[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 120 (Friday, June 25, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33634-33635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13497]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2018-0101]


Importation of Plants in Approved Growing Media Into the United 
States; Availability of a Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of 
No Significant Impact

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: We are advising the public that a final environmental 
assessment and finding of no significant impact have been prepared by 
the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for the importation of 
plants in approved growing media. The environmental assessment 
documents our review and analysis of the environmental impacts 
associated with, and alternatives to, the importation of plants in 
approved growing media. Based on its finding of no significant impact, 
we have determined that an environmental impact statement need not be 
prepared.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Lydia E. Col[oacute]n, Senior 
Regulatory Policy Specialist, Plant Health Programs, Plant Protection 
and Quarantine, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, 4700 River 
Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1237; [email protected]; (301) 
851-2302.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The requirements for importing plants in growing media (PIGM) 
consist of overlapping phytosanitary risk mitigation measures that 
together comprise a ``systems approach.'' The systems approach is 
designed to protect imported PIGM against pests and diseases during all 
stages of international trade from the greenhouse to final product 
delivery. The goal of the systems approach is to minimize the 
likelihood that any quarantine pest species enter the United States on 
the commodity proposed for import.
    The pest mitigation measures the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) proposes for most PIGM import requests are markedly 
similar from one request to the next, and for this reason we determined 
that a single programmatic environmental assessment (EA) would reduce 
the need for repetitive documentation of comparable risks for the 
majority of PIGM import requests we receive.
    On April 10, 2019, we published in the Federal Register (84 FR 
14340, Docket No. APHIS-2018-0101) for public comment a notice of 
availability \1\ of a draft programmatic EA for the importation of 
plants in approved growing media, which considers the potential 
environmental effects of a standardized set of pest risk mitigations 
for routine market requests to import plants in approved growing media. 
Comments on the notice were required to be received on or before May 
10, 2019, but we reopened the comment period for an additional 45 days 
to June 24, 2019, to ensure that all interested persons had an 
opportunity to comment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The notice, programmatic EA, public comments, and FONSI can 
be viewed at www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS-2018-0101 in the 
Search field.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    During the public comment period APHIS received six comments. They 
were from producer organizations and private citizens. After reviewing 
the comments, we revised the EA to address issues raised by commenters, 
but also determined that none of the comments received necessitated 
changes to either the approach or the conclusions of the draft EA. The 
final programmatic EA addresses the issues raised in the public 
comments.
    Accordingly, we are advising the public that we have adopted the 
draft EA as a final programmatic EA entitled ``Importation of Plants in 
Approved Growing Media (PIGM) into the United States'' (January 2020) 
and have prepared a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) regarding 
the conclusions of the EA.
    The final EA and FONSI may be viewed on the Regulations.gov website 
\2\ 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. You may request paper copies 
of the final EA and FONSI by calling or writing to the person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the title of the 
final EA when requesting copies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ See footnote 1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The final EA and FONSI have been prepared in accordance with: (1) 
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); (2) regulations of the Council on Environmental 
Quality for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 
parts 1500-1508); (3) USDA regulations implementing NEPA

[[Page 33635]]

(7 CFR part 1b); and (4) APHIS' NEPA Implementing Procedures (7 CFR 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
part 372).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 16th day of June 2021.
Mark Davidson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-13497 Filed 6-24-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P