[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 3 (Friday, January 4, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-25554]


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 Notices
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 ________________________________________________________________________
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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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 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 3 / Friday, January 4, 2008 / 
Notices  

[[Page 839]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2007-0122]


Notice of Decision To Issue Permits for the Importation of 
Arugula Leaves With Stems From Panama Into the Continental United 
States

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our decision to begin issuing 
permits for the importation into the continental United States of 
arugula leaves with stems from Panama. Based on the findings of a pest 
risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and 
comment through a previous notice, we believe that the application of 
one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to 
mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or 
noxious weeds via the importation of arugula leaves with stems from 
Panama.

DATES: Effective Date: January 4, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Tony Roman, Import Specialist, 
Commodity Import Analysis and Operations Staff, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River 
Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-8758.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the regulations in ``Subpart--Fruits 
and Vegetables'' (7 CFR 319.56 through 319.56-47, referred to below as 
the regulations), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits or restricts 
the importation of fruits and vegetables into the United States from 
certain parts of the world to prevent plant pests from being introduced 
into and spread within the United States.
    Section 319.56-4 of the regulations contains a performance-based 
process for approving the importation of commodities that, based on the 
findings of a pest risk analysis, can be safely imported subject to one 
or more of the designated phytosanitary measures listed in paragraph 
(b) of that section. Under that process, APHIS publishes a notice in 
the Federal Register announcing the availability of the pest risk 
analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation of a 
particular fruit or vegetable. Following the close of the 60-day 
comment period, APHIS may begin issuing permits for importation of the 
fruit or vegetable subject to the identified designated measures if: 
(1) No comments were received on the pest risk analysis; (2) the 
comments on the pest risk analysis revealed that no changes to the pest 
risk analysis were necessary; or (3) changes to the pest risk analysis 
were made in response to public comments, but the changes did not 
affect the overall conclusions of the analysis and the Administrator's 
determination of risk.
    In accordance with that process, we published a notice\1\ in the 
Federal Register on October 4, 2007 (72 FR 56719-56720, Docket No. 
APHIS-2007-0122), in which we announced the availability, for review 
and comment, of a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks 
associated with the importation into the continental United States of 
arugula leaves with stems from Panama. We solicited comments on the 
notice for 60 days ending on December 3, 2007. We did not receive any 
comments by that date.
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    \1\ To view the notice and the pest risk analysis, go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2007-0122.
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    Therefore, in accordance with the regulations in Sec.  319.56-
4(c)(2)(ii), we are announcing our decision to begin issuing permits 
for the importation into the continental United States of arugula 
leaves with stems from Panama subject to the requirement that each 
consignment of arugula be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate 
issued by Panama's national plant protection organization to document 
that the consignment has been inspected and found practically free of 
pests.
    This condition will be listed in the fruits and vegetables manual 
(available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/fv.pdf). In addition to this specific measure, the 
arugula will be subject to the general requirements listed in Sec.  
319.56-3 that are applicable to the importation of all fruits and 
vegetables.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 26th day of December 2007.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E7-25554 Filed 1-3-08; 8:45 am]
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