[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 49 (Monday, March 14, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 13310]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-05670]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 49 / Monday, March 14, 2016 /
Notices
[[Page 13310]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2016-0012]
Notice of Availability of a Pest Risk Analysis for the
Importation of Fresh Pomegranates From Peru 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 risk
analysis that evaluates the risks associated with importation of fresh
pomegranate fruit from Peru into the continental United States. Based
on the analysis, 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 importation of fresh pomegranates from Peru. We are making the pest
risk analysis available to the public for review and comment.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before May
13, 2016.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2016-0012.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2016-0012, 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-2016-
0012 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 B. Lamb, Senior Regulatory
Policy Specialist, PPQ, APHIS, USDA, 4700 River Road, Unit 133,
Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 851-2103; email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the regulations in ``Subpart--Fruits
and Vegetables'' (7 CFR 319.56-1 through 319.56-74, 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 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 five designated phytosanitary measures listed in
paragraph (b) of that section.
APHIS received a request from the national plant protection
organization (NPPO) of Peru to allow the importation of fresh
pomegranate fruit into the continental United States. As part of our
evaluation of Peru's request, we have prepared a pest risk assessment
(PRA) to identify pests of quarantine significance that could follow
the pathway of importation of pomegranates into the continental United
States from Peru. Based on the PRA, a risk management document (RMD)
was prepared to identify phytosanitary measures that could be applied
to the pomegranates to mitigate the pest risk. We have concluded that
fresh pomegranate fruit can be safely imported from Peru into 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 pomegranates must be imported as commercial
consignments only;
Each consignment of pomegranates must be accompanied by a
phytosanitary certificate issued by the NPPO of Peru;
Each consignment of pomegranates must be treated in
accordance with 7 CFR part 305; and
Each consignment of pomegranates 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 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 a link to 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 analysis you wish to review when requesting copies.
After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our
decision regarding the import status of fresh pomegranate fruit from
Peru in a subsequent notice. If the overall conclusions of our analysis
and the Administrator's determination of risk remain unchanged
following our consideration of the comments, then we will authorize the
importation of fresh pomegranate fruit from Peru into the continental
United States subject to the requirements specified in the RMD.
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 9th day of March 2016.
Michael C. Gregoire,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-05670 Filed 3-11-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P