[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 206 (Thursday, October 24, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63448-63449]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-25003]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2013-0017]


Notice of Decision To Allow Interstate Movement of Sapote Fruit 
From Puerto Rico 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 allowing 
the interstate movement into the continental United States of fresh 
sapote fruit from Puerto Rico. 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 interstate movement of sapote fruit from Puerto Rico.

DATES: Effective Date: October 24, 2013.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Lamb, Regulatory Policy 
Specialist, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1231; (301) 851-2103.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Under the regulations in ``Subpart--Regulated Articles From Hawaii 
and the Territories'' (7 CFR 318.13-1 through 318.13-26, 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 interstate movement of fruits and vegetables into the 
continental United States from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin 
Islands, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to 
prevent plant pests and noxious weeds from being introduced into and 
spread within the continental United States.

[[Page 63449]]

(The continental United States is defined in Sec.  318.13-2 of the 
regulations as the 48 contiguous States, Alaska, and the District of 
Columbia.)
    Section 318.13-4 contains a performance-based process for approving 
the interstate movement of commodities that, based on the findings of a 
pest risk analysis, can be safely moved 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 interstate movement of a 
particular fruit or vegetable. Following the close of the 60-day 
comment period, APHIS may begin allowing the interstate movement 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 April 24, 2013 (78 FR 24155-24156, Docket No. 
APHIS-2013-0017), in which we announced the availability, for review 
and comment, of a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks 
associated with the interstate movement of sapote fruit (Pouteria 
sapota) from Puerto Rico into the continental United States. We 
solicited comments on the notice for 60 days ending on June 24, 2013. 
We received no comments by that date.
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    \1\ To view the notice and the pest risk analysis, go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0017.
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    Therefore, in accordance with the regulations in Sec.  318.13-4, we 
are announcing our decision to begin allowing the interstate movement 
of sapote fruit from Puerto Rico into the continental United States 
subject to the following phytosanitary measures:
     Inspection in Puerto Rico; and
     Movement of the sapote fruit as commercial consignments 
only.
    These conditions will be listed in the Puerto Rico Manual, found on 
the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/puerto_rico.pdf. In addition to those specific 
measures, sapote fruit from Puerto Rico will be subject to the general 
requirements listed in Sec.  318.13-3 that are applicable to the 
interstate movement of all fruits and vegetables from Puerto Rico.

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

     Done in Washington, DC, this 18th day of October 2013.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-25003 Filed 10-23-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P