[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 113 (Thursday, June 12, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33715-33716]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-13781]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2014-0029]


Notice of Availability of a Pest Risk Analysis for Interstate 
Movement of Fresh Achachair[uacute] Fruit From Puerto Rico

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk 
analysis (PRA) that evaluates the risks associated with the interstate 
movement into the continental United States of fresh achachair[uacute] 
fruit from Puerto Rico. Based on that analysis, 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 achachair[uacute] 
from Puerto Rico. We are making the PRA available to the public for 
review and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
August 11, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0029.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2014-0029, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may 
be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-
0029 or in our reading room, which 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) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Lamb, Senior Regulatory 
Policy Specialist, Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, 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 (USDA) prohibits 
or restricts the interstate movement of fruits and vegetables into the 
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. (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 imported subject to one or more of 
the designated phytosanitary measures listed in paragraph (b) of that 
section. These measures are:
     The fruits and vegetables are inspected in the State of 
origin or in the first State of arrival;
     The fruits and vegetables originated from a pest-free area 
in the State of origin and the grower from which the fruit or vegetable 
originated has entered into a compliance agreement with the 
Administrator;
     The fruits and vegetables are treated in accordance with 7 
CFR part 305 and the treatment is certified by an inspector;
     The fruits and vegetables are inspected and certified in 
the State of origin by an inspector and have been found free of one or 
more specific quarantine pests identified by risk analysis as likely to 
follow the pathway;
     The fruits and vegetables are moved as commercial 
consignments only; and/or
     The fruits and vegetables may be distributed only within a 
defined area and the boxes or containers in which the fruits or 
vegetables are distributed must be marked to indicate the applicable 
distribution restrictions.
    APHIS received a request from a grower and research scientist with 
the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture, with support from the USDA 
Agricultural Research Service and the

[[Page 33716]]

Puerto Rico State Plant Health Director's office, to allow the 
interstate movement of fresh achachair[uacute] fruit from Puerto Rico 
to the continental United States. We have completed a pest risk 
assessment (PRA) to identify pests of quarantine significance that 
could follow the pathway of interstate movement into the continental 
United States and, based on that PRA, have prepared a risk management 
document (RMD) to identify phytosanitary measures that could be applied 
to the commodity to mitigate the pest risk. We have concluded that 
fresh achachair[uacute] fruit can be safely moved from Puerto Rico to 
the continental United States using one or more of the six designated 
phytosanitary measures listed in Sec.  318.13-4(b).
    Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  318.13-4(c), we are announcing 
the availability of our PRA and RMD for public review and comment. The 
documents 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 PRA and RMD by 
calling or writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT. Please refer to the subject of the documents when requesting 
copies.
    After reviewing the comments we receive, we will announce our 
decision regarding the interstate movement of fresh achachair[uacute] 
fruit from Puerto Rico to the continental United States in a subsequent 
notice. If the overall conclusions of the analysis and the 
Administrator's determination of risk remain unchanged following our 
consideration of the comments, then we will begin allowing the 
interstate movement of fresh achachair[uacute] fruit from Puerto Rico 
to the continental United States subject to the requirements specified 
in the RMD.

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

    Done in Washington, DC, this 6th day of June 2014.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-13781 Filed 6-11-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P