[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 240 (Thursday, December 14, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64139-64140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-30460]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 95-062-1]


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 14 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 release into the environment of nonindigenous biological 
control agents. The environmental assessments provide a basis for our 
conclusion that the release into the environment of the biological 
control agents will not present a risk of introducing plant pests into 
the United States or disseminating plant pests within the United States 
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. Matthew H. Royer, Chief Operations 
Officer, Biological Assessment and Taxonomic Support, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236, (301) 734-8896. For 
copies of the environmental assessment and finding of no significant 
impact, write to Ms. Deborah Knott at the same address. Please refer to 
the title of the environmental assessment when ordering copies.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Federal Plant Pest Act as amended 
(7 U.SC. 150aa et seq.) and the Plant Quarantine Act, as amended (7 
U.S.C. 151 et seq.) (the Acts), the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) has broad authority to regulate the importation, interstate 
movement, and release into the environment of organisms in order to 
prevent the dissemination of plant pests into the United States or 
interstate. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 
regulates plant pests under regulations promulaged pursuant to the Acts 
and contained in 7 CFR part 330 (referred to below as the regulations). 
The regulations require, among other things, that a permit be obtained 
for the movement of a plant pest into or through the United States or 
interstate. The regulations and Acts also allow the Department to 
include in the permit conditions to prevent the dissemination of plant 
pests.
    Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), APHIS typically prepares an environmental 
assessment before issuing a permit for the release in the United States 
of nonindigenous organisms. 

[[Page 64140]]

    In accordance with applicable regulations, APHIS has received 
applications for permits for the release into the environment of 
nonindigenous biological control agents. In the course of reviewing 
each permit application, APHIS assessed the plant pest risk posed by 
each organism and the impact on the environment of releasing each 
organism under the conditions described in the permit application. 
APHIS has issued permits for the release into the environment of the 
organisms listed below after concluding that their release in 
accordance with conditions on the permits will not present a risk of 
the introduction or dissemination of plant pests within the United 
States 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 a review of other relevant literature, provide the public with 
documentation of APHIS' review and analysis of the environmental impact 
and plant pest risk associated with releasing the biological control 
agents into the environment.
    Environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact 
have been prepared by APHIS relative to the issuance of permits for the 
release into the environment of the following biological control 
agents:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                       Date of  
                                                                                                      finding of
                  Organism                              Title of environmental assessment                 no    
                                                                                                     significant
                                                                                                        impact  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cirrospilus quadristriatus (Subba Rao and    ``Field Release of a Nonindigenous Wasp (Cirrospilus       7/25/94.
 Ramamani).                                   quadristriatus (Subba Rao and Ramamani)) for                      
                                              Biological Control of Citrus Leafminer (Phyllocnistis             
                                              citrella Stainton)'' (July 1994).                                 
Anaphes nitens (Girault)...................  ``Field Release of the Nonindigenous Wasp, Anaphes         8/24/94.
                                              nitens (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), for                    
                                              Biological Control of the Eucalyptus Snout Beetle,                
                                              Gonipterus scutellatus Gyllenhal (Coleoptera:                     
                                              Curculionidae)'' (August 1994).                                   
Eretmocerus sp. M94002.....................  ``Field Release of a Nonindigenous Species M94002           9/9/94.
                                              (Eretmocerus sp. M94002) for Biological Control of                
                                              Silverleaf Whitefly'' (September 1994).                           
Encarsia inaron Walker.....................  ``Field Releases of a Nonindigenous Species (Encarsia      9/16/94.
                                              inaron Walker) for Biological Control of Ash                      
                                              Whitefly'' (September 1994).                                      
Aphytis Species............................  ``Field Releases of Nonindigenous Aphytis Species for      9/16/94.
                                              Biological Control of Armored Scale Insects''                     
                                              (September 1994).                                                 
Tetranychus lintearius Dufour..............  ``Field release of the Nonindigenous Gorse Spider         10/25/94.
                                              Mite, Tetranychus lintearius Dufour (Acari:                       
                                              Tetranychidae), for Biological Control of Gorse, Ulex             
                                              europaeus L. (Leguminosae)'' (October 1994).                      
Montandaniola moraguesi Puton..............  ``Field Release of a Nonindigenous Species,                2/10/95.
                                              Montandaniola moraguesi Puton (Hemiptera:                         
                                              Anthocoridae) for Biological Control of Cuban laurel              
                                              thrips'' (February 1995).                                         
Encarsia Species...........................  ``Field Releases of Certain Encarsia Species               2/17/95.
                                              (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) for Biological Control of              
                                              Armored Scale Insects and Whitefly'' (February 1995).             
Eretmocerus................................  ``Field Releases of Nonindigenous Parasitic Wasps in        3/4/95.
                                              the Genus Eretmocerus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) for              
                                              Biological Control of Whitefly Pests (Homoptera:                  
                                              Aleyrodidae)'' (April 1995).                                      
Pseudoscymnus Species......................  ``Field Release of a Nonindigenous Lady Beetle,             3/4/95.
                                              Pseudoscymnus sp. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), for                
                                              Biological Control of Hemlock Wolly Adelgid, Adelges              
                                              tsugae (Homoptera: Adelgidae)'' (April 1995).                     
Wollastoniella rotunda.....................  ``Field Release of a Nonindigenous Minute Pirate Bug,       3/4/95.
                                              Wollastoniella rotunda (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) for              
                                              Biological Control of Melon Thrips, Thrips palmi                  
                                              (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)'' (April 1995).                         
Catolaccus grandis.........................  ``Field Release of a Nonindigenous Parasitic Wasp,         3/31/95.
                                              Catolaccus grandis (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), for               
                                              Biological Control of Boll Weevil'' (March 1995).                 
Carposina bullata..........................  ``Field Release of Nonindigenous Moths, Carposina           5/8/95.
                                              bullata (Lepidoptera: Carposinidae) and Mompha                    
                                              trithalama (Lepidoptera: Momphidae), for Biological               
                                              Control of the Weeds Clidemia hirta and Miconia                   
                                              calvescens (Melastomataceae) in Hawaii'' (May 1995).              
Pseudacteon................................  ``Field Release of Nonindigenous Parasitic Scuttle         5/16/95.
                                              Flies in the genus Pseudacteon (Diptera: Phoridae)                
                                              for Biological Control of Red Imported Fire Ant,                  
                                              Solenopsis invicta, and Black Imported Fire Ant, S.               
                                              richteri (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)'' (May 1995).                  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact 
have been prepared in accordance with : (1) NEPA, (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 8th day of December 1995.
Terry L. Medley,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 95-30460 Filed 12-13-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P