[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 54 (Friday, March 20, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13614-13615]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-7331]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 54 / Friday, March 20, 1998 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 98-020-1]


Fruit Fly Cooperative Eradication Program Environmental Impact 
Statement

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service intends to prepare an environmental impact statement 
for the Fruit Fly Cooperative Eradication Program. The environmental 
impact statement will analyze the potential environmental impacts of 
programs to eradicate various fruit fly species from the United States 
mainland. We are seeking comments from the public, as well as 
government agencies and private industry, concerning issues that should 
be addressed in the environmental impact statement. Our request for 
comments is the first step in the development of an environmental 
impact statement.

DATES: Consideration will be given only to comments received on or 
before April 20, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Please send an original and three copies of your comments to 
Mr. Harold Smith, Environmental Protection Officer, Environmental 
Analysis and Documentation, PPD, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 149, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1237. Please state that your comments refer to 
Docket No. 98-020-1. Comments received may be inspected 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 comments are requested to 
call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to facilitate entry into the comment 
reading room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Harold Smith, Environmental 
Protection Officer, Environmental Analysis and Documentation, PPD, 
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 149, Riverdale, MD 20737-1237, (301) 734-
8565.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has 
authority and responsibility for the interdiction, detection, and 
eradication of various exotic agricultural pests, including fruit flies 
that are not native to the United States. Many of these species are 
found now in other parts of the world, including Africa, the 
Mediterranean, Europe, Oceania, South America, and Central America. 
Some have managed to establish footholds in Hawaii. If these pests 
became established on the United States mainland, agricultural losses 
and resulting costs to the consumer would be devastating.
    One such pest, the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly), has been 
introduced to the United States mainland intermittently since its 
initial introduction in 1929; however, eradication programs have 
prevented it from becoming established. Medfly eradication programs 
have taken place in California, Florida, and Texas, and have been 
conducted as cooperative efforts between the United States Department 
of Agriculture and State departments of agriculture. Cooperative 
eradication programs have taken place also for the Mexican fruit fly, 
Oriental fruit fly, and others. Although some of the programs may use 
the same or similar control methods, the same control methods are not 
adaptable to all of the fruit fly species of concern.
    The magnitude of these programs, their sometimes controversial 
natures, and the evolution of new exclusion, detection, and eradication 
strategies have prompted APHIS to develop, or cooperate in the 
development of, a programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) 
that will review and analyze the potential environmental effects of 
these Cooperative Fruit Fly Eradication Programs. Also, because many of 
the programs must be implemented in an emergency manner, it is 
imperative that APHIS and cooperating government entities prepare in 
advance an EIS that accurately predicts and comprehensively analyzes 
the range of environmental effects that may be expected from program 
activities. Pursuant to section 1501.7 of the Council on Environmental 
Quality regulations (40 CFR 1501.7), we are issuing this notice of 
intent to prepare such an EIS.

Scoping Process

    The initial step in the process of EIS development is scoping. 
Scoping includes solicitation of public comments and the evaluation of 
those comments. This process is used for determining the scope of 
issues to be addressed. We are, therefore, asking for written comments 
that identify significant environmental issues that should be analyzed 
in the EIS. We invite comments from the interested public, from 
Federal, State, and local agencies that have an interest in the Fruit 
Fly Cooperative Eradication Program, and from Federal and State 
agencies that have jurisdiction either by law or special expertise 
regarding any national program issue or environmental impact that 
should be discussed in the EIS. We will review any comments that are 
received, taking them into account in the development of the draft EIS.

Alternatives

    We will consider all reasonable and realistic action alternatives 
recommended in the comments we receive. The following alternatives have 
been identified already for comprehensive analysis in the EIS:
    (1) Exclusion,
    (2) Detection,
    (3) Control, and
    (4) No action.

Major Issues

    It is APHIS' intent to examine the Cooperative Fruit Fly 
Eradication Program for the primary purpose of reducing risk to public 
health and to the environment. Following are some of the major issues 
that will be discussed in the EIS:
    (1) Improving risk reduction strategies,
    (2) Emergency communication strategies,
    (3) Selection of program control components,
    (4) Exploitation of new or evolving technologies,

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    (5) Environmental justice considerations, and
    (6) Environmental monitoring.

Preparation of the EIS

    Following scoping, we will prepare a draft EIS for the Fruit Fly 
Cooperative Eradication Program. A notice published in the Federal 
Register will announce that the draft EIS is available for review and 
will announce the dates and locations of public meetings to review the 
draft EIS.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 16th day of March 1998.
Craig A. Reed,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 98-7331 Filed 3-19-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P