[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 18, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34700-34701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-13735]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2007-0070]


Interstate Movement of Municipal Solid Waste From Hawaii; 
Availability of an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service has prepared a regional programmatic environmental 
assessment and finding of no significant impact relative to the 
interstate movement of municipal solid waste from Hawaii to landfills 
in the States of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The environmental 
assessment contains a general assessment of the potential environmental 
effects associated with moving garbage interstate from Hawaii to Idaho, 
Oregon, and Washington subject to certain pest risk mitigation measures 
and documents our review and analysis of the environmental impacts 
associated with, and alternatives to, such movements. Based on its 
finding of no significant impact, the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service has determined that an environmental impact 
statement need not be prepared.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Shannon Hamm, Acting Deputy 
Administrator, Policy and Program Development, APHIS, 4700 River Road 
Unit 20, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-4957.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The importation and interstate movement of garbage is regulated by 
the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under 7 CFR 
330.400 and 9 CFR 94.5 in order to protect against the introduction 
into and dissemination within the United States of plant and animal 
pests and diseases.
    On March 13, 2008, we published in the Federal Register (73 FR 
13525, Docket No. APHIS-2007-0070) a notice \1\ in which we announced 
the availability, for public review and comment, of a regional 
programmatic environmental assessment relative to the interstate 
movement of municipal solid waste from Hawaii to landfills in the 
States of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ To view the notice and the comments we received, go to 
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2007-0070.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The environmental assessment, titled ``Regional Movement of 
Plastic-baled Municipal Solid Waste from Hawaii to Washington, Oregon, 
and Idaho'' (February 2008), considers the movement of a cumulative 
maximum amount of baled municipal solid waste from the State of Hawaii 
to any qualified landfill in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho under 
compliance agreements with APHIS and in accordance with the standards 
previously established by APHIS regarding baling, handling, spill 
response, and disposal.
    We solicited comments on the regional programmatic environmental 
assessment for 30 days ending on April 14, 2008. We received three 
comments by that date, from the State of Idaho, a private citizen, and 
a law office. All of the commenters raised specific issues regarding 
the environmental assessment. In an attachment to the finding of no 
significant impact determination, we respond to each of the issues 
raised by the commenters.
    Based on the information contained in the regional programmatic 
environmental assessment and following our consideration of the

[[Page 34701]]

information submitted during the comment period, we have determined 
that implementation of either alternative examined in the environmental 
assessment--i.e., the barging of municipal solid waste from Hawaii to 
landfills within the States of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho under 
compliance agreements with APHIS or taking no action (no interstate 
movement of municipal solid waste from Hawaii)--is not expected to 
result in a significant impact to the human environment, and an 
environmental impact statement does not need to be prepared.
    The environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact 
have been 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 1), and (4) APHIS' NEPA 
Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 12th day of June 2008.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
 [FR Doc. E8-13735 Filed 6-17-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P