[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 113 (Thursday, June 12, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33716-33717]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-13784]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2014-0008]


Notice of Availability of a Pest Risk Analysis for the 
Importation of Fresh Figs From Mexico Into the Continental United 
States

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 list 
and risk management document regarding the risks associated with the 
importation into the continental United States of fresh figs from 
Mexico. Based on these documents, we have concluded 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 figs from Mexico. 
We are making the documents 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-2014-0008.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2014-0008, 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-
0008 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. Marc Phillips, Senior Regulatory 
Policy Specialist, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 
20737-1231; (301) 851-2114.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Under the regulations in ``Subpart--Fruits and Vegetables'' (7 CFR 
319.56-1 through 319.56-68, referred to below as the regulations), the 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 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 or disseminated within the United States.
    Section 319.56-4 contains a performance-based process for approving 
the importation 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.
    APHIS received a request from the Government of Mexico to allow the 
importation of fresh figs (Ficus carica) into the continental United 
States. We have completed a pest list for this commodity to identify 
pests of quarantine significance that could follow the pathway of 
importation into the continental United States and, based on this list, 
have prepared a risk management document to identify phytosanitary 
measures that could be applied to fresh figs from Mexico to mitigate 
the pest risk. We have concluded that fresh figs can be safely imported 
into the continental United States from Mexico using one or more of the 
five designated phytosanitary measures listed in Sec.  319.56-4(b). 
These measures are:
     The figs may be imported into the continental United 
States in commercial consignments only.
     The figs must be irradiated in accordance with 7 CFR part 
305 with a minimum absorbed dose of 150 Gy.
     If the irradiation treatment is applied outside the United 
States, each consignment of fruit must be jointly inspected by APHIS 
and the national plant protection organization (NPPO) of Mexico and 
accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate (PC) attesting that the 
fruit received the required irradiation treatment. The PC must also 
include an additional declaration stating that the consignment was 
inspected and found free of Maconellicoccus hirsutus and Nipaecoccus 
viridis.
     If the irradiation treatment is applied upon arrival in 
the United States, each consignment of fruit must be inspected by the 
NPPO of Mexico prior to departure and accompanied by a PC attesting 
that the fruit was inspected and found free of Maconellicoccus hirsutus 
and Nipaecoccus viridis.
     The commodity is subject to inspection at the U.S. port of 
entry.
    Therefore, we are announcing the availability of our pest list and 
risk

[[Page 33717]]

management document 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 a link to Regulations.gov and information on the 
location and hours of the reading room). You may request paper copies 
of the documents by calling or writing to the person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the subject of the pest 
list and risk management document you wish to review when requesting 
copies.
    After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our 
decision regarding the import status of fresh figs from Mexico 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 authorize the importation 
of fresh figs from Mexico into the continental United States subject to 
the requirements specified in the risk management document.

    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 6th day of June 2014.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-13784 Filed 6-11-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P