[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 112 (Wednesday, June 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31780-31781]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15257]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 97-044-1]


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 three 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 Evaluation, BSS, PPQ, 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 the 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, the Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service (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 applicant 
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:

[[Page 31781]]



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                                             Date                                                  Field test   
    Permit No.           Permittee          Issued                   Organisms                      location    
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96-355-01........  Applied Phytologics,     3-31-97  Rice plants genetically engineered to      California.     
                    Incorporated.                     express proteins of pharmaceutical                        
                                                      interest.                                                 
97-023-01........  Auburn University....    3-31-97  Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato strain     Alabama.        
                                                      DC3000 genetically engineered for                         
                                                      decreased virulence.                                      
97-044-02........  Betaseed,                4-25-97  Sugar beet plants genetically engineered   Idaho.          
                    Incorporated.                     to express virus resistance and a marker                  
                                                      gene.                                                     
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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 4th day of June 1997.
Terry L. Medley,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 97-15257 Filed 6-10-97; 8:45 am]
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