Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2008/06/09/E8-12858/consolidation-of-the-fruit-fly-regulations
Timestamp: 2018-07-19 18:24:28
Document Index: 578517427

Matched Legal Cases: ['§\u2009301', '§\u2009305', '§\u2009301', '§\u2009301', '§\u2009301', 'art 301', '§\u2009301', '§\u2009301', 'art 301', 'art 301', '§\u2009301', '§\u2009301', '§\u2009301', 'art 305', '§\u2009301', '§\u2009301', '§\u2009301', '§\u2009301', '§\u2009301']

A Rule by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on 06/09/2008
32431-32439 (9 pages)
Quarantined Areas (§ 301.32-3)
Subpart—Mediterranean Fruit Fly [Removed]
Subpart—Oriental Fruit Fly [Removed]
Subpart—Melon Fruit Fly [Removed]
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E8-12858 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E8-12858
Start Preamble Start Printed Page 32431
We are amending the regulations to consolidate our domestic regulations regarding exotic fruit flies. Currently, these regulations are contained in six separate subparts, each of which covers a different species of fruit fly, and each of these subparts has parallel sections that are substantially the same as the corresponding sections in the other subparts. Therefore, we are combining these six subparts into a single subpart. We are also modifying the regulations by adding a mechanism through which quarantined areas can be removed from regulation expeditiously. These actions eliminate duplication and enhance the flexibility of our regulatory program.
On September 18, 2007, we published in the Federal Register (72 FR 53171-53181, Docket No. APHIS-2007-0084) a proposal [1] to consolidate our domestic regulations regarding exotic fruit flies. These regulations have been maintained in six separate subparts, each of which covers a different species of fruit fly, and each of these subparts has parallel sections that are substantially the same as the corresponding sections in the other subparts, so we proposed to combine those six subparts into a single subpart. We also proposed to modify the regulations by adding a mechanism through which quarantined areas can be removed from regulation expeditiously. These actions eliminate duplication and enhance the flexibility of our regulatory program. Finally, we proposed to make irradiation available as a phytosanitary treatment for additional species of fruit flies.
We solicited comments concerning out proposal for 60 days ending November 19, 2007. We received two comments by that date. They were from a State agricultural agency and a private citizen. The comments supported the rule. One commenter did, however, suggest a few minor changes. They are discussed below.
The commenter, noting that we had proposed to revise the definition of core area to describe an area within a circle surrounding each site where fruit flies have been detected using a 1/2 mile radius with the detection site as a center point, stated his agency had found that using a square-mile section around the find is more conducive to actual trap placement than a radius.
As we stated in the proposed rule, our update to the definition of core area was intended to reflect the availability of GPS technology because we have determined that the use of GPS technology allows us to more accurately measure the distance from a positive detection site. Our change to the definition will not affect the ability of State or local agencies to carry out existing surveillance efforts or eradication treatment methods; it simply redefines the way we will identify the core area surrounding a detection site. In other words, this revision does not preclude State agencies from employing squared-off grids as a guide to place traps.
The commenter also suggested we revise references to “all other fruit flies” or “other species of insects in the family Tephritidae” since there are more than 4,000 species of Tephritids and not all of them are pests.
In the definition for fruit fly (fruit flies) found in the regulations, we specifically include “or other species of insects found in the family Tephritidae” in the definition because this reference provides us with the flexibility we need to regulate new fruit fly pests as the need arises; it does not mean that we consider all other species of insects found in the family Tephritidae to be pests. Similarly, while we do refer to “all fruit fly species of the Family Tephritidae” in § 305.2, “Approved treatments,” this does not mean that we consider all fruit flies species of the Family Tephritidae to be pests, only that the treatment has been shown to be effective against those species and has been approved for use.
Finally, the commenter suggested we combine the three soil treatments mentioned in § 301.32-10, paragraph (a), because they appear to be the same. We agree that these three treatments can be combined into one and we have revised § 301.32-10(a) in the final rule accordingly.
In this final rule, we have updated § 301.32-3, “Quarantined areas,” to incorporate a different approach to listing quarantined areas and notifying the public of changes to those areas. In the proposed rule, we described a mechanism by which we would quarantine an area by providing written notification to the affected entities in that area, and then follow up by amending the regulations to add a description of the quarantined area. When sufficient time passed without additional fruit fly detections and it was time to lift the quarantine, the affected entities would be notified and we would amend the regulations to remove the description of the quarantined area.
Following the publication of the proposed rule, we amended [2] our regulations in 7 CFR part 301 by adding a new “Subpart-Potato Cyst Nematode” (§§ 301.86 through 301.86-9). In that new subpart, we employed a different approach to notifying the public about changes to quarantined areas. Rather than engaging in a process like that described in the previous paragraph, the new subpart describes the conditions under which fields will be added or removed from quarantine and uses the Internet and Federal Register notices inform the public of changes to the quarantined areas. When, for example, a field or area meets the criteria spelled out in the regulations for designation as a quarantined area, we publish a description of the quarantined area on a designated page on our Web site. The description of the quarantined area includes the date the description was last updated and a description of the changes that have been made to the quarantined area. The description of the quarantined area is also made available at any local office of the Agency's Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program. After a change is made to a quarantined area, we publish a notice in the Federal Register informing the public that the change has occurred and describing the change to the quarantined area.
We believe that using this Internet- and notice-based approach will allow us to update and maintain the descriptions of quarantined areas under the consolidated fruit fly regulations with a Start Printed Page 32432greater degree of timeliness and efficiency than would be possible under the older approach. Our criteria for designating and releasing quarantined areas will remain the same as was described in the proposed rule; the difference will be in where the list of quarantined areas is maintained and how changes to the list will be communicated. Because we will not be publishing descriptions of quarantined areas in the regulations, we will be able to update them more quickly if a fruit fly population subject to the regulations is detected, thus allowing us to take prompt action to prevent the spread of the fruit fly population and provide necessary information to affected parties in a timely manner. Accordingly, the quarantined areas that appeared in the proposed regulations, as well as quarantined areas that have been added since the publication of the proposed rule, will no longer appear in the regulations, but can be found at the PPQ Web site, as mentioned above. We believe our description of the criteria by which quarantined areas will be designated and how the quarantined area will be determined will provide adequate notice regarding the criteria by which we will make changes to the quarantined area.
Finally, in an interim rule published and effective on December 7, 2007 (72 FR 69137-69139, Docket No. APHIS-2007-0133), we added blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) as a regulated article for Mediterranean fruit fly. We have updated § 301.32-2(a) in this final rule to reflect that addition.
We are combining the regulations regarding exotic fruit flies. These regulations, located in 7 CFR part 301, have been divided into separate subparts, each covering a different species of fruit fly and each containing parallel sections that are substantially similar to the corresponding sections in other subparts. This rule combines these sections into one subpart that will cover all fruit fly species. We are also modifying the regulations by adding a mechanism through which quarantined areas can be removed from regulation expeditiously and by expanding the availability of irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment.
The consolidation of the 66 sections to 11 sections under the new “Subpart—Fruit Flies” allows us to eliminate the duplicative regulatory text. This change is an administrative one without any direct economic effect on any entity.
The second change offers irradiation as one more treatment option for articles regulated because of Oriental, Melon, West Indian, or Sapote fruit flies. There are no areas currently quarantined because of any of these fruit fly species. If there were, the irradiation treatment option may benefit affected entities by providing them with an alternative means of treating regulated articles. We do not know how costs of irradiation treatment may compare to the costs of other treatments, but at least, entities now have a broader choice of options.
The third change affects the interstate movement of regulated articles directly by allowing producers of those commodities in an area that has been under quarantine to more quickly resume moving articles without first having to obtain a certificate or limited permit. Entities that may benefit from this change include fresh fruit producers, nurserymen and tree growers, and transportation entities such as long distance general freight trucking with storage, scheduled freight air transportation companies, and/or short line railroad transportation companies.
There are no significant alternatives to these actions; however, we do not anticipate that the economic effects of these actions will be significant. Any impacts on small entities would be attributable to the availability and the cost of irradiation as a treatment against all regulated fruit flies and to our ability to relieve quarantine-related restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles more quickly. The overall economic effects of these changes are expected to be positive, if minimal. We cannot estimate how many entities will be affected or what percentage of these entities will be small entities; those numbers depend entirely on the number and size of entities that might be present in a quarantined area at the time these provisions become effective or at any time thereafter. While the number of entities affected may eventually prove to be a large number of entities, most of which are likely to be small entities, the economic effects on those entities, while positive, would not be significant.
2. In part 301, a new “Subpart—Fruit Flies” (§§ 301.32 through 301.32-10) is added to read as follows:
Quarantined areas.Start Printed Page 32433
Core area. The area within a circle surrounding each site where fruit flies have been detected using a 1/2-mile radius with the detection site as a center point.
Quarantined area. Any State, or any portion of a State, designated as a quarantined area in accordance with § 301.32-3.
(a) In the following table, the berry, fruit, nut, or vegetable listed in each row in the left column is a regulated article for each of the fruit fly species listed in that row in the right column, unless the article is canned, dried, or frozen below −17.8 °C (0 °F):
Casimiroa spp Sapote Mexican.
Citrus limon x reticulata Lemon, Meyer Mediterranean.
Citrus madurensis = x Citrofortunella mitis Orange, Panama Sapote.
Diospyros digyna Black sapote Sapote.
Lycopersicon esculentum Tomato Mediterranean, Melon,4 Oriental,4 Peach 4.
Musa x paradisiaca = Musa paradisiaca subsp. sapientum Banana Oriental.
Prunus dulcis = P. amygdalus Almond with husk Mediterranean, Peach 5.
Sicyes sp Cucumber, bur Melon.
Vaccinium spp Blueberry Mediterranean.
3 Eureka, Lisbon, and Villa Franca cultivars (smooth-skinned sour lemon) are not regulated articles for Mexican fruit fly.
Gourd, angled luffa (Luffa acutangula)Start Printed Page 32437
(a) Designation of quarantined areas. In accordance with the criteria listed in paragraph (c) of this section, the Administrator will designate as a quarantined area each State, or each portion of a State, in which a fruit fly population subject to the regulations in this subpart has been found by an inspector, or in which the Administrator has reason to believe that a fruit fly population is present, or that the Administrator considers necessary to quarantine because of its inseparability for quarantine enforcement purposes from localities in which a fruit fly population has been found. The Administrator will publish the description of the quarantined area on the Plant Protection and Quarantine Web site, http://www.aphis.usda.gov/​plant_​health/​plant_​pest_​info/​fruit_​flies/​index.shtml. The description of the quarantined area will include the date the description was last updated and a description of the changes that have been made to the quarantined area. The description of the quarantined area may also be obtained by request from any local office of PPQ; local offices are listed in telephone directories. After a change is made to the quarantined area, we will publish a notice in the Federal Register informing the public that the change has occurred and describing the change to the quarantined area.
(c) Criteria for designation of a State, or a portion of a State, as a quarantined area. A State, or a portion of a State, will be designated as a quarantined area when a fruit fly population has been found in that area by an inspector, when the Administrator has reason to believe that the fruit fly is present in that area, or when the Administrator considers it necessary to quarantine that area because of its inseparability for quarantine enforcement purposes from localities in which the fruit fly has been found.
(d) Removal of a State, or a portion of a State, from quarantine. A State, or a portion of a State, will be removed from quarantine when the Administrator determines that sufficient time has passed without finding additional flies or other evidence of infestation in the area to conclude that the fruit fly no longer exists in that area.
(1) The regulated article is to be moved interstate to a specified Start Printed Page 32438destination for specified handling, processing, or utilization (the destination and other conditions to be listed in the limited permit), and this interstate movement will not result in the spread of fruit flies because life stages of the fruit flies will be destroyed by the specified handling, processing, or utilization;
(a) Any person engaged in growing, handling, or moving regulated articles may enter into a compliance agreement when an inspector determines that the person is aware of this subpart, agrees to comply with its provisions, and agrees to comply with all the provisions contained in the compliance agreement. [5]
(a) Soil within the dripline of plants that are producing or have produced regulated articles listed § 301.32(a) or (b). The following soil treatments may be used: Apply diazinon at the rate of 5 pounds active ingredient per acre to the soil within the dripline with sufficient water to wet the soil to at least a depth of 0.5 inch. Both immersion and pour-on treatment procedures are also acceptable.
(b) Premises. Fields, groves, or areas that are located within a quarantined area but outside the infested core area and that produce regulated articles may receive regular treatments with either malathion or spinosad bait spray as an alternative to treating fruits and vegetables as provided in part 305 of this chapter. These treatments must take place at 6- to 10-day intervals, starting a sufficient time before harvest (but not less than 30 days before harvest) to Start Printed Page 32439allow for development of fruit fly egg and larvae. Determination of the time period must be based on the day degrees model for the specific fruit fly. Once treatment has begun, it must continue through the harvest period. The malathion bait spray treatment must be applied by aircraft or ground equipment at a rate of 2.4 oz of technical grade malathion and 9.6 oz of protein hydrolysate per acre. The spinosad bait spray treatment must be applied by aircraft or ground equipment at a rate of 0.01 oz of a USDA-approved spinosad formulation and 48 oz of protein hydrolysate per acre. For ground applications, the mixture may be diluted with water to improve coverage.
Areas in the United States under Federal quarantine for the listed pest. IR.
Any fruit or article listed in § 301.32-2(a) of this chapter All fruit fly species of the Family Tephritidae
a. In the section heading, by removing the words “Mexican fruit fly” and adding the words “fruit flies” in their place.
b. In the introductory text, by removing the word “fruit” and adding the words “berry, fruit, nut, or vegetable” in its place, and by removing the citation “§ 301.64-2(a)” and adding the citation “§ 301.32-2(a)” in its place.
c. In paragraph (a)(1), by removing the words “Mexican fruit fly” and adding the words “the fruit fly of concern” in their place, and by removing the words “the fruit” and adding the words “the regulated articles” in their place.
d. In paragraph (a)(2), by removing the words “fruit, except that fruit” and adding the words “regulated articles, except that articles” in their place.
e. In paragraph (a)(3), by removing the citation “§ 301.64-6” and adding the citation “§ 301.32-6” in its place.
f. In paragraph (d), by removing the words “Mexican fruit fly” and adding the words “the fruit fly of concern” in their place.
g. In paragraph (e)(2), by removing the words “Mexican fruit fly” and adding the words “the fruit fly of concern” in their place.
h. In paragraph (i), by removing the words “Mexican fruit fly” and adding the words “fruit flies” in their place, and by adding the words “and vegetables” after the word “fruits”.
i. In the OMB control number citation at the end of the section, by removing the control number “0579-0215” and adding the control number “0579-0088” in its place.
13. Section 305.34 is amended by redesignating footnotes 15 through 19 as footnotes 10 through 14, respectively.
Done in Washington, DC, this 3rd day of June 2008.
1. To view the proposed rule and the comments we received, go to http://www.regulations.gov/​fdmspublic/​component/​main?​main=​DocketDetail&​d=​APHIS=​2007-0084.
2. See 72 FR 51975-51099. Docket No. APHIS-2006-0143, published September 12, 2007, and effective on November 1, 2007.
[FR Doc. E8-12858 Filed 6-6-08; 8:45 am]