the public that APHIS

will accept written comments regarding

the Petition for Determination of

Nonregulated Status from any interested

person for a period of 60 days from the

date of this notice. The petition and any

comments received are available for

public review, and copies of the petition

may be ordered (see the ADDRESSES

section of this notice).

After the comment period closes,

APHIS will review the data submitted

by the petitioner, all written comments

received during the comment period,

and any other relevant information.

Based on the available information,

APHIS will furnish a response to the

petitioner, either approving the petition

in whole or in part, or denying the

petition. APHIS will then publish a

notice in the Federal Register

announcing the regulatory status of

AgrEvo’s GRS transformation events

W62, W98, A2704–12, A2704–21, and

A5547–35 and the availability of APHIS’

written decision.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 150aa–150jj, 151–167,

and 1622n; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80,

and 371.2(c).

Done in Washington, DC, this 23rd day of

April 1996.

Lonnie J. King,

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 96–10462 Filed 4–26–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service, USDA

[Docket No. 92–110–5]

Veterinary Services Draft

Programmatic Environmental Impact

Statement

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of extension of comment

period.

SUMMARY: We are extending the

comment period for our notice that

advised the public that the Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service has

prepared a draft programmatic

environmental impact statement for the

Veterinary Services Program, which is

responsible for the protection of the

Nation’s livestock and poultry. This

extension will provide interested

persons with additional time to prepare

and submit comments on the draft

programmatic environmental impact

statement.

DATES: Consideration will be given only

to comments on Docket No. 92–110–4

that are received on or before June 25,

1996.

ADDRESSES: Please send an original and

three copies of your comments to

Docket No. 92–110–4, Regulatory

Analysis and Development, PPD,

APHIS, Suite 3C03, 4700 River Road

Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–1238.

Please state that your comments refer to

Docket No. 92–110–4. Comments

received 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 comments are requested to call

ahead on (202) 690–2817 to facilitate

entry into the comment reading room.

Interested persons may obtain a copy

of the draft environmental impact

statement by writing to the addresses

listed below under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. The draft

environmental impact statement may

also be viewed on the Internet at

www.aphis.usda.gov/bbep.ead/

vsdocs.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Nancy Sweeney, Project Leader,

Environmental Analysis and

Documentation, BBEP, APHIS, Suite

5B05, 4700 River Road Unit 149,

Riverdale, MD 20737–1237, (301) 734–

8565; or e-mail:

nsweeney@aphis.usda.gov; or Dr.

William E. Ketter, Chief Staff

Veterinarian, Program Evaluations and

Planning Staff, VS, APHIS, Suite 3B08,

4700 River Road Unit 33, Riverdale, MD

20737–1231, (301) 734–4357; or e-mail:

wketter@aphis.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On March 29, 1996, we published in

the Federal Register (61 FR 14046–

14047, Docket No. 92–110–4) a notice

advising the public that the Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service has

prepared a draft programmatic

environmental impact statement for the

Veterinary Services Program, which is

responsible for the protection of the

Nation’s livestock and poultry. The

notice also asked for public comment on

the draft programmatic environmental

impact statement.

Comments on the draft programmatic

environmental impact statement were

required to be received on or before May

28, 1996. We are extending the

comment period on Docket No. 92–110–

4 for an additional 30 days. This action

will allow interested persons additional

time to prepare and submit comments.

Done in Washington, DC, this 23rd day of

April 1996.

Lonnie J. King,

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 96–10460 Filed 4–26–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 96–015N]

Nominations for Membership on the

National Advisory Committee on

Microbiological Criteria for Foods

The National Advisory Committee on

Microbiological Criteria for Foods

(NACMCF) is soliciting nominations for

membership.