[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 22 (Thursday, February 3, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5601-5602]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-409]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
 appearing in this section.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 22 / Thursday, February 3, 2005 / 
Notices  

[[Page 5601]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 04-085-2]


Monsanto Co. and Forage Genetics International; Availability of 
Petition and Environmental Assessment for Determination of Nonregulated 
Status for Alfalfa Genetically Engineered for Tolerance to the 
Herbicide Glyphosate

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service is reopening the comment period for a petition from 
Monsanto Company and Forage Genetics International that seeks a 
determination of nonregulated status for alfalfa designated as events 
J101 and J163, which have been genetically engineered for tolerance to 
the herbicide glyphosate. The petition has been submitted in accordance 
with our regulations concerning the introduction of certain genetically 
engineered organisms and products. In accordance with those 
regulations, we are soliciting public comments on whether this alfalfa 
presents a plant pest risk. We are also making available for public 
comment an environmental assessment for the proposed determination of 
nonregulated status. This action will allow interested persons 
additional time to prepare and submit comments.

DATES: We will consider all comments we receive on or before February 
17, 2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies 
of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. 04-085-1, 
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. 04-085-1.
     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. 04-085-1'' on the subject 
line.
    Reading Room: You may read the petition, the environmental 
assessment, and any comments that we receive on Docket No. 04-085-1 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.
    Other Information: You may view APHIS documents published in the 
Federal Register and related information, including the names of groups 
and individuals who have commented on APHIS dockets, on the Internet at 
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Dr. Virgil Meier, Biotechnology 
Regulatory Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 
20737-1236; (301) 734-3363. To obtain copies of the petition or the 
environmental assessment (EA), contact Ms. Terry Hampton at (301) 734-
5715; e-mail: [email protected]. The petition and the EA 
are also available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/04_11001p.pdf and http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/04_11001p_ea.pdf.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 16, 2004, the Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) received a petition from Monsanto 
Company of St. Louis, MO, and Forage Genetics International of West 
Salem, WI (Monsanto/FGI), requesting a determination of nonregulated 
status under 7 CFR part 340 for alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) designated 
as events J101 and J163, which have been genetically engineered for 
tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate. The Monsanto/FGI petition states 
that the subject alfalfa should not be regulated by APHIS because it 
does not present a plant pest risk.
    In a notice published in the Federal Register on November 24, 2004 
(69 FR 68300-68301, Docket No. 04-085-1), APHIS announced the receipt 
of the Monsanto/FGI petition and solicited comments on whether the 
subject alfalfa would present a plant pest risk. We solicited comments 
concerning our notice for 60 days, ending January 24, 2005.
    We are reopening the comment period for an additional 2 weeks from 
the date of this notice to give interested parties additional time to 
submit comments. We will also consider all comments we received between 
the January 25, 2005 (the day after the close of the original comment 
period) and the date of this notice.
    We are publishing this notice to inform the public that APHIS will 
accept written comments regarding the petition for a determination of 
nonregulated status from interested persons for a period of 14 days 
from the date of this notice. We are also soliciting written comments 
from interested persons on the environmental assessment (EA) prepared 
to examine any environmental impacts of the proposed determination for 
the subject alfalfa event. The petition and the EA and any comments 
received are available for public review, and copies of the petition 
and the EA are available as indicated in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section of this notice.
    After the comment period closes, APHIS will review the data 
submitted by the petitioner, all written comments received during the 
comment period, and any other relevant information. After reviewing and 
evaluating the comments on the petition and the EA and other data and 
information, APHIS will furnish a response to the petitioner, either 
approving the petition in whole or in part, or denying the petition. 
APHIS will then publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing the 
regulatory status of the Monsanto/FGI glyphosate-tolerant alfalfa 
events J101 and J163 and the availability of APHIS' written decision.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1622n and 7701-7772; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 
2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.


[[Page 5602]]


    Done in Washington, DC, this 28th day of January 2005.
Elizabeth E. Gaston,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
 [FR Doc. E5-409 Filed 2-2-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P