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Availability of Environment Assessments and Findings of No Significant Impact
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Availability of Environment Assessments and Findings of No
[Federal Register: June 6, 1995 (Volume 60, Number 108)] [Notices]
[Page 29819]
>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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.
[[Page 29819]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [Docket No. 95-036-1]
Availability of Environment Assessments and Findings of No Significant Impact
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: We are advising the public that four environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact have been prepared by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service relative to the issuance of permits to allow the field testing of genetically engineered organisms. The environmental assessments provide a basis for our conclusion that the field testing of the genetically engineered organisms will not present a risk of introducing or disseminating a plant pest and will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. Based on its findings of no significant impact, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that environmental impact statements need not be prepared.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact are available for public inspection at USDA, room 1141, South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday and Friday, except holidays. Persons wishing to inspect those documents are requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to facilitate entry into the reading room.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. Arnold Foudin, Deputy Director, Biotechnology Permits, BBEP, APHIS, Suite 5B05, 4700 River Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737-1237; (301) 734-7612. For copies of the environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact, write to Mr. Clayton Givens at the same address. Please refer to the permit numbers listed below when ordering documents.SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 7 CFR part 340 (referred to below as the regulations) regulate the introduction (importation, interstate movement, and release into the environment) of genetically engineered organisms and products that are plant pests or that there is reason to believe are plant pests (regulated articles). A permit must be obtained or a notification acknowledged before a regulated article may be introduced into the United States. The regulations set forth the permit application requirements and the notification procedures for the importation, interstate movement, and release into the environment of a regulated article.
In the course of reviewing each permit application, APHIS assessed the impact on the environment that releasing the organisms under the conditions described in the permit application would have. APHIS has issued permits for the field testing of the organisms listed below after concluding that the organisms will not present a risk of plant pest introduction or dissemination and will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. The environmental assessment and findings of no significant impact, which are based on data submitted by the applicants and on a review of other relevant literature, provide the public with documentation of APHIS' review and analysis of the environmental impacts associated with conducting the field tests.
Environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact have been prepared by APHIS relative to the issuance of permits to allow the field testing of the following genetically engineered organisms:
Permit No. Permittee Date issued Organisms Field test location
94-355-01.. Betaseed, Incorporated.... 3-24-95 Sugar beet plants genetically California, Idaho. engineered for resistance to beet necrotic yellow vein virus. 95-053-01.. PanAmerican Seed Company.. 4-11-95 Petunia plants genetically Florida, Illinois. engineered for resistance to bacteria and fungi. 94-362-01.. Betaseed, Incorporated.... 4-25-95 Sugar beet plants genetically Idaho. engineered for tolerance to the herbicide glufosinate. 95-003-01.. U.S. Department of 5-03-95 Strains of the fungus Fusarium Illinois, Indiana. Agriculture, Agricultural graminearum genetically Research Service. engineered to express altered levels of mycotoxin production.
The environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact have been prepared in accordance with: (1) The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (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 (7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS' NEPA Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372, 60 FR 6000-6005, February 1, 1995).
Done in Washington, DC, this 30th day of May 1995. Terry L. Medley,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. 95-13666 Filed 6-5-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-34-M