[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]


 ========================================================================
 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.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  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.

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

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