Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 6, 2001 / Notices 13485

resources in North America by

coordinating joint programs of mutual

interest.

To assist us in our decisionmaking,

APHIS has prepared a draft

environmental assessment (EA), entitled

‘‘Pine Shoot Beetle Host Material from

Canada’’ (December 2000), that

considers alternative actions and the

associated environmental impacts for

addressing the spread of PSB into

noninfested areas of the United States.

The alternative actions reviewed and

analyzed include implementing

reciprocal regulations on imported PSB

host material from Canada, taking no

action (i.e., retaining the current

domestic quarantine program only), or

rescinding the domestic quarantine

program and not implementing

reciprocal regulations on imported PSB

host material from Canada.

We are making this draft EA available

to the public for review and comment.

We will consider all comments that we

receive by the date listed under the

heading DATES at the beginning of this

notice.

The draft EA may be viewed on the

Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/

ppd/es/ppq/psbcan.pdf. You may also

request paper copies of the draft EA by

calling or writing to the person listed

under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. Please refer to the title of the

draft EA when requesting copies. The

draft EA is also available for review in

our reading room (information on the

location and hours of the reading room

is listed under the heading ADDRESSES at

the beginning of this notice).

The draft EA has been prepared in

accordance with: (1) The National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969

(NEPA), as amended (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 1), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA

Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part

372).

Done in Washington, DC, this 28th day of

February 2001.

Bobby R. Acord,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 01–5422 Filed 3–5–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 00–008–2]

Imported Fire Ant

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service will continue to

administer its imported fire ant

program.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron

Milberg, Operations Officer, PPQ,

APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 134,

Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) 734–

5255.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Our

imported fire ant program is based on

our imported fire ant regulations (7 CFR

301.81–1 through 301.81–10, referred to

below as the regulations). The

regulations govern the interstate

movement of regulated articles from

areas quarantined because of the

imported fire ant. Section 301.81–2 of

the regulations provides a list of articles

regulated because of the imported fire

ant. Regulated articles are imported fire

ant queens and reproducing colonies of

imported fire ants, soil (except potting

soil shipped in its original container),

baled hay or straw stored in direct

contact with the ground, nursery stock

(except plants maintained indoors in a

home or office environment and not for

sale), used soil-moving equipment

(unless removed of all noncompacted

soil), and any other article or means of

conveyance determined to present a risk

of spreading imported fire ant. Section

301.81–3 of the regulations lists areas

quarantined because of the imported fire

ant. Quarantined areas are all or

portions of the following States and

territories: Alabama, Arkansas,

California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,

Mississippi, New Mexico, North

Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South

Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

Sections 301.81–4 through 301.81–10

provide requirements for moving

regulated articles interstate from

quarantined areas to nonquarantined

areas. These sections include

requirements for certificates and limited

permits and for treatment of regulated

articles.

On March 2, 2000, we published in

the Federal Register (65 FR 11281–

11283, Docket No. 00–008–1), a notice

announcing four public meetings to

discuss how we should administer our

imported fire ant program in light of

reduced funding. The meetings were

held in Raleigh, NC, on March 21, 2000;

Orlando, FL, on March 23, 2000; Austin,

TX, on March 28, 2000; and Santa Ana,

CA, on March 30, 2000. We also

solicited written comments on our

notice for 60 days, ending May 1, 2000.

In the notice, we asked the public to

comment on the following three

options: (1) Maintain our imported fire

ant program with minimal Federal

regulatory activity, in line with Fiscal

Year 2000 funding; (2) eliminate the

imported fire ant regulations (i.e.,

rescind the Federal quarantine) and

develop model guidelines for States to

use in harmonizing their quarantines; or

(3) eliminate the imported fire ant

regulations (i.e., rescind the Federal

quarantine) and establish a voluntary

nursery self-certification program.

Approximately 105 individuals

representing industry and cooperating

States attended the public meetings. In

addition, we received 58 written

comments in response to the notice by

the May 1, 2000, close of the comment

period. They were from representatives

of industry, cooperating States, and

other interested individuals. With one

exception, those who spoke at the

public meetings and those who

submitted written comments supported

retention of the current imported fire

ant program with a significant increase

in funding for the program. They stated

that the program enhances producers’

ability to move regulated articles

interstate. One commenter

recommended enacting more stringent

regulations in order to prevent the

spread of the imported fire ant to the

State of Hawaii. The majority of

respondents also supported the National

Plant Board’s proposal for $7.5 million

in congressional funding for the

imported fire ant program and the

Gulfport Plant Protection Station’s

unique methods development work.

Given the public support for our

imported fire ant program, we will

maintain the program in line with

current funding. Therefore, our

regulations will continue to provide

uniform standards for the regulated

industry, along with consistent

interstate shipping requirements. Along

with cooperating States, we will also

continue to enforce the Federal

quarantine. This means that when

alerted by States, APHIS personnel will

investigate noncompliance with the

regulations and will examine the origin

and pathway of introduction of

imported fire ants found on regulated

articles. In addition, we will continue to

develop new regulatory treatments and

nursery compliance protocols to control

or reduce imported fire ant populations

13486 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 6, 2001 / Notices

in nursery production areas. For the

development of new regulatory

treatments, about $350,000 is allocated

annually to our plant protection station

in Gulfport, MS. To our knowledge, the

Gulfport Plant Protection Station is the

only facility in the country that is

developing regulatory treatments for the

imported fire ant.

In response to public support for

increased funding for our imported fire

ant program, Congress restored about

$2.1 million for the imported fire ant

program in Fiscal Year 2001. The

majority of this appropriation will be

distributed to States for enforcement

and regulatory activities. We will retain

a small percentage for administrative

costs.

Done in Washington, DC, this 28th day of

February 2001.

Bobby R. Acord,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 01–5421 Filed 3–5–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 01–011N]

Codex Alimentarius: Meeting of the

Codex ad hoc Intergovernmental Task

Force on Animal Feeding

AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary

for Food Safety, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and

request for comments.

SUMMARY: The Office of the Under

Secretary for Food Safety, U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA), and

the Food and Drug Administration

(FDA), U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services (HHS), are sponsoring

a public meeting, on Tuesday, March 6,

2001. The purpose of this meeting is to

provide information and receive public

comments on agenda items that will be

discussed at the 2nd Session of the

Codex ad hoc Intergovernmental Task

Force on Animal Feeding, which will be

held in Copenhagen, Denmark, on

March 19–21, 2001. USDA and FDA

recognize the importance of providing

interested parties the opportunity to

obtain background information on the

2nd Session of the Codex ad hoc

Intergovernmental Task Force on

Animal Feeding and to address items on

the Agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled

for Tuesday, March 6, 2001, from 9 a.m.

to 1 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be

held in the Conference Room M of the

Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane,

Rockville, Maryland 20855 (Twinbrook

Metro Station on the Red Line).

Reference documents will be available

for review in the FSIS Docket Room,

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food

Safety and Inspection Service, Room

102 Cotton Annex, 300 12th Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20250–3700. The

documents will also be accessible via

the World Wide Web at the following

address: http://www.fao.org/waicent/

faoinfo/economic/esn/codex/ccaf02/

af01_01e.htm.

Submit one original and two copies of

written comments to the FSIS Docket

Room and at the address above and

reference docket number 01–011N. All

comments submitted in response to this

notice will be available for public

inspection in the FSIS Docket Room

between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,

Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Patrick J. Clerkin, Associate U.S.

Manager for Codex, U.S. Codex Office,

Food Safety and Inspection Service,

Room 4861, South Building, 1400

Independence Avenue SW.,

Washington, DC 20250. Telephone (202)

205–7760, Fax: (202) 720–3157. Persons

requiring a sign language interpreter or

other special accommodations should

notify Mr. Clerkin at the above number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Codex Alimentarius Commission

was established in 1962 by two United

Nations organizations, the Food and

Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the

World Health Organization (WHO).

Codex is the major international

organization for encouraging fair

international trade in food and

protecting the health and economic

interests of consumers. Through

adoption of food standards, codes of

practice, and other guidelines

developed by its committees, and by

promoting their adoption and

implementation by governments, Codex

seeks to ensure that the world’s food

supply is sound, wholesome, free from

adulteration, and correctly labeled. In

the United States, USDA, FDA, and the

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

manage and carry out U.S. Codex

activities.

The Codex ad hoc Intergovernmental

Task Force on Animal Feeding was

established by the 23rd Session of the

Codex Alimentarius Commission to

develop Guidelines or Standards as

appropriate on Good Animal Feeding

practices with the aim of ensuring the

safety and quality of foods of animal

origin. The ad hoc Task Force is chaired

by Denmark.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public

Meeting

The provisional agenda items to be

discussed during the public meeting:

1. Information paper compiling a list

of internationally available standards

and validated methods for the

examination of animal feed.

2. Information paper on lists

established by different governments to

control the use of prohibited and

undesirable substances in animal feed

or other approaches.

3. Consideration of the Revised Draft

Code of Practice on Good Animal

Feeding at Step 4.

Public Meeting

At the March 6th public meeting, the

agenda items will be described,

discussed, and attendees will have the

opportunity to pose questions and offer

comments. Comments may be sent to

the FSIS Docket Room (see ADDRESSES).

Written comments should state that they

relate to activities of the 2nd ad hoc

International Task Force on Animal

Feeding.

Additional Public Notification

Public awareness of all segments of

rulemaking and policy development is

important. Consequently, in an effort to

better ensure that minorities, women,

and persons with disabilities are aware

of this notice, FSIS will announce it and

provide copies of this Federal Register

publication in the FSIS Constituent

Update. FSIS provides a weekly FSIS

Constituent Update, which is

communicated via fax to over 300

organizations and individuals. In

addition, the update is available on-line

through the FSIS web page located at

http://www.fsis.usda.gov. The update is

used to provide information regarding

FSIS policies, procedures, regulations,

Federal Register notices, FSIS public

meetings, recalls, and any other types of

information that could affect or would

be of interest to our constituents/

stakeholders. The constituent fax list

consists of industry, trade, and farm

groups, consumer interest groups, allied

health professionals, scientific

professionals, and other individuals that

have requested to be included. Through

these various channels, FSIS is able to

provide information to a much broader,

more diverse audience. For more

information and to be added to the

constituent fax list, fax your request to

the Congressional and Public Affairs

Office, at (202) 720–5704.