Availability of Environmental Assessments and Findings of No Significant Impact

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 92 (Thursday, May 13, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 25866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-12149]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
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Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 92 / Thursday, May 13, 1999 / 
Notices

[[Page 25866]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 99-029-1]


Availability of Environmental Assessments and Findings of No 
Significant Impact

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that two environmental assessments 
and findings of no significant impact have been prepared by the Animal 
and Plant Health Inspection Service relative to the issuance of permits 
to allow the field testing of genetically engineered organisms. The 
environmental assessments provide a basis for our conclusion that the 
field testing of the genetically engineered organisms will not present 
a risk of introducing or disseminating a plant pest and will not have a 
significant impact on the quality of the human environment. Based on 
its findings of no significantly impact, the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service has determined that environmental impact statements 
need not be prepared.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the environmental assessments and findings of no 
significant impact are available for public inspection at USDA, room, 
1141, South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except holidays. Persons wishing to inspect those documents are 
requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to facilitate entry into the 
reading room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Arnold Foudin, Assistant Director, 
Scientific Services, PPQ, APHIS, Suite 5B05, 4700 River Road Unit 147, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1237; (301) 734-7710. For copies of the 
environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact, 
contact Ms. Linda Lightle at (301) 734-8231; e-mail: 
linda.lightle@usda.gov. Please refer to the permit numbers listed below 
when ordering documents

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 7 CFR part 340 (referred 
to below as the regulations) regulate the introduction (importation, 
interstate movement, and release into the environment) of genetically 
engineered organisms and products that are plant pests or that there is 
reason to believe are plant pests (regulated articles). A permit must 
be obtained or a notification acknowledged before a regulated article 
may be introduced into the United States. The regulations set forth the 
permit application requirements and the notification procedures for the 
importation, interstate movement, and release into the environment of a 
regulated article.

    In the curse of reviewing the permit applications, the Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) assessed the impact on the 
environment that releasing the organisms under the conditions described 
in the permit applications would have. APHIS has issued permits for the 
field testing of the organisms listed below after concluding that the 
organisms will not present a risk of plant pest introduction or 
dissemination and will not have a significant impact on the quality of 
the human environment. The environmental assessments and findings of no 
significant impact, which are based on data submitted by the applicant 
and on our review of other relevant literature, provide the public with 
documentation of APHIS' review and analysis of the environmental 
impacts associated with conducting the field tests.
    Environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact 
have been prepared by APHIS relative to the issuance of permits to 
allow the field testing of the following genetically engineered 
organisms:

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                                                                                                  Field test
          Permit number                Permittee       Date issued          Organisms              location
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
98-355-01r......................  USDA/ARS...........      3-17-99  Fusarium moniliforme      Illinois, Iowa
                                                                     fungus genetically
                                                                     engineered to express
                                                                     reduced virulence and
                                                                     antibiotic resistance
                                                                     tested in corn..
98-032-03r......................  USDA/ARS...........      3-17-99  Citrus viroid III         Florida
                                                                     genetically engineered
                                                                     to produce dwarfing in
                                                                     citrus trees..
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    The environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact 
have 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 1b), and (4) APHIS' NEPA 
Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 6th day of May, 1999.
Joan M. Arnoldi,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 99-12149 Filed 5-12-99; 8:45 am]
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