[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 150 (Friday, August 4, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 39889-39890]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-19183]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------


DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
7 CFR Part 319

[Docket No. 94-116-4]


Importation of Fresh Hass Avocado Fruit Grown in Michoacan, 
Mexico; Public Hearings

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public hearings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service is hosting five public hearings on the proposed rule 
on the importation of fresh Hass avocado fruit grown in Michoacan, 
Mexico, that we published in the Federal Register on July 3, 1995.

DATES: The public hearings will be held in Washington, DC, on August 17 
and 18, 1995; in Flushing, NY, on August 22, 1995; in Homestead, FL, on 
August 23, 1995; in Chicago, IL, on August 28, 1995; and in Escondido, 
CA, on August 30 and 31, 1995. Each public hearing will begin at 9 a.m. 
and is scheduled to end at 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public hearings will be held at the following locations:

1. Washington, DC: Jefferson Auditorium, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC.
2. Flushing, NY: Best Western Midway Hotel, 108-25 Horace Harding, 
Flushing, NY.
3. Homestead, FL: Redland Country Club, 24451 SW. 177th (Crone) Avenue, 
Homestead, FL.
4. Chicago, IL: Holiday Inn--O'Hare International, 5440 North River 
Road, Chicago, IL.
5. Escondido, CA: California Center for the Arts, 340 North Escondido 
Boulevard, Escondido, CA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Victor Harabin, Head, Permit Unit, 
Port Operations, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 136, Riverdale, MD 
20737-1236, (301) 734-8645, or FAX (301) 734-5786.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Five public hearings will be held on the 
notice of proposed rulemaking on the importation of fresh Hass avocado 
fruit grown in Michoacan, Mexico, published by the Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in the Federal Register on July 3, 
1995 (60 FR 34831-34842, Docket No. 94-116-3). The first public hearing 
will be dedicated exclusively to the scientific basis for that proposed 
rule. This first hearing will be open to the public, but participation 
will be limited to experts in the fields of pest risk assessment and 
pest risk mitigation measures. Four additional hearings will be held to 
provide a full opportunity to all interested parties to address every 
aspect of the proposed rule.

The First Public Hearing--Presentations by Experts in Risk 
Assessment

    The first public hearing, on the scientific basis for this proposed 
rule, is 

[[Page 39890]]
scheduled to be held in Washington, DC, on August 17 and 18, 1995. This 
hearing will focus exclusively on the APHIS pest risk assessment 
documents upon which the proposed rule is based, and will provide an 
opportunity for experts in relevant disciplines to present their views 
on those documents and the scientific issues raised by them.
    The APHIS pest risk assessment documents upon which the proposed 
rule is based identify the plant pest risks associated with the 
importation of Hass avocados grown in approved orchards in approved 
municipalities in Michoacan, Mexico, discuss the mitigation measures 
identified as reasonable and necessary to prevent the introduction of 
plant pests into the United States, and contain a quantitative risk 
analysis examining the likelihood of plant pest introduction into the 
United States if Hass avocados are allowed to be imported under the 
conditions described in the proposed rule.
    Participation in the Washington, DC, hearing will be limited to 
those who register and who identify themselves as having expertise in 
the areas of pest risk assessment and mitigation measures. Experts 
wishing to participate will be asked to furnish for the record their 
educational background and their expertise and qualifications relevant 
to pest risk assessment and mitigation measures. Such experts include 
scientists, technical experts, and academicians expert in entomology, 
plant health, plant pathology, risk assessment, and risk mitigation. 
Federal, State, and local officials, growers, and handlers who have 
experience with risk assessment, plant protection, quarantine, or risk 
mitigation measures will also be welcome to participate in this first 
public hearing.
    Presenters are welcome to register as a panel if they believe a 
panel of experts from several fields would foster a more complete 
discussion and evaluation of issues related to the pest risk assessment 
underlying this proposal.
Additional Public Hearings

    Four additional hearings will be held during the period between 
August 22, 1995, and August 31, 1995, to address all aspects of this 
proposed rule. These four public hearings are scheduled to be held in 
Flushing, NY, on August 22, 1995; Homestead, FL, on August 23, 1995; 
Chicago, IL, on August 28, 1995; and Escondido, CA, on August 30 and 
31, 1995.
    Any interested party may appear and be heard in person, or through 
an attorney or other representative. We are interested in obtaining the 
views of the public on all aspects of the proposed rule, including the 
APHIS pest risk assessment documents and the conclusions contained 
therein.

General Information Applicable to All Five Public Hearings

    The APHIS pest risk assessment documents upon which the proposed 
rule is based are available. Parties interested in receiving copies may 
obtain them by contacting APHIS' Legislative and Public Affairs Staff 
at (301) 734-3256 or by writing to Legislative and Public Affairs, 4700 
River Road Unit 51, Riverdale, Maryland 20737-1232. Copies of the risk 
assessment documents will be available at each of the scheduled public 
hearings.
    Persons who wish to speak at the hearings will be asked to provide 
their names and their affiliations. Those who wish to form a panel to 
present their views will be asked to provide the name of each member of 
the panel and the organizations the panel members represent. Parties 
wishing to make oral presentations may register in advance by calling 
the Regulatory Analysis and Development voice mail at (301) 734-4346 
and leaving a message stating their name, telephone number, 
organization, and location of the hearing at which they wish to speak. 
If a party is registering for a panel, the party will also be asked to 
provide the name of each member of the panel and the organization each 
panel member represents.
    The hearings will begin at 9 a.m. and are scheduled to end at 5 
p.m. each day. The Washington, DC, and Escondido, CA, hearings may 
conclude at any time on the second day if all persons who have 
registered to participate have been heard. Similarly, the other three 
hearings may conclude earlier than 5 p.m. if all persons who have 
registered have been heard. The presiding officer may extend the time 
of any hearing or limit the time for each presentation so that everyone 
is accommodated and all interested persons appearing on the scheduled 
dates have an opportunity to participate.
    Registration for each hearing may be accomplished in advance in 
accordance with the above-described instructions, or by registering 
with the presiding officer between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. on any hearing 
day.
    A representative of APHIS will preside at each public hearing. 
Written statements are encouraged, but not required. Any written 
statement submitted will be made part of the record of the public 
hearing. Anyone who reads a written statement should provide two copies 
to the presiding officer at the hearing. A transcript will be made of 
each public hearing and the transcript will be placed in the rulemaking 
record and will be available for public inspection.
    The purpose of these public hearings is to give all interested 
parties an opportunity to present data, views, and information to the 
Department concerning this proposed rule. Questions about the content 
of the proposal may be part of a commenter's oral presentation. 
However, neither the presiding officer nor any other representative of 
the Department will respond to the comments at the hearing, except to 
clarify or explain the proposed rule and the documents upon which the 
proposal is based.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 31st day of July 1995.
Lonnie J. King,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 95-19183 Filed 8-3-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P