[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 42 (Monday, March 3, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11382-11383]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-4054]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2008-0013]


Determination of Pest-Free Areas Within the States of 
Cear[aacute] and Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil; Request for Comments

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have received a request 
from the Government of Brazil to recognize 7 municipalities in the 
State of Cear[aacute] and 13 municipalities in the State of Rio Grande 
do Norte as pest-free areas for the South American cucurbit fly. After 
reviewing the documentation submitted in support of that request, the 
Administrator has determined that those municipalities meet the 
criteria in our regulations for recognition as pest-free areas. We are 
making that determination, as well as an evaluation document we have 
prepared in connection with this action, available for review and 
comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments we receive on or before May 2, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2008-0013 to submit or view comments and 
to view supporting and related materials available electronically.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send two copies of 
your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2008-0013, 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. APHIS-2008-0013.
    Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on this 
docket 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: Mr. Juan A. Roman, Import Specialist, 
Commodity Import Analysis and Operations, Plant Health Programs, 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.

[[Page 11383]]

    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. One of the designated phytosanitary measures is 
that the fruits or vegetables are imported from a pest-free area in the 
country of origin that meets the requirements of Sec.  319.56-5 for 
freedom from that pest and are accompanied by a phytosanitary 
certificate stating that the fruits or vegetables originated in a pest-
free area in the country of origin.
    Under the regulations in Sec.  319.56-5, APHIS requires that 
determinations of pest-free areas be made in accordance with the 
criteria for establishing freedom from pests found in International 
Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No. 4, ``Requirements for 
the establishment of pest-free areas.'' The international standard was 
established by the International Plant Protection Convention of the 
United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization and is incorporated 
by reference in our regulations in 7 CFR 300.5. In addition, APHIS must 
also approve the survey protocol used to determine and maintain pest-
free status, as well as protocols for actions to be performed upon 
detection of a pest. Pest-free areas are subject to audit by APHIS to 
verify their status.
    APHIS has received a request from the Government of Brazil to 
recognize additional areas of that country as being free of Anastrepha 
grandis, the South American cucurbit fly. (APHIS currently recognizes 
two municipalities in the State of Rio Grande do Norte as free of 
Anastrepha grandis.) Specifically, the Government of Brazil asked that 
we recognize the municipalities of Aracati, Icapu[iacute], 
Itai[ccedil]aba, Jaguaruana, Limoeiro do Norte, Quixer[ecirc], and 
Russas in the State of Cear[aacute] and the municipalities of 
A[ccedil]u, Afonso Bezerra, Alto do Rodrigues, Areia Branca, 
Bara[uacute]na, Camaubais, Grossos, Ipangua[ccedil]u, Mossor[oacute], 
Porto do Mangue, Serra do Mel, Tibau, and Upanema in the State of Rio 
Grande do Norte as areas that are free of Anastrepha grandis.
    In accordance with our regulations and the criteria set out in ISPM 
No. 4, we have reviewed and approved the survey protocols and other 
information provided by Brazil relative to its system to establish 
freedom, phytosanitary measures to maintain freedom, and system for the 
verification of the maintenance of freedom. Because this action 
concerns the expansion of a currently recognized pest-free area in 
Brazil from which melons are authorized for importation into the United 
States, our review of the information presented by Brazil in support of 
its request is examined in a commodity import evaluation document 
(CIED) titled ``Expansion of Pest-free Areas for the Importation of 
Melon from Brazil.''
    The CEID may be viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site or in our 
reading room (see ADDRESSES above for instructions for accessing 
Regulations.gov and information on the location and hours of the 
reading room). You may request paper copies of the CIED by calling or 
writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  319.56-5(c), we are announcing 
the Administrator's determination that the municipalities of Aracati, 
Icapu[iacute], Itai[ccedil]aba, Jaguaruana, Limoeiro do Norte, 
Quixer[ecirc], and Russas in the State of Cear[aacute] and the 
municipalities of A[ccedil]u, Afonso Bezerra, Alto do Rodrigues, Areia 
Branca, Bara[uacute]na, Camaubais, Grossos, Ipangua[ccedil]u, 
Mossor[oacute], Porto do Mangue, Serra do Mel, Tibau, Upanema in the 
State of Rio Grande do Norte meet the criteria of Sec.  319.56-5(a) and 
(b) with respect to freedom from Anastrepha grandis. After reviewing 
the comments we receive on this notice, we will announce our decision 
regarding the status of those municipalities with respect to their 
freedom from Anastrepha grandis. If the Administrator's determination 
remains unchanged, we will add those municipalities to the list of 
pest-free areas.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 26th day of February 2008.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E8-4054 Filed 2-29-08; 8:45 am]
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