[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 12, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25998-25999]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-10042]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 90 / Wednesday, May 12, 2021 / 
Notices  

[[Page 25998]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2020-0061]


Notice of Availability of a Pest Risk Analysis for the 
Importation of Fresh Mango Fruit From Colombia Into the 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 
mango fruit from Colombia into the 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 mango fruit from Colombia. 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 July 
12, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov. 
Enter APHIS-2020-0061 in the Search field.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2020-0061, 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 www.regulations.gov or in our reading room, which is 
located in Room 1620 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: Ms. Claudia Ferguson, Senior 
Regulatory Policy Specialist, Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, 
Imports, Regulations, and Manuals, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 
133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 851-2352; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    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 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 Colombia to allow fresh mango (Mangifera indica 
L.) fruit into the United States. As part of our evaluation of 
Colombia's request, we have prepared a pest risk assessment (PRA) to 
identify pests of quarantine significance that could follow the pathway 
of importation of fresh mango fruit into the United States from 
Colombia. Based on the PRA, a risk management document (RMD) was 
prepared to identify phytosanitary measures that could be applied to 
the fresh mango fruit to mitigate the pest risk.
    We have concluded that fresh mango fruit can be safely imported 
from Colombia into the United States, using one or more of the five 
designated phytosanitary measures listed in Sec.  319.56-4(b). The NPPO 
of Colombia 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 will be listed in 
APHIS' Fruits and Vegetables Import Requirements (FAVIR) database, 
available at https://epermits.aphis.usda.gov/manual/.
    The mitigation measures identified in the RMD include the 
following:
     Only commercial consignments of mango fruit may be 
imported.
     All growers must be registered with the NPPO and follow 
operational workplan requirements for suppression of fruit flies.
     The NPPO must monitor the system for inspection, packing, 
wrapping, transportation, and loading of the commodity and ensure that 
participating growers are following the program guidelines.
     Packinghouses must be registered and approved by the NPPO 
and meet the requirements listed in the operational workplan.
     The NPPO is expected to maintain program records for at 
least 1 year and provide them to APHIS upon request.
     The NPPO or its designate must conduct a fruit fly 
trapping program for the detection of Anastrepha spp. and Medfly 
(Ceratitis capitata) at each production site. Details of trap 
placement, checking of traps, trap density, and remedial fruit fly 
control measures will be included in the operational workplan. The NPPO 
must maintain an APHIS-approved quality control program to monitor or 
audit the trapping program and maintain records of trap placement, 
checking of traps, and any fruit fly captures. The trapping records 
must be maintained for at least 1 year and provided to APHIS upon 
request.
     The mangos must be treated with an APHIS-approved 
treatment for Anastrepha spp. fruit flies and Medfly (Ceratitis 
capitata). Either:
     Hot water treatment, T102-a, which is only available for 
use in a preclearance program in accordance with 7 CFR part 305. Each 
consignment of fruit treated with the APHIS-approved hot water 
treatment must be precleared by APHIS inspectors in Colombia. The 
treatment must be carried out under the supervision and direction of 
APHIS and each consignment must be inspected jointly by APHIS and the 
NPPO. Treatment must occur in a pest-exclusionary treatment facility; 
or
     Irradiation treatment, T105-a-1, which requires the fruit 
to be irradiated

[[Page 25999]]

with a minimum absorbed dose of 150 Gray for fruit flies and follow the 
requirements of part 305. If the approved irradiation treatment is 
applied outside the United States, each consignment of fruit must be 
precleared by APHIS inspectors in Colombia. Treatment must occur in a 
pest-exclusionary treatment facility or, if irradiation is to be 
applied upon arrival in the United States, each consignment of fruit 
must be inspected by the NPPO prior to departure and accompanied by a 
phytosanitary certificate issued by the NPPO. Mangos intended to be 
irradiated in the United States must be shipped in APHIS-approved 
packaging that prevents escape of any Anastrepha spp. or Medfly larvae 
or adults.
     All hot water or irradiation treatment facilities in 
Colombia to be used for mangos are subject to APHIS approval. APHIS 
reserves the right to require oversight visits in the event of pest 
interceptions or other problems.
     Mango fruit must be safeguarded from exposure to 
Anastrepha spp. or Medfly from the time of treatment to export. The 
package containing mango fruit may not contain any other fruit, 
including mango fruit not qualified for importation into the United 
States.
     Each consignment must be inspected jointly by inspectors 
from APHIS and the NPPO and accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate 
issued by the NPPO.
     If more than one Ceratitis capitata or Anastrepha spp. or 
one Neosilba glaberrima is detected in a consignment, the consignment 
may not be exported to the United States.
     Each consignment is subject to inspection at the U.S. 
ports of entry.
    In addition to these specific measures, fresh mango fruit from 
Colombia would be subject to the general requirements listed in Sec.  
319.56-3 that are applicable to the importation of all fruits and 
vegetables.
    Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  319.56-4(c), we are announcing 
the availability of our PRA and RMD for public review and comment. 
Those documents, as well as a description of the economic 
considerations associated with the importation of fresh mango fruit 
from Colombia, 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 mango fruit from Colombia 
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 mango fruit from Colombia into the 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 7th day of May 2021.
Mark Davidson,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-10042 Filed 5-11-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P