[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 4 (Monday, January 7, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 697]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-263]


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 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 4 / Monday, January 7, 2002 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 697]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

7 CFR Part 330

[Docket No. 95-095-3]
RIN 0579-AA80


Plant Pest Regulations; Update of Current Provisions

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of reopening and extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: We are reopening and extending the comment period for our 
proposed rule that would revise our regulations regarding the movement 
of plant pests by adding risk-based criteria for determining the plant 
pest status of organisms, establishing a notification process that 
could be used as an alternative to the current permitting system, 
providing for the environmental release of organisms for the biological 
control of weeds, and updating the text of the subpart. This action 
will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit 
comments.

DATES: We invite you to comment on Docket No. 95-095-2. We will 
consider all comments we receive by that are postmarked, delivered, or 
e-mailed by February 6, 2002.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by postal mail/commercial delivery 
or by e-mail. If you use postal mail/commercial delivery, please send 
four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to: Docket 
No. 95-095-2, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,APHIS, Station 
3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state 
that your comment refers to Docket No. 95-095-2. If you use e-mail, 
address your comment to [email protected]. Your comment must 
be contained in the body of your message; do not send attached files. 
Please include your name and address in your message and ``Docket No. 
95-095-2'' on the subject line.
    You may read any comments that we receive on Docket No. 95-095-2 in 
our reading room. The reading room is located in room 1141 of the USDA 
South Building, 14th Street andIndependence Avenue SW., Washington, DC. 
Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, 
please call (202) 690-2817 before coming.
    APHIS documents published in the Federal Register, and related 
information, including the names of organizations and individuals who 
have commented on APHIS rules, are available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Robert Flanders, Risk Assessment 
Branch Chief, or Ms. Deborah Knott, Permits Branch Chief, PPQ, APHIS, 
4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; phone 301-734-5930 
(Dr. Flanders) or 301-734-5055 (Ms. Knott).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On October 9, 2001, we published in the Federal Register (66 FR 
51340-51358, Docket No. 95-095-2) a proposal to revise our regulations 
regarding the movement of plant pests by adding risk-based criteria for 
determining the plant pest status of organisms, establishing a 
notification process that could be used as an alternative to the 
current permitting system, providing for the environmental release of 
organisms for the biological control of weeds, and updating the text of 
the subpart.
    Comments on the proposed rule were required to be received on or 
before December 10, 2001. We are reopening and extending the comment 
period on Docket No. 95-095-2 for an additional 30 days. This action 
will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit 
comments. We will also consider all comments received between December 
11, 2001(the day after the close of the original comment period) and 
the date of this notice.
    In addition, we would like to point out that the DATES and 
ADDRESSES sections of this notice contain information regarding the 
submission of comments that was not contained in the October 9, 2001, 
proposed rule. Specifically, we are now accepting comments via e-mail 
and will consider comments submitted by postal mail that are postmarked 
rather than received in our offices by the close of the comment period.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 2260, 7711, 7712, 7714, 7718, 7731, 
7734, 7751, and 7754; 19 U.S.C. 1306; 21 U.S.C. 111, 114a, 136, and 
136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 42 U.S.C. 4331 and 4332; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 
371.3.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 27th day of December, 2001.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 02-263 Filed 1-4-02; 8:45 am]
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