[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 140 (Friday, July 22, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-17824]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: July 22, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 94-067-1]

 

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 17 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                                                      
        Permit No.                Permittee          issued           Organisms            Field test location  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
94-054-05.................  AgrEvo...............    6-06-94  Wheat plants genetically   Illinois, North Dakota.
                                                               engineered to express                            
                                                               tolerance to phos-                               
                                                               phinothricin herbicides.                         
94-054-03, renewal of       Upjohn Company.......    6-09-94  Squash plants genetically  North Carolina.        
 permit 93-165-02, issued                                      engineered to express                            
 on 08-12-93.                                                  resistance to watermelon                         
                                                               mosaic virus 2 and                               
                                                               zucchini yellow mosaic                           
                                                               virus.                                           
94-105-01.................  Frito-Lay                6-09-94  Potato plants genetically  Wisconsin.             
                             Incorporated.                     engineered to express                            
                                                               resistance to the fungus                         
                                                               Verticillium dahliae.                            
94-116-01, renewal of       New York State           6-09-94  Squash plants genetically  New York.              
 permit 93-118-01, issued    Agricultural                      engineered to express                            
 on 07-12-93.                Experiment Station.               resistance to watermelon                         
                                                               mosaic virus 2 and                               
                                                               zucchini yellow mosaic                           
                                                               virus.                                           
94-090-06, renewal of       Upjohn Company.......    6-13-94  Melon plants genetically   Texas.                 
 permit 92-037-07, issued                                      engineered to express                            
 on 05-18-92.                                                  resistance to cucumber                           
                                                               mosaic virus, watermelon                         
                                                               mosaic virus 2, and                              
                                                               zucchini yellow mosaic                           
                                                               virus.                                           
94-055-02.................  Upjohn Company.......    6-16-94  Cucumber plants            Michigan.              
                                                               genetically engineered                           
                                                               to express resistance to                         
                                                               cucumber mosaic virus,                           
                                                               watermelon mosaic virus                          
                                                               2, and zucchini yellow                           
                                                               mosaic virus.                                    
94-081-01.................  R.J. Reynolds Tobacco    6-21-94  Tobacco plants containing  North Carolina.        
                             Company.                          tobacco mosaic virus                             
                                                               genetically engineered                           
                                                               to express a carotenoid                          
                                                               biosynthesis gene.                               
94-090-05.................  Upjohn Company.......    6-21-94  Melon plants genetically   California, Georgia,   
                                                               engineered to express      Michigan.             
                                                               resistance to cucumber                           
                                                               mosaic virus, watermelon                         
                                                               mosaic virus 2, zucchini                         
                                                               yellow mosaic virus,                             
                                                               papaya ringspot virus,                           
                                                               and squash mosaic virus.                         
94-110-01.................  University of Florida    6-21-94  Lettuce plants             Florida.               
                                                               genetically engineered                           
                                                               to express tolerance to                          
                                                               the herbicide glyphosate.                        
94-116-02.................  New York State           6-21-94  Squash (Cucurbita texana)  New York.              
                             Agricultural                      plants genetically                               
                             Experiment Station.               engineered to express                            
                                                               resistance to zucchini                           
                                                               yellow mosaic virus and                          
                                                               watermelon mosaic virus                          
                                                               2.                                               
94-126-01.................  DNA Plant Technology     6-21-94  Pepper plants genetically  California.            
                             Corporation.                      engineered to express                            
                                                               reduced levels of the                            
                                                               enzyme B-1, 4                                    
                                                               endoglucanase.                                   
94-091-03.................  New York State           6-24-94  Squash plants genetically  New York.              
                             Agricultural                      engineered to express                            
                             Experiment Station.               resistance to squash                             
                                                               mosaic virus.                                    
94-167-01, renewal of       Upjohn Company.......    6-24-94  Melon plants genetically   Arizona, California.   
 permit 92-037-07, issued                                      engineered to express                            
 on 05-18-92.                                                  resistance to cucumber                           
                                                               mosaic virus, watermelon                         
                                                               mosaic virus 2, and                              
                                                               zucchini yellow mosaic                           
                                                               virus.                                           
94-090-03.................  U.S. Department of      06-30-94  Gladiolus plants           Maryland.              
                             Agriculture,                      genetically engineered                           
                             Agricultural                      to express resistance to                         
                             Research Service.                 plant viruses, including                         
                                                               bean yellow mosaic                               
                                                               virus, and tolerance to                          
                                                               phosphinothricin                                 
                                                               herbicides, as a marker.                         
94-090-04.................  Upjohn Company.......   06-30-94  Cucumber plants            Georgia, Michigan.     
                                                               genetically Michigan                             
                                                               engineered to express                            
                                                               resistance to cucumber                           
                                                               mosaic virus, papaya                             
                                                               ringspot virus,                                  
                                                               watermelon mosaic virus                          
                                                               2, and zucchini yellow                           
                                                               mosaic virus.                                    
94-091-02.................  New York State          06-30-94  Melon plants genetically   New York.              
                             Agricultural                      engineered to express                            
                             Experiment Station.               resistance to cucumber                           
                                                               mosaic virus, watermelon                         
                                                               mosaic virus 2, and                              
                                                               zucchini yellow mosaic                           
                                                               virus.                                           
94-129-01.................  Rutgers University...   07-01-94  Eggplant plants            New Jersey.            
                                                               genetically engineered                           
                                                               to express a gene from                           
                                                               Bacillus thuringiensis                           
                                                               (Bt) for resistance to                           
                                                               coleopteran insects.                             
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    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 APHIS Guidelines Implementing 
NEPA (44 FR 50381-50384, August 28, 1979, and 44 FR 51272-51274, August 
31, 1979).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 18th day of July 1994.
Lonnie J. King,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 94-17824 Filed 7-21-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P