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Timestamp: 2016-08-25 20:21:01
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Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 319', '§ 319', '§ 319', '§ 319', '§ 319', '§ 319', '§ 319', '§ 319', '§ 319', '§ 319', '§ 319', '§ 319', '§ 319', '§ 319', 'art 305', 'art 305', '§ 305', 'art 319', 'art 319', 'art 319', 'art 319']

Skip Navigation HomeHelpResourcesContact Us Advanced Search Start of Main Content Importation of Chinese Sand Pears From China This Proposed Rule document was issued by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) For related information, Open Docket Folder Show agency attachment(s) DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
[Docket No. APHIS-2011-0007]
RIN 0579-AD42
SummaryWe are proposing to amend the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation of Chinese sand pears (Pyrus pyrifolia) from China into the United States. As a condition of entry, sand pears from areas in China in which the Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) is not known to exist would have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach that would include requirements for registration of places of production and packinghouses, sourcing of pest-free propagative material, inspection for quarantine pests at set intervals by the national plant protection organization of China, bagging of fruit, safeguarding, labeling, and importation in commercial consignments. Sand pears from areas in China in which Oriental fruit fly is known to exist could be imported into the United States if, in addition to these requirements, the places of production and packinghouses have a monitoring system in place for Oriental fruit fly and the pears are treated with cold treatment. All sand pears from China would also be required to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that all conditions for the importation of the pears have been met and that the consignment of pears has been inspected and found free of quarantine pests. This action would allow for the importation of sand pears from China into the United States while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of quarantine pests.
DatesWe will consider all comments that we receive on or before February 14, 2012.
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0007-0001. Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2011-0007, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0007 or in our reading room, which is located in room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 690-2817 before coming.
For Further Information ContactMrs. Donna L. West, Senior Import Specialist, Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-0627.
The regulations currently allow for the importation of both Ya pears (Pyrus bretschneideri) and fragrant pears (Pyrus sp. nr. communis) from China. The conditions for importation of Ya pears are found in § 319.56-29 of the regulations; those for fragrant pears are found in § 319.56-39 of the regulations.
As part of our evaluation of China's request, we have prepared a pest risk assessment (PRA), titled “Importation of Fresh Fruit of Chinese Sand Pear, Pyrus pyrifolia, from China, including the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, into the Entire United States, Including all Territories” (July 2009). The PRA evaluates the risks associated with the importation of Chinese sand pears into the United States from China. Copies of the PRA may be obtained by contacting the individual listed underFOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACTor viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site (seeADDRESSESabove for instructions for accessing Regulations.gov).
Venturia nashicola Tanaka & Yamamoto, pear scab fungus.The PRA states that measures beyond standard port-of-entry inspection are required to mitigate the risks posed bythese plant pests, and provides a number of potential options for such measures. After consideration of these options, we have prepared a risk management document (RMD) to recommend specific measures to mitigate these risks. Copies of the RMD may be obtained from the person listed underFOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACTor viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site.
Based on the recommendations of the RMD, we are proposing to allow the importation of Chinese sand pears from China into the United States only if they are produced in accordance with a systems approach; we are proposing to add the systems approach to the regulations in a new § 319.56-55 governing the importation of Chinese sand pears from China.
There would, however, be one significant difference. Whereas we limit the origin of Ya pears and fragrant pears grown for export to the United States to areas within China in which Oriental fruit fly is not known to exist and could not survive (areas north of the 33rd parallel), we would authorize the importation into the United States of Chinese sand pears grown in any area of China, including areas south of the 33rd parallel. (1)
Pears grown in areas south of the 33rd parallel would, however, be subject to additional mitigation measures necessary to address the risk posed by the Oriental fruit fly.Proposed Systems ApproachGeneral RequirementsParagraph (a) of § 319.56-55 would set out general requirements for the NPPO of China and for growers and packers producing sand pears for export to the United States.
Paragraph (a)(1) of § 319.56-55 would require the NPPO of China to provide an operational workplan to APHIS that details the activities that the NPPO will, subject to APHIS' approval of the workplan, carry out to meet the requirements of proposed § 319.56-55. As described in a notice we published on May 10, 2006, in theFederal Register(71 FR 27221-27224, Docket No. APHIS-2005-0085), an operational workplan is an agreement between APHIS' Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program, officials of the NPPO of a foreign government, and, when necessary, foreign commercial entities that specifies in detail the phytosanitary measures that will comply with our regulations governing the import or export of a specific commodity. Operational workplans establish detailed procedures and guidance for the day-to-day operations of specific import/export programs. Workplans also establish how specific phytosanitary issues are dealt with in the exporting country and make clear who is responsible for dealing with those issues. The implementation of a systems approach typically requires an operational workplan to be developed.
Paragraph (a)(4) would state that sand pears from China may be imported in commercial consignments only. Produce grown commercially is less likely to be infested with plant pests than noncommercial consignments. Noncommercial consignments are more prone to infestation because the commodity is often ripe to overripe and is often grown with little to no pest control. Commercial consignments, as defined within the regulations, are consignments that an inspector identifies as having been imported for sale and distribution. Such identification is based on a variety of indicators, including, but not limited to: Quantity of produce, type of packaging, identification of grower or packinghouse on the packaging, and documents consigning the fruits or vegetables to a wholesaler or retailer. We currently require both Ya pears and fragrant pears from China to be imported in commercial consignments as a mitigation measure against the quarantine pests associated with these species of pear.Place of Production RequirementsOur systems approach would require certain measures to take place at the registered places of production. Proposed paragraph (b) of § 319.56-55 would contain these measures.
Paragraph (b)(4) would require the NPPO of China to visit and inspect registered places of production prior to harvest for signs of infestations and would allow APHIS to monitor the inspections. The NPPO would also have to provide records of pest detections and pest detection practices to APHIS, and APHIS would have to approve these practices. This provision is modeled on an existing provision for the importation of fragrant pears from China, and serves a dual purpose: It not only provides for the NPPO of China to inspect the place of production for quarantine pests in a manner that APHIS believes to be sufficiently rigorous, but also affords the NPPO the opportunity to determine whether the orchard has continually maintained the phytosanitary measuresspecified for it under the operational workplan.
Paragraph (b)(5) would state that, if any of the listed quarantine pests is detected at a registered place of production, APHIS could reject the consignment or prohibit the importation into the United States of sand pears from the place of production for the remainder of the season. The exportation to the United States of sand pears from the place of production could resume in the next growing season if an investigation is conducted and APHIS and the NPPO conclude that appropriate remedial action has been taken.Packinghouse RequirementsParagraph (c) of § 319.56-55 would set forth requirements for mitigation measures that would have to take place at registered packinghouses.
Paragraph (c)(1) would require that, during the time registered packinghouses are in use for packing sand pears for export to the United States, the packinghouses may only accept sand pears that are from registered places of production and that are produced in accordance with the requirements of proposed § 319.56-55. Pears from other places of production may be produced under conditions that are less stringent than those of this proposed rule, and may therefore be a pathway for the introduction of quarantine pests into the packinghouses.
Paragraph (c)(6) would require the cartons to be placed in insect-proof containers, and the containers to be sealed. It would also require the containers to be safeguarded during transport to the United States in a manner that will prevent pest infestation. These requirements preclude introduction of pests while the pears are in transit from the packinghouse to the port of export, and from the port of export to the United States.Shipping RequirementsProposed paragraph (d) of § 319.56-55 would set forth shipping requirements for sand pears from China. It would require sealed containers of sand pears destined for export to the United States to be held in a cold storage facility while awaiting export. This would help to prevent pest infestation of packed pears, as certain of the quarantine pests for Chinese sand pears from China are averse to cold conditions.Phytosanitary CertificateParagraph (e) of § 319.56-55 would require each consignment of sand pears imported from China into the United States to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the NPPO of China with an additional declaration stating that the requirements of § 319.56-55 have been met and the consignment has been inspected and found free of quarantine pests.Additional Conditions for Sand Pears From Areas of China South of the 33rd ParallelThe mitigation measures contained in proposed paragraphs (a) through (e) of § 319.56-55 would apply to all Chinese sand pears imported into the United States from China. However, since the Oriental fruit fly is known to exist, in varying population densities, in areas of China south of the 33rd parallel, Chinese sand pears from such areas would be subject to additional mitigation measures designed to prevent infested pears from being exported to the United States. Proposed paragraph (f) of § 319.56-55 would contain these additional mitigations.
Paragraph (f)(1) would require the place of production of the pears and the packinghouse in which they are packed have a trapping system in place for the Oriental fruit fly. At a minimum, the trapping system would have to meet the following requirements: All traps would have to use an APHIS-approved lure.
Traps would have to be serviced every 2 weeks.Paragraph (f)(2) would require the place of production or the packinghouse to retain data regarding the number and location of the traps, as well as any pests other than Oriental fruit fly that have been caught, and make this information available to APHIS upon request.
Paragraph (f)(4) would require the pears to be treated in accordance with 7 CFR part 305. Within part 305, § 305.2 provides that approved treatment schedules are set out in the PPQ Treatment Manual, found online at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/ (The manual specifies that cold treatment schedule T107 is effective in neutralizing Oriental fruit fly on sand pears.)Executive Order 12866 and the Regulatory Flexibility ActThis proposed rule has been determined to be not significant for the purposes of Executive Order 12866 and, therefore, has not been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget.
Copies of the full analysis are available by contacting the person listed underFOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACTor on the Regulations.gov Web site (seeADDRESSESabove for instructions for accessing Regulations.gov).Executive Order 12988This proposed rule would allow Chinese sand pears to be imported into the United States from China. If this proposed rule is adopted, State and local laws and regulations regarding sand pears imported under this rule would be preempted while the fruit is in foreign commerce. Fresh sand pears are generally imported for immediate distribution and sale to the consuming public and would remain in foreign commerce until sold to the ultimate consumer. The question of when foreign commerce ceases in other cases must be addressed on a case-by-case basis. If this proposed rule is adopted, no retroactive effect will be given to this rule, and this rule will not require administrative proceedings before parties may file suit in court challenging this rule.Paperwork Reduction ActIn accordance with section 3507(d) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the information collection or recordkeeping requirements included in this proposed rule have been submitted for approval to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Please send written comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for APHIS, Washington, DC 20503. Please state that your comments refer to Docket No. APHIS-2011-0007. Please send a copy of your comments to: (1) Docket No. APHIS-2011-0007, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238, and (2) Clearance Officer, OCIO, USDA, room 404-W, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250. A comment to OMB is best assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication of this proposed rule.
Accordingly, we are proposing to amend 7 CFR part 319 as follows:Part 319 Foreign Quarantine Notices1. The authority citation for part 319 continues to read as follows:
Fresh Chinese sand pears (Pyrus pyrifolia) from China may be imported into the United States from China only under the conditions described in this section. These conditions are designed to prevent the introduction of the following quarantine pests: Acrobasis pyrivorella, pear fruit moth; Alternaria gaisen Nagano, black spot of Japanese pear; Amphitetranychus viennensis (Zacher), Hawthorn spider mite; Aphanostigma iaksuiense (Kishida), anaphid; Bactrocera dorsalis, Oriental fruit fly; Caleptrimerus neimongolensis Kuang and Geng, a mite; Carposina sasakii Matsumora, peach fruit moth; Ceroplastes japonicus Green, Japanese wax scale; Ceroplastes rubens Maskell, red wax scale; Conogothes punctiferalis (Guenée), yellow peach moth; Grapholita inopinata, Manchurian fruit moth; Guignardia pyricola (Nose) W. Yamamoto, a phytopathogenic fungus; Monilinia fructigena Honey in Whetzel, brown fruit rot; Phenacoccus pergandei Cockerell, a mealybug; Planococcus kraunhiae (Kuwana), a mealybug; and Venturia nashicola Tanaka and Yamamoto, pear scab fungus. The conditions for importation of all fresh sand pears from China are found in paragraphs (a) through (e) of this section; additional conditions for sand pears imported from areas of China south of the 33rd parallel are found in paragraph (f) of this section.
(a) General requirements. (1) The national plant protection organization (NPPO) of China must provide an operational workplan to APHIS that details the activities that the NPPO of China will, subject to APHIS' approval of the workplan, carry out to meet the requirements of this section.
(c) Packinghouse requirements. (1) During the time registered packinghouses are in use for packing sand pears for export to the United States, the packinghouses may only accept sand pears that are from registered places of production and that are produced in accordance with the requirements of this section.
[FR Doc. 2011-32320 Filed 12-15-11; 8:45 am]BILLING CODE 3410-34-PFootnotes
See “Risk Management Document: Removal of fruit fly trappings and cold treatment requirement for importation of Ya Pear (Pyrus x bretschneideri) fruit from China into the United States (June 15, 2007),” pages 2-6. Available at http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2007-0116-0002. Attachments View All (0) View document: No documents available. Attachments View All (0) Comment Now! Comment Period Closed Feb 14 2012, at 11:59 PM ET ID: APHIS-2011-0007-0001 Tracking Number: View original printed format: Document Information Date Posted: Dec 16, 2011RIN: 0579-AD42CFR: 7 CFR Part 319Federal Register Number: 2011-32320 Show More Details Submitter Information Comments5 Comments Received* Please find attached TreeTAC's comments regarding the proposed rule regarding Sand Pears from China View Comment Please see attached comments View Comment See attached. View Comment Docket Information This document is contained in APHIS-2011-0007 Related Dockets: NoneRelated RINs: NoneRelated Documents: Foreign Quarantine Notices; CFR CorrectionImportation of Sand Pears from China Related Comments: View all * This count refers to the total comment/submissions received on this document, as of 11:59 PM yesterday. Note: Agencies review all submissions, however some agencies may choose to redact, or withhold, certain submissions (or portions thereof) such as those containing private or proprietary information, inappropriate language, or duplicate/near duplicate examples of a mass-mail campaign. This can result in discrepancies between this count and those displayed when conducting searches on the Public Submission document type. For specific information about an agency’s public submission policy, refer to its website or the Federal Register document. Document text and images courtesy of the Federal Register Home Search Advanced Search Browse By Category Learn About Us eRulemaking Program Media Toolkit Agencies Awards & Recognition Enhancements & Fixes Resources Site Data Regulatory Agenda Agency Reports Required by Statute API Overview Developers Help How to use Regulations.gov FAQs Glossary Connect With Contact Us Privacy and Security Notice User Notice Accessibility Statement Partner Sites We the People Federal Register Reginfo Congress.gov USA.gov E-Gov Opengov Participate Today!