[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 154 (Tuesday, August 11, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48070-48071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-19700]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2015-0046]


Notice of Availability of Treatment Evaluation Documents and 
Supplemental Environmental Assessment for Pesticide Use for the 
Imported Fire Ant Program

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 determined that it is 
necessary to add to the Plant Protection and Quarantine Treatment 
Manual two treatment options for use in controlling imported fire ant. 
We have prepared treatment evaluation documents that describe the new 
treatment options and provide justification as to why they are 
effective at neutralizing imported fire ant. In addition, we have 
prepared a supplemental environmental assessment to update the existing 
environmental assessment for imported fire ant treatments. We are 
making the treatment evaluation documents and the supplemental 
environmental assessment available for review and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
October 13, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2015-0046.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2015-0046, 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-2015-
0046 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.

[[Page 48071]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Charles L. Brown, Imported Fire 
Ant Quarantine Policy Manager, Plant Health Programs, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 39, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-2119.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 7 CFR chapter III are 
intended, among other things, to prevent the introduction or 
dissemination of plant pests and noxious weeds into or within the 
United States. Under the regulations, certain plants, fruits, 
vegetables, and other articles must be treated before they may be moved 
into the United States or interstate. The phytosanitary treatments 
regulations contained in part 305 of 7 CFR chapter III (referred to 
below as the regulations) set out standards for treatments required in 
parts 301, 318, and 319 of 7 CFR chapter III for fruits, vegetables, 
and other articles.
    Section 305.3 of the regulations sets forth a notice-based process 
for adding, revising, and removing the treatments from the Plant 
Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) \1\ Treatment Manual. In that section, 
paragraph (b) sets out the process for adding, revising, or removing 
treatment schedules when there is an immediate need to make a change. 
The circumstances in which an immediate need exists are described in 
Sec.  305.3(b)(1).
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    \1\ The PPQ Treatment Manual is available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/index.shtml or by 
contacting the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant 
Protection and Quarantine, Manuals Unit, 92 Thomas Johnson Drive, 
Suite 200, Frederick, MD 21702.
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     PPQ has determined that an approved treatment schedule is 
ineffective at neutralizing the targeted plant pest(s);
     PPQ has determined that, in order to neutralize the 
targeted plant pest(s), the treatment schedule must be administered 
using a different process than was previously used;
     PPQ has determined that a new treatment schedule is 
effective, based on efficacy data, and that ongoing trade in an article 
or articles may be adversely impacted unless the new treatment schedule 
is approved for use; or
     The use of a treatment schedule is no longer authorized by 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or by any other Federal 
entity.
    In order to limit the artificial spread of the imported fire ant 
(IFA), domestic movement of all nursery stock (containerized or balled-
and-burlapped) and grass sod from IFA-infested areas of the United 
States to uninfested areas is regulated under 7 CFR 301.81-2. 
Specifically, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 
uses ant bait products in conjunction with chemical treatment to 
prevent the artificial spread and dissemination of IFA. The quarantine 
requirements involve the use of chemical treatments on commodities to 
insure that shipments from nurseries, sod farms, and field-growing 
nursery facilities are free of IFA. Changes in availability of 
insecticides that are effective against IFA, as well as ensuring a 
range of pest management options, requires APHIS to periodically 
evaluate new treatment options.
    Currently, ant bait products are used in conjunction with the 
application of a chlorpyrifos (insecticide) drench treatment to prevent 
the artificial spread of IFA. Although effective, we have determined 
that it is necessary to modify the technique used to apply drench 
treatment to increase the effectiveness of the treatment. In addition, 
we are adding two options to the list of insecticidal baits that are 
already approved for use for IFA. The additional insecticidal baits are 
being added to provide a broader range of chemical treatment options 
and are not being proposed as additional treatments beyond what is 
currently required in the quarantine program. Both products have 
commercial uses in nurseries and will give growers additional options 
for the bait treatment of field grown nursery stock or for use in the 
imported fire ant detection, control, exclusion, and enforcement 
program for nurseries producing containerized plants (7 CFR 301.81-11).
    Therefore, APHIS has added two additional insecticidal baits, 
Abamectin and Metaflumizone, to the list of chemicals already allowed 
in the IFA program and modified a drench treatment (Chlorpyrifos) for 
balled-and-burlapped nursery stock for use in control of IFA.
    The reasons for these changes are further described in two 
treatment evaluation documents (TEDs) we have prepared to support this 
action. In addition, we have prepared a supplemental environmental 
assessment (EA) to include the human and environmental impacts that can 
be reasonably expected to occur as a result of the new treatment 
options available for controlling IFA; as described in the new 
treatment evaluation documents. The TEDs and supplemental EA 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 also request paper 
copies of the TEDs and EA by calling or writing to the person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    After the close of the comment period, APHIS will publish a notice 
announcing our final determination and, if appropriate, any changes we 
made as a result of the comments.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 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 5th day of August 2015.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-19700 Filed 8-10-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P