[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 170 (Friday, August 30, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 45933]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-22212]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 96-057-1]
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 four 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 the 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, Suite 5B05, 4700 River Road Unit
147, Riverdale, MD 20737-1237; (301) 734-7612. For copies of the
environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact,
contact Mr. Clayton Givens at (301) 734-7612; e-mail:
[email protected]. 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 or a notification acknowledged before a regulated article
may be introduced into the United States. The regulations set forth the
permit application requirements and the notification procedures for the
importation, interstate movement, and release into the environment of a
regulated article.
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:
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Permit No. Permittee Date issued Organisms Field test location
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96-094-01.. Pioneer Hi-Bred 5-31-96 Corn plants genetically Iowa and Pennsylvania.
Internatonal, Inc. engineered to express
resistence to certain
diseases.
96-051-04.. Biosource Technologies, 6-4-96 Tobacco mosaic virus Kentucky.
Inc. genetically engineered to
contain genes of
pharmaceutical interest.
96-127-02.. Washington State 6-26-96 Wheat stripe fungus Washington.
University. genetically engineered to
contain a marker gene.
96-156-01.. Tuskegee University....... 6-26-96 Sweet potato plants Alabama.
genetically engineered for
tolerance to the herbicide
glufosinate.
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The environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact
have been prepared in accordance with: (1) The National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as amended (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' NEPA
Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372).
Done in Washington, DC, this 26th day of August 1996.
Terry L. Medley,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 96-22212 Filed 8-29-96; 8:45 am]
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