[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 239 (Friday, December 12, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 73879]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-29113]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 239 / Friday, December 12, 2014 / 
Notices  

[[Page 73879]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2014-0078]


Availability of an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact for a Biological Control Agent for Asian Citrus 
Psyllid in the Contiguous United States

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment and finding 
of no significant impact relative to the release of Diaphorencyrtus 
aligarhensis for the biological control of the Asian citrus psyllid, 
Diaphorina citri, in the contiguous United States. Based on this 
finding of no significant impact, the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service has determined that an environmental impact 
statement need not be prepared.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Shirley A Wager-Pag[eacute], 
Assistant Director, Pest Permitting Branch, Registration, 
Identification, Permitting, and Plant Safeguarding, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 851-2323.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri; 
ACP), can cause economic damage to citrus in groves and nurseries by 
direct feeding. Both adults and nymphs feed on young foliage, depleting 
the sap and causing galling or curling of leaves. High populations 
feeding on a citrus shoot can kill the growing tip.
    ACP's primary threat to citrus, however, is not as a direct plant 
pest, but as an efficient vector of the bacterial pathogen that causes 
citrus greening. Also known as Huanglongbing (HLB), citrus greening is 
considered to be one of the most serious citrus diseases in the world. 
HLB is a bacterial disease, caused by strains of the bacterial pathogen 
``Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus,'' that attacks the vascular system 
of host plants. The pathogen is phloem-limited, inhabiting the food-
conducting tissue of the host plant, and causes yellow shoots, blotchy 
mottling and chlorosis, reduced foliage, and tip dieback of citrus 
plants. HLB greatly reduces production, destroys the economic value of 
the fruit, and can kill trees. Once infected, there is no cure for a 
tree with HLB. In areas of the world where the disease is endemic, 
citrus trees decline and die within a few years and may never produce 
usable fruit.
    ACP is currently present in Alabama, American Samoa, Florida, 
Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, the Northern Mariana 
Islands, Puerto Rico, Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and portions of 
Arizona, California, and South Carolina.
    The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing 
to issue permits for the field release of a parasitic wasp, 
Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis, to reduce the severity of infestations of 
ACP in the United States and retard the spread of HLB.
    On September 18, 2014, we published in the Federal Register (79 FR 
56050, Docket No. APHIS-2014-0078) a notice \1\ in which we announced 
the availability, for public review and comment, of an environmental 
assessment (EA) that examined the potential environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed release of this biological control agent 
into the contiguous United States.
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    \1\ To view the notice, the comments we received, the EA, or the 
FONSI, go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-
0078.
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    We solicited comments on the EA for 30 days ending October 20, 
2014. We received 16 comments by that date. They were from an 
organization representing State departments of agriculture, an 
agricultural commission, an organization engaged in citrus research, an 
advocacy group for organic farming, citrus producers, pesticide 
applicators, and private citizens.
    One commenter stated her opposition to the proposed release of D. 
aligarhensis, but did not provide any substantive information or 
specific concerns.
    Another commenter stated that the EA had failed to take into 
consideration the possibility that D. aligarhensis will parasitize non-
target insects. However, as another commenter pointed out, the EA did 
in fact analyze such possible parasitization.
    The remaining commenters supported the proposed release.
    In this document, we are advising the public of our finding of no 
significant impact (FONSI) regarding the release of D. aligarhensis 
into the contiguous United States for use as a biological control agent 
for ACP. The finding, which is based on the EA, reflects our 
determination that release of this biological control agent will not 
have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment.
    The EA and FONSI may be viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site (see 
footnote 1). Copies of the EA and FONSI are also available for public 
inspection at USDA, Room 1141, South Building, 14th Street and 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except holidays. Persons wishing to inspect 
copies are requested to call ahead to (202) 799-7039 to facilitate 
entry into the reading room. In addition, copies may be obtained by 
calling or writing to the individual listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.
    The EA and FONSI have been prepared in accordance with: (1) The 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.); (2) regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality 
for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508); (3) USDA regulations implementing NEPA (7 CFR part 1b); and (4) 
APHIS' NEPA Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 5th day of December 2014.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-29113 Filed 12-11-14; 8:45 am]
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