[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11372-11373]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3166]


 ========================================================================
 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 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.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 7, 2006 / 
Notices  

[[Page 11372]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2006-0022]


Availability of Environmental Assessment for a Proposed Field 
Trial of Genetically Engineered Bahiagrass

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are advising the public that an environmental assessment 
has been prepared for a proposed field trial using two transgenic grass 
lines. The trial consists of Argentine bahiagrass plants that are 
genetically engineered to express resistance to the herbicide 
glufosinate and resistance to the antibiotic kanamycin. Each of 4 sets 
of 12 genetically engineered bahiagrass plants will be encircled with a 
ring of several untransformed cultivars of bahiagrass. The purpose of 
the field trial is to study the likelihood of hybrid formation as a 
result of pollen movement from the transgenic plants to the 
nontransgenic plants. Data gained from this field experiment will also 
be used to evaluate current confinement practices for this species of 
transgenic grass. The environmental assessment is available to the 
public for review and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before April 
6, 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-2006-0022 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-
2006-0022, 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-2006-0022.
    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. Patricia Beetham, Biotechnology 
Regulatory Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 
20737-1236; (301) 734-0664. 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 October 21, 2005, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS) received a permit application (APHIS No. 05-294-02r) from the 
University of Florida in Marianna, FL, for a field trial using lines of 
transgenic Argentine bahiagrass. Permit application 05-294-02r 
describes two transgenic lines of Argentine bahiagrass, Paspalum 
notatum Flugge cv. Argentine:
     Line `B9' has been genetically engineered to express the 
phosphinothricin acetyl transferase (bar) gene from Streptomyces 
hygroscopicus, which confers resistance to glufosinate herbicides. 
Expression of this gene is controlled by the polyubiquitin (ubi) 
promoter, ubi 5' flanking region and the ubi first intron sequences 
from Zea mays, and the 35S 3' region from Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 
(CaMV).
     In addition to the gene sequences above, line `P' has also 
been genetically engineered to express the neomycin phosphotransferase 
gene (nptII) from Escherichia coli, which confers resistance to the 
antibiotic kanamycin. Expression of this gene is controlled by the 
enhanced 35S promoter from CaMV, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) intron 
from Zea mays, and the 35S 3' region from CaMV.
    Constructs were inserted into the recipient organisms by 
microprojectile bombardment.
    The subject transgenic grasses are considered regulated articles 
under the regulations in 7 CFR part 340 because they were created using 
donor sequences from plant pests. The purpose of this proposed 
introduction is for research on transgenic bahiagrass plants, 
particularly to investigate the frequency of cross-hybridization 
between transgenic Argentine bahiagrass with different bahiagrass 
cultivars under field conditions. Additionally, the data gathered 
during this study will be used to assess the confined status of this 
field release and refine the confinement conditions necessary for 
future releases of this grass species.
    To provide the public with documentation of APHIS' review and 
analysis of any potential environmental impacts and plant pest risk 
associated

[[Page 11373]]

with the proposed release of these transgenic grasses, an environmental 
assessment (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' 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 1st day of March 2006.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
 [FR Doc. E6-3166 Filed 3-6-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P