[Federal Register: August 1, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 147)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 43385]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01au06-17]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
7 CFR Parts 305, 319, and 352
[Docket No. APHIS-2005-0106]
RIN 0579-AB80
Revision of Fruits and Vegetables Import Regulations
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.
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SUMMARY: We are reopening the comment period for our proposed rule to
revise and reorganize the regulations pertaining to the importation of
fruits and vegetables to consolidate requirements of general
applicability and eliminate redundant requirements, update terms and
remove outdated requirements and references, update the regulations
that apply to importations into territories under U.S. administration,
and make various editorial and nonsubstantive changes to regulations to
make them easier to use. We also proposed to make substantive changes
to the regulations, including: Establishing criteria within the
regulations that, if met, would allow us to approve certain new fruits
and vegetables for importation into the United States and to
acknowledge pest-free areas in foreign countries more effectively and
expeditiously; doing away with the practice of listing specific
commodities that may be imported subject to certain types of
phytosanitary measures; and providing for the issuance of special use
permits for fruits and vegetables. The proposed changes are intended to
simplify and expedite our processes for approving certain new imports
and pest-free areas while continuing to allow for public participation
in the processes. This action will allow interested persons additional
time to prepare and submit comments.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on Docket No.
APHIS-2005-0106 on or before August 25, 2006.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov
and, in the lower ``Search Regulations and Federal
Actions'' box, select ``Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service''
from the agency drop-down menu, then click on ``Submit.'' In the Docket
ID column, select APHIS-2005-0106 to submit or view public comments and
to view supporting and related materials available electronically.
Information on using Regulations.gov, including instructions for
accessing documents, submitting comments, and viewing the docket after
the close of the comment period, is available through the site's ``User
Tips'' link.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies
of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. APHIS-
2005-0106, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-
03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state
that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS-2005-0106.
Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on this
docket in our reading room. The reading room is located in room 1141 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) 690-2817 before coming.
Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its
programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Regarding the proposed commodity
import request evaluation process, contact Mr. Matthew Rhoads,
Planning, Analysis, and Regulatory Coordination, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River
Road Unit 141, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-8790.
Regarding import conditions for particular commodities, contact Ms.
Donna L. West, Senior Import Specialist, Commodity Import Analysis and
Operations, PPQ-PRI, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD
20737; (301) 734-8758.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 27, 2006, we published in the
Federal Register (71 FR 25010-25057, Docket No. APHIS-2005-0106) a
proposal to revise and reorganize the regulations pertaining to the
importation of fruits and vegetables to consolidate requirements of
general applicability and eliminate redundant requirements, update
terms and remove outdated requirements and references, update the
regulations that apply to importations into territories under U.S.
administration, and make various editorial and nonsubstantive changes
to regulations to make them easier to use. We also proposed to make
substantive changes to the regulations, including: (1) Establishing
criteria within the regulations that, if met, would allow us to approve
certain new fruits and vegetables for importation into the United
States and to acknowledge pest-free areas in foreign countries more
effectively and expeditiously; (2) doing away with the practice of
listing specific commodities that may be imported subject to certain
types of phytosanitary measures; and (3) providing for the issuance of
special use permits for fruits and vegetables. The proposed changes are
intended to simplify and expedite our processes for approving certain
new imports and pest-free areas while continuing to allow for public
participation in the processes.
Comments on the proposed rule were required to be received on or
before July 26, 2006. We are reopening the comment period for Docket
No. APHIS-2005-0106 until August 25, 2006, an additional 30 days from
the original close of the comment period. This action will allow
interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments. We
will also consider all comments received between July 27, 2006 (the day
after the close of the original comment period) and the date of this
notice.
Done in Washington, DC, this 26th day of July 2006.
W. Ron DeHaven,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E6-12336 Filed 7-31-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P