[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 29 (Monday, February 13, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7503-7504]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1972]


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 Notices
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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 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 29 / Monday, February 13, 2006 / 
Notices  

[[Page 7503]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2006-0015]


Availability of Environmental Assessment for a Proposed Field 
Trial of Genetically Engineered Pink Bollworm

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 an environmental assessment 
has been prepared for a proposed field trial of pink bollworm 
genetically engineered to express green fluorescence as a marker. The 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) proposes to use this 
marked strain to assess the effectiveness of lower doses of radiation 
to create sterile insects for its pink bollworm sterile insect program. 
This program, using sterile insect technique, has been conducted by 
APHIS, with State and grower cooperation, since 1968. Data gained from 
this field experiment will be used to improve the current program. The 
environmental assessment is available to the public for review and 
comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before March 
15, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and, in the ``Search for Open Regulations'' box, 
select ``Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service'' from the agency 
drop-down menu, then click on ``Submit.'' In the Docket ID column, 
select APHIS-2006-0015 to submit or view public comments and to view 
supporting and related materials available electronically. After the 
close of the comment period, the docket can be viewed using the 
``Advanced Search'' function in Regulations.gov.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies 
of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. APHIS-
2006-0015, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-
03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state 
that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS-2006-0015.
    Reading Room: You may read the environmental assessment and any 
comments that we receive 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: Additional information about APHIS and its 
programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Robyn Rose, Biotechnology 
Regulatory Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 
20737-1236; (301) 734-0489. To obtain copies of the environmental 
assessment, contact Ms. Ingrid Berlanger at (301) 734-4885; e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    The regulations in 7 CFR part 340, ``Introduction of Organisms and 
Products Altered or Produced Through Genetic Engineering Which Are 
Plant Pests or Which There Is Reason To Believe Are Plant Pests,'' 
regulate, among other things, the introduction (importation, interstate 
movement, or release into the environment) of organisms and products 
altered or produced through genetic engineering that are plant pests or 
that there is reason to believe are plant pests. Such genetically 
engineered organisms and products are considered ``regulated 
articles.'' A permit must be obtained or a notification acknowledged 
before a regulated article may be introduced. The regulations set forth 
the permit application requirements and the notification procedures for 
the importation, interstate movement, or release into the environment 
of a regulated article.
    On April 8, 2005, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS) received a permit application (APHIS No. 05-098-01r) from 
APHIS's Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Center for Plant Health 
Science and Technology (CPHST) Decision Support and Pest Management 
Systems Laboratory in Phoenix, AZ, for a field trial using the pink 
bollworm (PBW), Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), 
that has been genetically engineered to express an enhanced green 
fluorescent protein (EGFP) derived from the jellyfish Aequora victoria. 
A piggyBac transposable element derived from the plant pest cabbage 
looper (Trichoplusia ni) was used to transform the subject PBW, and 
expression of the EGFP is controlled through use of the Drosophila 
melanogaster heat shock protein (hsp70) promoter.
    The subject transgenic PBW is considered a regulated article under 
the regulations in 7 CFR part 340 because the recipient organism is a 
plant pest. The proposed field test will evaluate the feasibility of 
using F1 sterility systems in a sterile insect program, which is 
designed to depress PBW populations. The transgenic PBW will be reared 
in the Phoenix PBW genetic rearing facility and treated with radiation 
levels suitable to induce F1 sterility. The irradiated insects will be 
released into no more than four 3-acre field sites of cotton that are 
adjacent to cotton expressing the Bt toxin, which is toxic to PBW. This 
release is part of CPHST's PBW sterile insect program. Information 
resulting from this research will be used in support of APHIS's efforts 
to eradicate the PBW in the United States.
    Additional information on the PBW eradication plan for the United 
States may be found at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/pdmp/cotton/pinkbollworm/eradication/eradication.pdf. An environmental assessment 
(EA) prepared for the Southwest Pink Bollworm Eradication Program may 
be found at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/es/pdf%20files/swpbwea.pdf.
    To provide the public with documentation of APHIS's review and 
analysis of any potential environmental impacts and plant pest risk 
associated with the proposed release of the

[[Page 7504]]

transgenic EGFP PBW, an EA has been prepared. The EA was 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 1b), and (4) APHIS's NEPA Implementing 
Procedures (7 CFR part 372). Copies of the EA are available from the 
individual listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701-7772 and 7781-7786; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 
CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 7th day of February 2006.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
 [FR Doc. E6-1972 Filed 2-10-06; 8:45 am]
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