[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 192 (Tuesday, October 4, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61340-61341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-25490]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2011-0039]


Notice of Decision To Authorize the Importation of Fresh Apricot, 
Sweet Cherry, and Plumcot Fruit From South Africa 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 authorize the 
importation into the continental United States of fresh apricot, sweet 
cherry, and plumcot fruit from South Africa. Based

[[Page 61341]]

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 fresh 
apricot, sweet cherry, and plumcot fruit from South Africa. We are also 
revising a treatment schedule in the Plant Protection and Quarantine 
Treatment Manual.

DATES: Effective Date: November 3, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Dorothy C. Wayson, Senior 
Regulatory Coordination Specialist, Regulations, Permits, and Manuals, 
PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 141, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-
0772.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Under the regulations in ``Subpart--Fruits and Vegetables'' (7 CFR 
319.56-1 through 319.56-51, 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 spreading 
within the United States. Under that process, APHIS may publish a 
notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of a 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 authorize the importation of the fruit or 
vegetable subject to the risk-mitigation measures identified in the 
pest risk analysis 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 June 1, 2011 (76 FR 31577-31578, Docket No. APHIS-
2011-0039), in which we announced the availability, for review and 
comment, of a pest risk analysis evaluating the risks associated with 
the importation into the continental United States of fresh apricot, 
sweet cherry, and plumcot fruit from South Africa. The pest risk 
analysis consisted of a risk assessment identifying pests of quarantine 
significance that could follow the pathway of importation of fresh 
apricot, sweet cherry, and plumcot fruit from South Africa into the 
United States and a risk management document identifying phytosanitary 
measures to be applied to those commodities to mitigate the pest risk. 
In accordance with 7 CFR 305.3(a)(1), we also provided notice that we 
had determined that it was necessary to revise treatment schedule T107-
e in the Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Treatment Manual \2\ to 
include plumcots among the commodities to which that treatment schedule 
may be applied and the Mediterranean and the Bezzi fruit fly among the 
pests it is intended to eliminate. We solicited comments on the notice 
for 60 days ending on August 1, 2011. We did not receive any comments.
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    \1\ To view the notice and the pest risk analysis, go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0039.
    \2\ The Treatment Manual is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/index.shtml or by 
contacting the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant 
Protection and Quarantine, Manuals Unit, 92 Thomas Johnson Drive, 
Suite 200, Frederick, MD 21702.
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    Therefore, in accordance with the regulations in 319.56-
4(c)(2)(ii), we are announcing our decision to authorize the 
importation into the continental United States of fresh apricot, sweet 
cherry, and plumcot fruit from South Africa subject to the following 
phytosanitary measures:
     The fruit must be imported as a commercial consignment, as 
defined in 319.56-2.
     Each consignment of fruit must be accompanied by a 
phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection 
organization of South Africa. For apricots and plumcots only, the 
phytosanitary certificate must include an additional declaration 
stating that the fruit was inspected and found free of cinch bug 
(Macchiademus diplopterus).
     Apricots and plumcots must be cold treated for fruit flies 
(Ceratitis spp.) and false codling moth (Thaumatotibia leucotreta) in 
accordance with 7 CFR part 305.
     Sweet cherries must be cold treated for the Mediterranean 
fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) in accordance with 7 CFR part 305.
     Each consignment of fruit is subject to inspection upon 
arrival in the United States.
    We are also updating the PPQ Treatment Manual as discussed earlier 
in this document.
    The phytosanitary conditions listed above will also be listed in 
the Fruits and Vegetables Import Requirements database (available at 
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/favir). In addition to these specific 
measures, fresh apricot, sweet cherry, and plumcot fruit from South 
Africa will be subject to the general requirements listed in Sec.  
319.56-3 that are applicable to the importation of all fruits and 
vegetables. Further, for fruits and vegetables requiring treatment as a 
condition of entry, the phytosanitary treatment regulations in 7 CFR 
part 305 contain administrative and procedural requirements that must 
be observed in connection with the application and certification of 
specific treatments.

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 450, 7701-7772, and 7781-7786; 21 U.S.C. 
136 and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 28th day of September 2011.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-25490 Filed 10-3-11; 8:45 am]
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