[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 85 (Thursday, May 2, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 22038]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-10883]



[[Page 22038]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 02-034-1]


Availability of a Supplemental Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that a supplemental environmental 
assessment has been prepared by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service relative to the control of pink hibiscus mealybug, 
Maconellicoccus hirsutus. The supplemental environmental assessment 
considers the effects of, and alternatives to, the release of 
nonindigenous organisms into the environment for use as biological 
control agents to suppress pink hibiscus mealybug infestations. We are 
making this environmental assessment available to the public for review 
and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments we receive that are postmarked, 
delivered, or e-mailed by June 3, 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. 02-034-1, 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. 02-034-1. 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. 
02-034-1'' on the subject line.
    You may read any comments that we receive on the supplemental 
environmental assessment in our reading room. The reading room is 
located in room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and 
Independence 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 dockets, are available on the Internet at 
http://www.aphis,usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Dale Meyerdirk, Agriculturist, 
PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 135, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 
734-5220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing 
to release nonindigenous species of parasitic wasps in the genus 
Allotropa (Hymenoptera: Platygasteridae) in the continental United 
States and U.S. territories in the Caribbean to control pink hibiscus 
mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus.
    Pink hibiscus mealybug (PHM) is a foreign plant pest that attacks a 
wide variety of agricultural and ornamental plant hosts. It has invaded 
areas in Guam, Hawaii, California, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto 
Rico, and it is expected that PHM will invade the southern regions of 
the United States. The purpose of the proposed release is to suppress 
PHM infestations.
    APHIS' current PHM control program involves the release of three 
other varieties of parasitic wasps. On June 24, 1997, we published a 
notice in the Federal Register (62 FR 34043-34044, Docket No. 97-054-1) 
in which we announced the availability of an environmental assessment 
describing the impact and plant pest risk associated with releasing 
exotic species of parasitic wasps in the genera Anagyrus and 
Gyranusoidea (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) into the environment to control 
PHM. Similarly, on November 12, 1997, we published a notice in the 
Federal Register (62 FR 60683, Docket No. 97-106-1) in which we 
announced the availability of an environmental assessment describing 
the environmental impact and plant pest risk associated with releasing 
exotic species of parasitic wasps in the genus Leptomastix 
(Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) into the environment to control PHM.
    APHIS has completed a supplemental environmental assessment that 
considers the effects of, and alternatives to, releasing parasitic 
wasps in a fourth genus, Allotropa (Hymenoptera: Platygasteridae), into 
the environment. Mealybugs are the only known hosts of the species of 
Allotropa (except for a suspect report a century ago) that are 
candidates for introduction in the United States. There is no evidence 
that the release of this biological control agent will adversely affect 
threatened and endangered species or their habitat. The biological 
characteristics of wasps in the genus Allotropa preclude any 
possibility of harmful effects on human health.
    APHIS' review and analysis of the potential environmental impacts 
associated with releasing this biological control agent into the 
environment are documented in detail in a supplemental environmental 
assessment entitled ``Control of Pink Hibiscus Mealybug, 
Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae)'' (February 2002). 
We are making this environmental assessment available to the public for 
review and comment. We will consider all comments that we receive by 
the date listed under the heading DATES at the beginning of this 
notice.
    You may request copies of the supplemental environmental assessment 
by calling or writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the title of the supplemental 
environmental assessment when requesting copies. The supplemental 
environmental assessment is also available for review in our reading 
room (information on the location and hours of the reading room is 
listed under the heading ADDRESSES at the beginning of this notice.)
    The supplemental environmental assessment has been prepared in 
accordance with: (1) The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA), as amended (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 1), and (4) APHIS' NEPA Implementing 
Procedures (7 CFR part 372).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 26th day of April, 2002 .
W. Ron DeHaven,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 02-10883 Filed 5-1-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P