[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 121 (Friday, June 24, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-15403]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 24, 1994]


                                                   VOL. 59, NO. 121

                                              Friday, June 24, 1994

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 94-056-1]

 

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 nine 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 conclusions 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 regulated 
articles 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: 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Permit No.                                  Date                                                                
                     Permittee             issued               Organisms                 Field test location   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
93-362-01.  Monsanto Agricultural          05-04-94  Potato plants genetically        Idaho, Maine, Oregon,     
             Company.                                 engineered to express            Washington.              
                                                      resistance to potato leaf roll                            
                                                      virus.                                                    
94-006-01.  U.S. Department of             05-05-94  Fusarium graminearum             Illinois.                 
             Agriculture, Agricultural                genetically engineered to                                 
             Research Service.                        block synthesis of                                        
                                                      trichothecene toxins.                                     
94-027-01.  DuPont Agricultural            05-05-94  Canola plants genetically        Idaho.                    
             Products.                                engineered to express altered                             
                                                      fatty acid composition.                                   
94-025-01.  VanderHave, USA............    05-06-94  Sunflower plants genetically     North Dakota.             
                                                      engineered to express marker                              
                                                      genes.                                                    
94-054-02.  Upjohn Company.............    05-06-94  Squash plants genetically        Delaware, New Jersey,     
                                                      engineered to express            Pennsylvania, South      
                                                      resistance to cucumber mosaic    Carolina, Virginia.      
                                                      virus, watermelon mosaic virus                            
                                                      2, and zucchini yellow mosaic                             
                                                      virus.                                                    
94-055-03.  Upjohn Company.............    05-06-94  Watermelon plants genetically    Michigan.                 
                                                      engineered to express                                     
                                                      resistance to watermelon                                  
                                                      mosaic virus 2 and zucchini                               
                                                      yellow mosaic virus.                                      
94-027-03.  Pioneer Hi-Bred                05-10-94  Alfalfa plants, genetically      California, Iowa,         
             International,                           engineered to express            Pennsylvania, Washington,
             Incorporated.                            resistance to alfalfa mosaic     Wisconsin.               
                                                      virus.                                                    
94-063-01.  Agracetus, Incorporated....    05-10-94  Peanut plants genetically        Hawaii.                   
                                                      engineered to express                                     
                                                      resistance to tomato spotted                              
                                                      wilt virus.                                               
94-076-01.  Rutgers University.........    05-10-94  Agrostis palustris plants        New Jersey.               
                                                      genetically engineered to                                 
                                                      express tolerance to the                                  
                                                      phosphinothricin class of                                 
                                                      herbicides.                                               
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 20th day of June 1994.
Alex B. Thiermann,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 94-15403 Filed 6-23-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P