20068 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 75 / Wednesday, April 19, 2006 / Notices

Estimated annual number of received on Docket No. APHIS–2006– through use of a Bombyx mori responses per respondent: 1. 0015 in our reading room. The reading cytoplasmic actin promoter. Estimated annual number of room is located in room 1141 of the The subject transgenic PBW is responses: 50. USDA South Building, 14th Street and considered a regulated article under the Estimated total annual burden on Independence Avenue, SW., regulations in 7 CFR part 340 because respondents: 12.5 hours. (Due to Washington, DC. Normal reading room the recipient organism is a plant pest. averaging, the total annual burden hours hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday The proposed field test will evaluate the may not equal the product of the annual through Friday, except holidays. To be feasability of using F1 sterility systems number of responses multiplied by the sure someone is there to help you, in a sterile program, which is reporting burden per response.) please call (202) 690–2817 before designed to depress PBW populations. All responses to this notice will be coming. The EA, FONSI, and responses The transgenic PBW will be reared in summarized and included in the request to comments are also available on the the Phoenix PBW genetic rearing facility for OMB approval. All comments will Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ and treated with radiation levels also become a matter of public record. brs/aphisdocs/05_09801r_ea.pdf. suitable to induce F1 sterility. The irradiated will be released into Done in Washington, DC, this 13th day of FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. April 2006. Robyn Rose, Biotechnology Regulatory no more than four 3-acre field sites of that are adjacent to cotton Kevin Shea, Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) expressing the Bt toxin, which is toxic Acting Administrator, and Plant to PBW. This release is part of CPHST’s Health Inspection Service. 734–0489. To obtain copies of the EA, PBW sterile insect program. Information [FR Doc. E6–5880 Filed 4–18–06; 8:45 am] FONSI, and response to comments, contact Ms. Ingrid Berlanger at (301) resulting from this research will be used BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 734–4885; e-mail: in support of APHIS’ efforts to eradicate [email protected]. the PBW in the United States. Additional information on the PBW DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The eradication plan for the United States regulations in 7 CFR part 340, may be found at http:// Animal and Plant Health Inspection ‘‘Introduction of Organisms and Service www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/pdmp/cotton/ Products Altered or Produced Through pinkbollworm/eradication/ [Docket No. APHIS–2006–0015] Genetic Engineering Which Are Plant eradication.pdf. An environmental Pests or Which There Is Reason to assessment (EA) prepared for the Availability of an Environmental Believe Are Plant Pests,’’ regulate, Southwest Pink Bollworm Eradication Assessment and Finding of No among other things, the introduction Program may be found at http:// Significant Impact for Field Release of (importation, interstate movement, or www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/es/ Genetically Engineered Pink Bollworm release into the environment) of pdf%20files/swpbwea.pdf. organisms and products altered or On February 13, 2006 APHIS AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health produced through genetic engineering published a notice 1 in the Federal Inspection Service, USDA. that are plant pests or that there is Register (70 FR 7503–7504, Docket No. ACTION: Notice. reason to believe are plant pests. Such APHIS–2006–0015) announcing the genetically engineered organisms and SUMMARY: We are advising the public availability of an EA for the proposed products are considered ‘‘regulated that an environmental assessment has field trial. During the 30-day comment articles.’’ A permit must be obtained or been prepared for a proposed field trial period, APHIS received two comments. a notification acknowledged before a of pink bollworm genetically engineered One comment was from an individual regulated article may be introduced. The to express green fluorescence as a and the other was from a government regulations set forth the permit marker. The Animal and Plant Health research scientist. One comment application requirements and the Inspection Service (APHIS) proposes to generally objected to the field release. notification procedures for the use this marked strain to assess the The commenter made several importation, interstate movement, or effectiveness of lower doses of radiation unsupported, sweeping statements release into the environment of a to create sterile insects for its pink suggesting that the trial is poorly regulated article. bollworm sterile insect program. This designed and will result in ‘‘health On April 8, 2005, the Animal and problems.’’ APHIS finds no basis for program, using sterile insect technique, Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has been conducted by APHIS, with these statements and disagrees with the received a permit application (APHIS comment. Additionally, the commenter State and grower cooperation, since No. 05–098–01r) from APHIS’ Plant 1968. Data gained from this field suggests that APHIS should be required Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Center to get ‘‘sign off of the neighbors.’’ APHIS experiment will be used to improve the for Plant Health Science and current program. APHIS has completed has carefully evaluated the design of the Technology (CPHST) Decision Support field trial and has determined that it an environmental assessment and has and Pest Management Systems concluded that this field test will not will not result in the establishment of Laboratory in Phoenix, AZ, for a field the regulated article outside of the field have a significant impact on the quality trial using the pink bollworm (PBW), of the human environment. Based on its test. Additionally, APHIS has informed gossypiella (: the public of the proposed field test and finding of no significant impact, APHIS ), that has been genetically has determined that an Environmental requested comment on the EA. APHIS is engineered to express an enhanced confident that this field test will not Impact Statement need not be prepared green fluorescent protein (EGFP) for this field test. derived from the jellyfish Aequora 1 To view the notice, EA, and the comments we DATES: Effective Date: April 19, 2006. victoria. A piggyBac transposable received, go to http://www.regulations.gov, click on ADDRESSES: You may read the element derived from the plant pest the ‘‘Advanced Search’’ tab, and select ‘‘Docket Search.’’ In the Docket ID field, enter APHIS–2006– environmental assessment (EA), the cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) was 0015, then click on ‘‘Submit.’’ Clicking on the finding of no significant impact used to transform the subject PBW, and Docket ID link in the search results page will (FONSI), and any comments that we expression of the EGFP is controlled produce a list of all documents in the docket.

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impact the human environment, significant impact on the quality of the ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be including the neighbors, and has given human environment. held in the Conference Room 1A 002, adequate notice of the field test. The The EA and finding of significant Harvey W. Wiley Federal Building, 5100 second comment supported the field impact were prepared in accordance Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, trial described in the EA and suggested with: (1) The National Environmental MD. Documents related to the 27th that the ‘‘* * * results will be vital to Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended Session of CCMAS will be accessible via the progress of agricultural pest (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), (2) regulations the World Wide Web at the following control.’’ APHIS agrees with the of the Council on Environmental address: http:// comment. Quality for implementing the www.codexalimentarius.net/ Pursuant to its regulations (7 CFR part procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR current.asp. 340) promulgated under the Plant parts 1500–1508), (3) USDA regulations The Food Safety and Inspection Protection Act, APHIS has determined implementing NEPA (7 CFR part 1b), Service (FSIS) invites interested persons that this field trial will not pose a risk and (4) APHIS’ NEPA Implementing to submit comments on this notice. of the introduction or dissemination of Procedures (7 CFR part 372). Copies of Comments may be submitted by any of a plant pest for the following reasons: the EA and FONSI are available from the following methods: EGFP transgenic insects will not the individual listed under FOR FURTHER Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web persist in the environment. They will be INFORMATION CONTACT. site provides the ability to type short sterilized by irradiation and the EGFP Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701–7772 and 7781– comments directly into the comment transgenic insect’s fecundity in the 7786; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and field on this Web page or attach a file EGFP PBW to be released is 371.3. for lengthier comments. Go to http:// significantly lower than non-EGFP Done in Washington, DC, this 13th day of www.regulations.gov and, in the insects. Redundant mitigation measures April 2006. ‘‘Search for Open Regulations’’ box, are incorporated into the experimental Kevin Shea, select ‘‘Food Safety and Inspection Service’’ from the agency drop-down procedures to ensure that genetically Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant modified EGFP PBW will not become Health Inspection Service. menu, then click on ‘‘Submit.’’ In the Docket ID column, select the FDMS established in the environment. These [FR Doc. E6–5878 Filed 4–18–06; 8:45 am] Docket Number FSIS–2006–0010 to measures are as follows: BILLING CODE 3410–34–P • All the surrounding cotton submit or view public comments and to expresses (Bt) view supporting and related materials toxin that kills PBW larvae. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE available electronically. Mail, including floppy disks or CD– • There are no sexually compatible ROM’s, and hand-or courier-delivered relatives of the PBW in the United Food Safety and Inspection Service items: Send to FSIS Docket Room, States, so the transgene cannot spread [Docket No. FSIS–2006–0010] Docket Clerk, USDA, Food Safety and via hybridization with other species. Inspection Service (FSIS), 300 12th • The piggyBac-derived transposable Codex Alimentarius Commission: Street, SW., Room 102, Cotton Annex element used to make the transforming Meeting of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling Building, Washington, DC 20250. construct has no functional transposase Electronic mail: gene, thereby eliminating its ability to AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary [email protected]. mobilize itself. for Food Safety, USDA. All submissions received must • The release area will be monitored ACTION: Notice of public meeting and include the Agency name and docket intensively with pheromone traps that request for comments. number FSIS–2006–0010. attract and collect PBW male . All comments submitted in response Traps will be set up to 5 miles away SUMMARY: The Office of the Under to this notice, as well as research and from the site. Secretary for Food Safety, United States background information used by FSIS in • The area of release is less than 12 Department of Agriculture (USDA), and developing this document, will be acres with no more than 3 acres per the Food and Drug Administration posted to the regulations.gov Web site. plot. (FDA), U.S. Department of Health and The background information and • If adverse persistence is detected, Human Services (HHS), are sponsoring comments also will be available for unwanted bollworms will be killed with a public meeting on May 9, 2006. The public inspection in the FSIS Docket insecticides. Larvae from eggs objective of the public meeting is to Room at the address listed above oviposited on will not survive. provide information and receive public between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., • PBW populations can be comments on agenda items and draft Monday through Friday. suppressed by flooding the area with a United States positions that will be In addition to submitting comments high ratio of sterilized bollworms to discussed at the Twenty-seventh by mail to the above address, the U.S. field insects. Session of the Codex Committee on Delegate to the CCMAS, Dr. Gregory • All moths will be securely managed Methods of Analysis and Sampling Diachenko of the Food and Drug and contained in production and (CCMAS) of the Codex Alimentarius Administration, invites U.S. interested transport using standard operating Commission (Codex), which will be parties to submit their comments procedures with extremely high held in Budapest, Hungary, May 15–19, electronically to the following e-mail reliability developed for a long-running 2006. The Under Secretary and FDA address sterile insect technique program. recognize the importance of providing ([email protected]). • All living bollworms reared for this interested parties the opportunity to Pre-Registration: To gain admittance field trial that are not used as part of the obtain background information on the to this meeting, individuals must environmental release will be killed. 27th Session of CCMAS and to address present a photo ID for identification and Based on the factors described above issues on the agenda. also are required to pre-register. In and the analysis contained in the EA, DATES: The public meeting is scheduled addition, no cameras or videotaping APHIS has determined that the for Tuesday, May 9, 2006 from 10:30 equipment will be permitted in the proposed field trial will not have a a.m. to 12 p.m. meeting room. To pre-register, please

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