[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 222 (Monday, November 18, 2013)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 69006-69007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-27479]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

21 CFR Parts 16 and 112

[Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0921]
RIN 0910-AG35


Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Rule: Standards 
for Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human 
Consumption; Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Extension of comment period for the Environmental Impact 
Statement for the proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is extending the 
comment period for the ``Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Proposed Rule: Standards for Growing, 
Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption'' 
that appeared in the Federal Register of August 19, 2013. We are taking 
this action to allow interested persons an opportunity to provide 
comment on the scope of issues the Agency should include in the 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), including their significance, as 
part of the scoping process for the EIS.

DATES: The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping meetings, if 
determined to be necessary, will be announced at least 15 days in 
advance through FDA Web site's at http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/ucm334114.htm. Comments on the scope of issues 
the Agency should include in the EIS may be submitted in writing until 
March 15, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the scope of issues the Agency 
should include in the EIS, identified by Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0921 
and/or Regulatory Information Number (RIN) 0910-AG35, by any of the 
following methods:

Electronic Submissions

    Submit electronic comments in the following way:

[[Page 69007]]

     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

Written Submissions

    Submit written submissions in the following ways:
     Mail/Hand delivery/Courier (for paper or CD-ROM 
submissions): Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the Agency name 
and Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0921, and RIN 0910-AG35 for this rulemaking. 
All comments received may be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. For 
additional information on submitting comments, see the ``Request for 
Comments'' heading of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this 
document.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov and insert the 
docket number, found in brackets in the heading of this document, into 
the ``Search'' box and follow the prompts and/or go to the Division of 
Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Annette McCarthy, Center for Food 
Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS-205), Food and Drug Administration, 
5100 Paint Branch Pkwy., College Park, MD 20740, 240-402-1200.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    In the Federal Register of August 19, 2013 (78 FR 50358), we 
published a notice of intent entitled ``Notice of Intent to Prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Rule: Standards for 
Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human 
Consumption'' with a comment period extending through November 15, 
2013, to announce the beginning of the scoping process. We solicited 
public comments and requested public input to identify issues to be 
analyzed in an EIS.
    The purpose of the public scoping process for the EIS is to 
determine relevant issues that will influence the scope of the 
environmental analysis, including potential alternatives, and the 
extent to which those issues and impacts will be analyzed in the EIS. 
Federal, State, and local agencies, along with tribes and other 
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the produce 
safety rule are invited to participate in the scoping process. FDA has 
previously sought comment on potential environmental effects as part of 
the public comment period for the proposed rule, including specific 
questions regarding agricultural water, biological soil amendments of 
animal origin, and wildlife (78 FR 3504 at 3616, 3619-3620; January 16, 
2013). FDA believes that these questions are still relevant to the 
environmental analysis and will consider comments received.
    FDA is granting an extension of the public scoping period to allow 
the public additional time to provide comment and for FDA to hold, as 
appropriate, one or more public scoping meetings during this time 
period. As part of the scoping process, the Agency will determine the 
range of actions, alternatives, and impacts to be considered in the 
EIS. This notice does not extend the comment period on the produce 
safety proposed rule published on January 16, 2013 (78 FR 3504). As 
previously announced (78 FR 48637, August 9, 2013), the comment period 
on the produce safety proposed rule closes on November 15, 2013.

II. Request for Comments

    Interested persons may submit either electronic comments regarding 
the issues to be included in the EIS for the proposed rule to http://www.regulations.gov or written comments to the Division of Dockets 
Management (see ADDRESSES). It is only necessary to send one set of 
comments. Identify comments with the docket number found in brackets in 
the heading of this document. Received comments may be seen in the 
Division of Dockets Management between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, and will be posted to the docket at http://www.regulations.gov.

    Dated: November 12, 2013.
Leslie Kux,
Assistant Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2013-27479 Filed 11-15-13; 8:45 am]
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