[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 66 (Thursday, April 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 23537]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07104]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 66 / Thursday, April 4, 2024 / 
Notices  

[[Page 23537]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2023-0040]


Notice of Availability of Pest Risk Analyses for the Importation 
of Rosemary and Tarragon From Ethiopia 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 pest risk 
analyses that evaluate the risks associated with the importation of 
leaves and stems of rosemary and leaves and stems of tarragon from 
Ethiopia into the continental United States. Based on the analyses, 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 rosemary and tarragon from Ethiopia. We are making the 
pest risk analyses available to the public for review and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before June 
3, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov. 
Enter APHIS-2023-0040 in the Search field. Select the Documents tab, 
then select the Comment button in the list of documents.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2023-0040, 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. Gina Stiltner, Senior Regulatory 
Policy Specialist, Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, PPQ, APHIS, 
4700 River Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (518) 760-2468; 
[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 of Ethiopia to allow the importation of leaves and stems 
of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and leaves and stems of tarragon 
(Artemesia dracunculus) from Ethiopia into the continental United 
States. As part of our evaluation of Ethiopia's request, we have 
prepared pest risk assessments to identify the pests of quarantine 
significance that could follow the pathway of the importation of 
rosemary and tarragon into the continental United States from Ethiopia. 
Based on the pest risk assessments, risk management documents (RMDs) 
were prepared to identify phytosanitary measures that could be applied 
to the rosemary and tarragon to mitigate the pest risk.
    Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  319.56-4(c), we are announcing 
the availability of our pest risk assessments and RMDs for public 
review and comment. Those documents, as well as a description of the 
economic considerations associated with the importation of rosemary and 
tarragon from Ethiopia, 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 the pest risk assessments and RMDs 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 rosemary and tarragon from 
Ethiopia 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 rosemary and tarragon from Ethiopia into the continental 
United States subject to the requirements specified in the RMDs. 
Depending on the comments received, we may authorize the importation of 
all, some, or none of the commodities from Ethiopia specified in this 
notice.
    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 March 2024.
Michael Watson,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-07104 Filed 4-3-24; 8:45 am]
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