[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 5, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-8092]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: April 5, 1994]


                                                    VOL. 59, NO. 65

                                             Tuesday, April 5, 1994
      

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 94-020-1]

 

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 five 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 these 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 significant 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, Deputy Director, 
Biotechnology Permits, BBEP, APHIS, USDA, room 850, Federal Building, 
6505 Belcrest Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782, (301) 436-7612. For copies 
of the environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact, 
write to Mr. Clayton Givens at the same address. 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 before a regulated article may be introduced into the 
United States. The regulations set forth the procedures for obtaining a 
limited permit for the importation or interstate movement of a 
regulated article and for obtaining a permit for the release into the 
environment of a regulated article. The Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS) has stated that it would prepare an 
environmental assessment and, when necessary, an environmental impact 
statement before issuing a permit for the release into the environment 
of a regulated article (see 52 FR 22906).
    In the course of reviewing each permit application, APHIS assessed 
the impact on the environment that releasing the organisms under the 
conditions described in the permit application 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 applicants and on a 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: 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       Date                                       Field test    
       Permit No.                 Permittee           issued              Organisms                location     
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
93-340-02...............  PetoSeed Company,           02-16-94  Carrot plants genetically     Idaho.            
                           Incorporated                          engineered to express                          
                                                                 modified nutritional value.                    
94-006-02, renewal of     Upjohn Company              02-16-94  Cantaloupe and squash plants  Florida.          
 permit 92-037-07,                                               genetically engineered to                      
 issued on 05-18-92.                                             express resistance to                          
                                                                 cucumber mosaic virus,                         
                                                                 watermelon mosaic virus 2,                     
                                                                 and zucchini yellow mosaic                     
                                                                 virus.                                         
93-351-01...............  DNA Plant Technology        02-28-94  Sugar snap pea plants         California.       
                           Corporation                           genetically engineered to                      
                                                                 express reduced starch                         
                                                                 levels.                                        
93-320-01...............  U.S. Department of          03-04-94  Barley plants genetically     California, Idaho,
                           Agriculture,                          engineered to express         Illinois.        
                           Agricultural Research                 resistance to barley yellow                    
                           Service                               dwarf virus.                                   
94-039-02, renewal of     American Crystal Sugar      03-04-94  Sugar beet plants             North Dakota.     
 permit 93-063-05,         Company                               genetically engineered to                      
 issued on 05-26-93.                                             express two genes for                          
                                                                 tolerance to herbicide                         
                                                                 glyphosate.                                    
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact 
have been prepared in accordance with: (1) The National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (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 Guidelines 
Implementing NEPA (44 FR 50381-50384, August 28, 1979, and 44 FR 51272-
51274, August 31, 1979).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 30th day of March 1994.
Charles P. Schwalbe,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 94-8092 Filed 4-4-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P