Source: http://thefederalregister.com/2012/07/13/2012-17133.html
Timestamp: 2019-02-24 00:41:23
Document Index: 414490165

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 340', 'art 340', 'arts 1500', 'art 1', 'art 372', '§ 340', '§ 340']

Federal Register | Bayer CropScience LP; Availability of a Finding of No Signifi
[Docket No. APHIS-2012-0034]
SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared a finding of no significant impact and a preliminary decision regarding a request from Bayer CropScience LP to extend to cotton event T303-3, which has been genetically engineered to be tolerant to the herbicide glufosinate and resistant to several lepidopteran pests, our determination of nonregulated status of TwinLinkTMcotton (event T304-40). We are making available for public comment our finding of no significant impact for the proposed determination of nonregulated status.
ADDRESSES: *Federal eRulemaking Portal:Go tohttp://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0034-0001.
*Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2012-0034, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.
The Bayer CropScience LP extension request, our finding of no significant impact (FONSI), our preliminary determination, and any comments we receive on this docket may be viewed athttp://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0034or in our reading room, which is located inroom 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) 799-7039 before coming. Supporting documents regarding our determination of nonregulated status of TwinLinkTMcotton, the antecedent organism, including Bayer's petition, our environmental assessment, FONSI, plant pest risk assessment, and determination, and any comments we received regarding our determination of nonregulated status of TwinLinkTMcotton, can be viewed athttp://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2010-0102or in our reading room.
The extension request, finding of no significant impact, and preliminary determination for this docket, as well as Bayer's petition and our combined environmental assessment, FONSI, plant pest risk assessment, and determination for TwinLinkTMcotton, the antecedent organism, are also available on the APHIS Web site athttp://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/12_03301p.pdf, http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/12_03301p_fonsi.pdf, http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/12_03301p_pdet.pdf, http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/08_34001p.pdf,andhttp://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/08_34001p_com.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. John Turner, Director, Environmental Risk Analysis Programs, Biotechnology Regulatory Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 851-3954, email:john.t.turner@aphis.usda.gov.To obtain copies of the supporting documents, contact Ms. Cindy Eck at (301) 851-3892, email:cynthia.a.eck@aphis.usda.gov.
In a notice1 published in theFederal Registeron October 12, 2011 (76 FR 63278-63279, Docket No. APHIS-2010-0102), APHIS announced our determination of nonregulated status of TwinLinkTMcotton (events T304-40 and GHB119). APHIS has received a request for an extension of a determination of nonregulated status (APHIS Number 12-033-01p) of TwinLinkTMcotton event T304-40 from Bayer CropScience LP (BCS) of Research Triangle Park, NC, seeking a determination of nonregulated status of cotton (Gossypiumspp.) designated as event T303-3, which has been genetically engineered to be tolerant to the herbicide glufosinate and resistant to several lepidopteran pests. In its request, BCS stated that this cotton is similar to TwinLinkTMcotton (event T304-40) and, based on the similarity to the antecedent organism, is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk and, therefore, should not be a regulated article under APHIS' regulations in 7 CFR part 340.
1To view the notice, determination, supporting documents, and the comments we received go tohttp://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2010-0102.
As described in the extension request, cotton event T303-3 has been genetically engineered byAgrobacterium-mediated transformation utilizing vector pTDL004 containing acry1Abgene construct, encoding insect resistance, and thebargene as a selectable marker conferring tolerance to glufosinate ammonium herbicides. The antecedent organism, cotton event T304-40, was also generated throughAgrobacterium-mediated transformation utilizing a slightly different vector (pTDL008). Both cotton events produce the same insecticidal crystal protein (ICP) Cry1Ab (expression product of thecry1Abgene) and PAT protein (expression product of thebargene). Cotton event T303-3 is currently regulated under 7 CFR part 340. Interstate movements and field tests of cotton event T303-3 have been conducted under notifications acknowledged by APHIS.
APHIS completed an environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for TwinLinkTMcotton (see footnote 1). The EA and FONSI were prepared, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to provide the APHIS decisionmaker with a review and analysis of any potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed determination of nonregulated status of TwinLinkTMcotton. APHIS has carefully examined the NEPA documentation completed for TwinLinkTMcotton and has concluded that the BCS extension request for a determination of nonregulated status of cotton event T303-3 encompasses the same scope of environmental analysis as TwinLinkTMcotton. Therefore, the existing NEPA documentation completed for TwinLinkTMcotton is being used to evaluate and determine if there are any potentially significant impacts to the human environment from APHIS' response to the BCS extension request for a determination of nonregulated status of cotton event T303-3.
Based on APHIS' analyses of data submitted by Bayer, a review of other scientific data, and field tests conducted under APHIS oversight, the TwinLinkTMcotton EA presented two alternatives: (1) Take no action, i.e., APHIS would not change the regulatory status of TwinLinkTMcotton and it would continue to be a regulated article, or (2) make a determination of nonregulated status of TwinLinkTMcotton. Based on the similarity of cotton event T303-4 to the antecedent organism TwinLinkTMcotton event T304-40, APHIS has concluded that the alternatives considered for TwinLinkTMcotton are relevant to APHIS' regulatory actions associated with cotton event T303-3 and are therefore being used in their entirety.
The EA was prepared in accordance with (1) the NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321et seq.), (2) regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality for implementing the proceduralprovisions 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 our previous NEPA review completed for TwinLinkTMcotton and our conclusion that the BCS extension request for a determination of nonregulated status of cotton event T303-3 encompasses the same scope of environmental analysis as TwinLinkTMcotton, APHIS has reached a FONSI with regard to a determination of nonregulated status of cotton event T303-3.
Based on APHIS' analysis of field and laboratory data submitted by BCS, references provided in the extension request, peer-reviewed publications, information analyzed in the TwinLinkTMcotton EA, and the similarity of cotton event T303-3 to the antecedent organism, cotton event T304-40, APHIS has determined that cotton event T303-3 is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk. We have therefore reached a preliminary decision to approve the request to extend the determination of nonregulated status of cotton event T304-40 to cotton event T303-3, whereby cotton event T303-3 would no longer be subject to our regulations governing the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms.
Paragraph (e) of § 340.6 provides that APHIS will publish a notice in theFederal Registerannouncing all preliminary decisions to extend determinations of nonregulated status for 30 days before the decisions become final and effective. In accordance with § 340.6(e) of the regulations, we are publishing this notice to inform the public of our preliminary decision to extend the determination of nonregulated status of cotton event T304-40 to cotton event T303-3.
APHIS will accept written comments on the FONSI regarding a determination of nonregulated status of event T303-3 for a period of 30 days from the date of this notice. The extension request, FONSI, and preliminary determination for event T303-3, as well as the supporting documents, are available for public review as indicated underADDRESSESandFOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACTabove.
After the comment period closes, APHIS will review all written comments received during the comment period and any other relevant information. All comments received regarding the FONSI will be available for public review. After reviewing and evaluating the comments on the FONSI, if APHIS determines that no substantive information has been received that would warrant APHIS altering its preliminary regulatory determination or FONSI, our preliminary regulatory determination will become final and effective upon notification of the public through an announcement on our Web site athttp://www.aphis.usda.gov/biotechnology/pet_proc_imp.shtml.APHIS will also furnish a response to the petitioner regarding our final regulatory determination. No furtherFederal Registernotice will be published announcing the final regulatory determination regarding cotton event T303-3.