33484 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 125 / Thursday, June 27, 1996 / Notices

announced immediately if, for any

consecutive 10-week period, the Friday

through Thursday average price

quotation for the lowest-priced U.S.

growth, as quoted for Middling 13⁄32

inch cotton, C.I.F. northern Europe (U.S.

Northern Europe price), adjusted for the

value of any cotton user marketing

certificates issued, exceeds the Northern

Europe price by more than 1.25 cents

per pound. This condition was met

during the consecutive 10-week period

that ended April 25, 1996. Therefore, a

quota referenced as the Secretary of

Agriculture’s Special Cotton Import

Quota Announcement Number 15,

effective June 10, 1996, is hereby

established.

Because there are only 20

subheadings available for designating

upland cotton special import quotas in

subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTS,

only 20 such quotas can be in effect at

one time. Each subheading corresponds

to a Secretary of Agriculture’s Special

Cotton Import Quota Announcement

specifying that a particular amount of

upland cotton may be imported during

a particular 180-day period. The special

import quota described in this notice

cannot take effect until HTS subheading

9903.52.15 becomes available upon the

expiration of the Secretary of

Agriculture’s Special Cotton Import

Quota Announcement Number 15,

effective December 13, 1995, through

June 9, 1996. Therefore, the special

import quota described in this notice

opens on June 10, 1996, the day after the

previous special import quota 15 ends.

The quota amount, 42,728,074

kilograms (94,199,355 pounds), is equal

to 1 week’s consumption of upland

cotton by domestic mills at the

seasonally-adjusted average rate of the

most recent 3 months for which data are

available—January 1996 through March

1996. The special import quota

identifies a quantity of imports that is

not subject to the over-quota tariff rate

of a tariff-rate quota. The quota is not

divided by staple length or by country

of origin. The quota does not affect

existing tariff rates or phytosanitary

regulations. The quota does not apply to

Extra Long Staple cotton.

Authority: Sec. 136, Public Law 104–127

and U.S. Note 6(a), Subchapter III, Chapter 99

of the HTS.

Signed at Washington, D.C., on June 20,

1996.

Dan Glickman,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–16464 Filed 6–26–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–05–M

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 96–002–2]

Asgrow Seed Co.; Availability of

Determination of Nonregulated Status

for Squash Line Genetically

Engineered for Virus Resistance

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: We are advising the public of

our determination that the Asgrow Seed

Company’s squash line designed as

CZW–3 that has been genetically

engineered for virus 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

Asgrow Seed Company 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 Asgrow Seed Company’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: June 14, 1996.

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.

James White, Biotechnology Permits,

BBEP, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit

147, Riverdale, MD 20737–1237; (301)

734–7612. To obtain a copy of the

determination or the environmental

assessment and finding of no significant

impact, contact Ms. Kay Peterson at

(301) 734–7612; e-mail:

mkpeterson@aphis.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On December 18, 1995, the Animal

and Plant Health Inspection Service

(APHIS) received a petition (APHIS

Petition No. 95–352–01p) from the

Asgrow Seed Company (Asgrow) of

Kalamazoo, MI, seeking a determination

that a yellow crookneck squash line

designated as CZW–3 (line CZW–3) that

has been genetically engineered to

contain genes that confer virus

resistance does not present a plant pest

risk and, therefore, is not a regulated

article under APHIS’ regulations in 7

CFR part 340.

On February 2, 1996, APHIS

published a notice in the Federal

Register (61 FR 3899–3900, Docket No.

96–002–1) announcing that the Asgrow

petition had been received and was

available for public review. The notice

also discussed the role of APHIS and the

Food and Drug Administration in

regulating the subject squash line and

food products derived from it. In the

notice, APHIS solicited written

comments from the public as to whether

this squash line posed a plant pest risk.

The comments were to have been

received by APHIS on or before April 2,

1996. During the designated 60-day

comment period, APHIS received four

comments on the subject petition from

universities, an office of the cooperative

extension service, and an agricultural

consultant. All of the comments were

favorable to the petition.

Analysis

Line CZW–3 has been genetically

engineered to contain the coat protein

genes from cucumber mosaic virus,

watermelon mosaic virus 2, and

zucchini yellow mosaic virus for

resistance to these viruses. The subject

squash line also contains the nptII gene

from the prokaryotic transposon Tn5,

which encodes the enzyme neomycin

phosphotransferase II and is used as a

selectable marker for transformation.

Expression of the added genes is

controlled in part by 35S promoters and

terminators from the plant pathogen

cauliflower mosaic virus. The genes

used to develop line CZW–3 were stably

transferred into the genome of the

yellow crookneck squash parental line

through the use of the Agrobacterium

tumefaciens transformation system.

The subject squash 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 line CZW–3 conducted in

1993 and 1994 under APHIS permits

indicates that there were no deleterious

effects on plants, nontarget organisms,

or the environment as a result of the

environmental release of this squash

line.
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 125 / Thursday, June 27, 1996 / Notices 33485

Determination

Based on its analysis of the data

submitted by Asgrow and a review of

other scientific data, comments

received, and field tests of the subject

squash line, APHIS has determined that

line CZW–3: (1) Exhibits no plant

pathogenic properties; (2) is no more

likely to become a weed than virus

resistant squash 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 increase the

likelihood of the emergence of new

plant viruses; and (6) will not harm

threatened or endangered species or

other organisms, such as bees, that are

beneficial to agriculture. Therefore,

APHIS has concluded that the subject

squash line and any progeny derived

from hybrid crosses with other

nontransformed squash varieties will be

as safe to grow as squash in traditional

breeding programs that are not subject

to regulation under 7 CFR part 340.

The effect of this determination is that

Asgrow’s yellow crookneck squash line

CZW–3 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

movement of the subject squash line or

its progeny. However, importation of the

subject squash line or seeds capable of

propagation is 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) (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 Asgrow’s yellow

crookneck squash line CZW–3 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 21st day of

June 1996.

Bobby R. Acord,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 96–16465 Filed 6–26–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

Farm Service Agency

Notice of Request for Extension and

Revision of a Currently Approved

Information Collection

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. 104–13), this notice announces the

Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) intention

to request an extension for and revision

to an information collection currently

approved for the farm credit programs

guaranteed loan regulations of FSA,

formerly administered by the USDA,

Farmers Home Administration. These

regulations are published under the

authority of the Consolidated Farm and

Rural Development Act, as amended

(CONACT).

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received on or before August 26, 1996,

to be assured consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Steven Ford,

Senior Loan Officer, Farm Credit

Programs, Farm Service Agency, USDA,

P. O. Box 2415, AgBox 0522,

Washington, D.C. 20013–2415;

telephone (202) 720–3889.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Guaranteed Farm Credit

Programs.

OMB Control Number: 0560–0155.

Expiration Date of Approval:

September 30, 1996.

Type of Request: Extension and

Revision of a Currently Approved

Information Collection.

Abstract: The information collected

under Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) Number 0560–0155, as identified

above, is needed to enable FSA to

effectively administer the guaranteed

loan program under the CONACT.

The Agency requires some of the

information it collects to be reported in

a standard manner. Although lending

institutions generally require and collect

information similar to that requested by

FSA, there is a wide diversity in

reporting practices. The Agency requires

some information to be reported on

standard forms in order to facilitate an

effective and efficient decision making

process.

Respondents generally consist of farm

operators applying for loans and

lenders. Compliance with local, State,

and Federal laws is required; and

evidence of compliance with these laws

may be required. Evidence of

compliance with zoning ordinances,

environmental standards, equal

opportunity standards, historic

preservation requirements, etc., may be

required when warranted.

The information collection required

by this rule will be used by the Agency

to approve or determine the need for

loans and subordination in accordance

with this rule. The Agency considers the

information collected to be essential to

prudent loan making decisions. Failure

to make sound loans would jeopardize

the Government’s loan portfolio, result

in large losses to both the borrower and

the Government, and weaken the overall

agricultural economy.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this information collection is

estimated to average .71 hours per

response.

Respondents: State or Federally

chartered banks, Farm Credit System

Institutions, and other lending

institutions as well as farm operators.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

21,000 (3000 lenders; 18,000 loan

applicants).

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 9.17.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 192,625.

Comments regarding (a) whether the

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 burden including

the validity of the methodology and

assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance

the quality, utility and clarity of the

information to be collected; (d) ways to

minimize the burden of the collection of

information on those who are to

respond, including the use of

appropriate automated, electronic,

mechanical, or other technological

collection techniques or other forms of

information technology should be sent

to the Desk Officer for Agriculture,

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Office of Management and

Budget, Washington, D.C. 20503 and to

Steven Ford, Senior Loan Officer, Farm

Credit Programs, Farm Service Agency,

USDA, P. O. Box 2415, AgBox 0522,

Washington, D.C. 20013–2415;

telephone (202) 720–3889. Copies of the