[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 130 (Tuesday, July 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 38484]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15866]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2014-0021]


Notice of Availability of Pest Risk Analyses for the Importation 
of Chipilin Leaves and Edible Flowers of Chufle, Izote, and Pacaya From 
Guatemala Into the Continental United States

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have prepared pest risk 
analyses that evaluate the risks associated with importation of 
chipilin leaves and edible flowers of chufle, izote, and pacaya from 
Guatemala into the continental United States. Based on these analyses, 
we have determined 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 
movement of chipilin leaves and edible flowers of chufle, izote, and 
pacaya from Guatemala. We are making these documents available to the 
public for review and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
September 8, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0021.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2014-0021, 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-
0021 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: Ms. Claudia Ferguson, Senior 
Regulatory Policy Coordinator, Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, 
Regulations, Permits and Manuals, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 
133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 851-2352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 the 
introduction and dissemination of plant pests that are new to or not 
widely distributed within the United States.
    Section 319.56-4 contains a performance-based process for approving 
the importation of certain fruits and vegetables that, based on the 
findings of a pest risk analysis, can be safely imported subject to one 
or more of the phytosanitary measures listed in paragraph (b) of that 
section.
    APHIS received a request from the national plant protection 
organization (NPPO) of Guatemala to allow the importation of chipilin 
leaves (Crotalaria longirostrata) and edible flowers of chufle 
(Calathea macrosepala), izote (Yucca guatemalensis), and pacaya 
(Chamaedorea tepejilote) into the continental United States.
    As part of our evaluation of Guatemala's request, we have prepared 
pest risk assessments (PRAs) to identify pests of quarantine 
significance that could follow the pathway of importation into the 
continental United States from Guatemala and, based on the PRAs, risk 
management documents (RMDs) to identify phytosanitary measures that 
could be applied to the commodities to mitigate the pest risk. (The 
PRAs evaluating the pest risks for chipilin leaves, chufle, and pacaya 
were originally drafted for a market access request from El Salvador; 
however, these PRAs also address the risks associated with importing 
these commodities from Guatemala.) We have concluded that chipilin 
leaves and edible flowers of chufle, izote, and pacaya can be safely 
imported from Guatemala to the continental United States using one or 
more of the five designated phytosanitary measures listed in Sec.  
319.56-4(b). These measures are:
     The commodities must be imported as commercial 
consignments only;
     Each consignment must be accompanied by a phytosanitary 
certificate issued by the NPPO of Guatemala; and
     Each consignment is subject to inspection upon arrival at 
the port of entry to the United States.
    Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  319.56-4(c), we are announcing 
the availability of our PRAs and RMDs 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 PRAs and RMDs by calling or writing to the 
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to 
the subject of the analysis you wish to review when requesting copies.
    After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our 
decision regarding the import status of chipilin leaves and edible 
flowers of chufle, izote, and pacaya from Guatemala in a subsequent 
notice. If the overall conclusions of our analyses and the 
Administrator's determination of risk remain unchanged following our 
consideration of the comments, then we will authorize the importation 
of chipilin leaves and edible flowers of chufle, izote, and pacaya from 
Guatemala into the continental United States subject to the 
requirements specified in the RMDs.

    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 1st day of July 2014.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-15866 Filed 7-7-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P