[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 180 (Friday, September 17, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 56981]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-23238]



[[Page 56981]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2010-0058]


Notice of Decision To Issue Permits for the Importation of Sweet 
Limes From Mexico Into the Continental United States

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our decision to begin issuing 
permits for the importation into the continental United States of sweet 
limes from Mexico. Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, which 
we made available to the public for review and comment through a 
previous notice, we believe that the application of one or more 
designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the 
risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via 
the importation of sweet limes from Mexico.

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 17, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Lamb, Import Specialist, 
Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road 
Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-0627.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Under the regulations in ``Subpart--Fruits and Vegetables'' (7 CFR 
319.56-1 through 319.56-50, referred to below as the regulations), the 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture prohibits or restricts the importation of 
fruits and vegetables into the United States from certain parts of the 
world to prevent plant pests from being introduced into and spreading 
within the United States. Under that process, APHIS may publish a 
notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of a pest 
risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation 
of a particular fruit or vegetable. Following the close of the 60-day 
comment period, APHIS may begin issuing permits for importation of the 
fruit or vegetable subject to the risk-mitigation measures identified 
in the pest risk analysis if: (1) No comments were received on the pest 
risk analysis; (2) the comments on the pest risk analysis revealed that 
no changes to the pest risk analysis were necessary; or (3) changes to 
the pest risk analysis were made in response to public comments, but 
the changes did not affect the overall conclusions of the analysis and 
the Administrator's determination of risk.
    In accordance with that process, we published a notice\1\ in the 
Federal Register on June 10, 2010 (75 FR 32900-32901, Docket No. APHIS-
2010-0058), in which we announced the availability, for review and 
comment, of a pest risk analysis evaluating the risks associated with 
the importation into the continental United States of sweet limes from 
Mexico. We solicited comments on the notice for 60 days ending on 
August 9, 2010. We received one comment by that date, from a State 
agricultural agency. The commenter concurred with the findings of our 
pest risk analysis.
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    \1\ To view the notice, the pest risk analysis, and the comment 
we received, go to (http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2010-0058).
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    Therefore, in accordance with the regulations in Sec.  319.56-
4(c)(2)(ii), we are announcing our decision to begin issuing permits 
for the importation into the continental United States of sweet limes 
from Mexico provided that:
    <bullet> The sweet limes may be imported into the United States in 
commercial consignments only.
    <bullet> The sweet limes must be irradiated in accordance with 7 
CFR part 305 with a minimum absorbed dose of 150 Gy.
    <bullet> Each shipment of sweet limes must be inspected by the 
Mexican national plant protection organization and accompanied by a 
phytosanitary certificate attesting that the fruit received the 
required irradiation treatment and bearing an additional declaration 
that states that the fruit was inspected in the packinghouse and found 
free of Brevipalpus californicus, B. phoenicus, Diaphorina citri, and 
Coniothecium scabrum.
    These conditions will be listed in the Fruits and Vegetables Import 
Requirements database (available at (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/favir)). 
In addition to these specific measures, sweet limes from Mexico will be 
subject to the general requirements listed in Sec.  319.56-3 that are 
applicable to the importation of all fruits and vegetables.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701-7772, and 7781-7786; 21 U.S.C. 136 
and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.
    Done in Washington, DC, this 13\th\ day of September 2010.

Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-23238 Filed 9-16-10; 11:25 am]
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