[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 241 (Friday, December 13, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 65459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-31602]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

7 CFR Part 301

[Docket No. 96-063-2]


Imported Fire Ant; Approved Treatments

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Withdrawal of a direct final rule.

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SUMMARY: This document withdraws the direct final rule that notified 
the public of our intention to amend the imported fire ant regulations. 
The direct final rule was to lengthen the certification period for 
containerized nursery stock treated with a 10 parts per million dosage 
of the insecticide tefluthrin in its granular formulation and to remove 
the 15 parts per million dosage rate for granular tefluthrin. This 
withdrawal is necessary because we received a written adverse comment 
in response to the direct final rule.

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 13, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ronald P. Milberg, Operations 
Officer, Program Support, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 134, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1236, (301) 734-5255; or E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    In a direct final rule published in the Federal Register on October 
15, 1996 (61 FR 53601-53603, Docket No. 96-063-1), we notified the 
public of our intention to amend the imported fire ant regulations to 
lengthen the certification period for containerized nursery stock 
treated with a 10 parts per million (ppm) dosage of the insecticide 
tefluthrin in its granular formulation and to remove the 15 ppm dosage 
rate for granular tefluthrin.
    We solicited comments concerning the direct final rule for 30 days 
ending November 14, 1996. We stated that the effective date of the 
direct final rule would be 60 days after publication of the direct 
final rule in the Federal Register, unless we received a written 
adverse comment or a written notice of intent to submit an adverse 
comment. We also stated that if we received any written adverse comment 
or any written notice of intent to submit an adverse comment, we would 
publish a notice in the Federal Register withdrawing the direct final 
rule before the scheduled effective date and would publish a proposed 
rule for public comment.
    We received one written adverse comment and a written notice of 
intent to submit an adverse comment. Therefore, we are withdrawing the 
direct final rule and, at a later date, we will publish a proposed rule 
in the Federal Register.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 150bb, 150dd, 150ee, 150ff, 161, 162, and 
164-167; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.2(c).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 9th day of December 1996.
A. Strating,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 96-31602 Filed 12-12-96; 8:45 am]
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