[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 85 (Thursday, May 2, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18764-18765]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-08966]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2019-0013]


Notice of Availability of a Pest Risk Analysis for the 
Importation of Fresh Soursop Fruit From Mexico 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 
soursop fruit from Mexico into the continental United States. Based on 
the analysis, we have determined that the application of one or more 
phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of 
introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the 
importation of fresh soursop fruit from Mexico. We are

[[Page 18765]]

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 July 
1, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2019-0013.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2019-0013, 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-2019-
0013 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. Marc Phillips, Senior Regulatory 
Policy Specialist, Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, PPQ, APHIS, 
4700 River Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 851-2114.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the regulations in ``Subpart L-Fruits 
and Vegetables'' (7 CFR 319.56-1 through 319.56-12, 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 Mexico to allow the importation of fresh soursop 
fruit (Annona muricata L.) into the continental United States. As part 
of our evaluation of Mexico's request, we have prepared a pest list to 
identify pests of quarantine significance that could follow the pathway 
of importation of fresh soursop fruit into the continental United 
States from Mexico. Based on the pest list, a risk management document 
(RMD) was prepared to identify phytosanitary measures that could be 
applied to the fresh soursop fruit to mitigate the pest risk.
    We have concluded that fresh soursop fruit can be safely imported 
from Mexico into the continental United States using one or more of the 
five designated phytosanitary measures listed in Sec.  319.56-4(b). The 
NPPO of Mexico would have to enter into an operational workplan with 
APHIS that spells out the daily procedures the NPPO will take to 
implement the measures identified in the RMD. These measures are 
summarized below:
     Importation in commercial shipments only,
     Phytosanitary treatment (irradiation with a minimum 
absorbed dose of 400 Gy),
     Pre-export inspection by the NPPO and issuance of a 
phytosanitary certificate stating that the consignment was inspected 
and found free of quarantine pests, and
     Port of entry inspections.
    Each of the pest risk mitigation measures that would be required, 
along with evidence of their efficacy in removing pests of concern from 
the pathway, are described in detail in the RMD.
    Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  319.56-4(c)(3), we are 
announcing the availability of our pest list and RMD for public review 
and comment. Those documents, as well as a description of the economic 
considerations associated with the importation of fresh soursop fruit 
from Mexico, may be viewed on the Regulations.gov website 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 these documents 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 soursop fruit from Mexico 
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 soursop fruit from Mexico into the continental 
United States subject to the requirements specified in the RMD.

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 1633, 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 26th day of April 2019.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-08966 Filed 5-1-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P