[Federal Register: October 19, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 202)]
[Notices]
[Page 59239]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19oc07-22]
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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.
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[[Page 59239]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2007-0102]
Notice of Decision To Issue Permits for the Importation of
Eggplant and Okra From Ghana Into All Areas of the United States and
the Importation of Peppers From Ghana Into the Continental United
States
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our decision to begin issuing
permits for the importation of eggplant and okra from Ghana into all
areas of the United States and the importation of peppers from Ghana
into the continental United States. Based on the findings of a pest
risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and
comment through a previous notice, we believe 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 eggplant, okra, and peppers from
Ghana.
DATES: Effective Date: October 19, 2007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Sharon Porsche, Import Specialist,
Commodity Import Analysis and Operations, Plant Health Programs, PPQ,
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-
8758.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the regulations in ``Subpart--Fruits
and Vegetables'' (7 CFR 319.56 through 319.56-47, referred to below as
the regulations), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture 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 and spread within the United States.
Section 319.56-4 of the regulations contains a performance-based
process for approving the importation of commodities that, based on the
findings of a pest risk analysis, can be safely imported subject to one
or more of the designated phytosanitary measures listed in paragraph
(b) of that section. Under that process, APHIS publishes a notice in
the Federal Register announcing the availability of the pest risk
analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation of a
particular fruit or vegetable. Following the close of the 60-day
comment period, APHIS may begin issuing permits for importation of the
fruit or vegetable subject to the identified designated measures if:
(1) No comments were received on the pest risk analysis; (2) the
comments on the pest risk analysis revealed that no changes to the pest
risk analysis were necessary; or (3) changes to the pest risk analysis
were made in response to public comments, but the changes did not
affect the overall conclusions of the analysis and the Administrator's
determination of risk.
In accordance with that process, we published a notice \1\ in the
Federal Register on July 18, 2007 (72 FR 39379-39380, Docket No. APHIS-
2007-0102), in which we announced the availability, for review and
comment, of a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated
with the importation of eggplant and okra from Ghana into all areas of
the United States and the importation of peppers from Ghana into the
continental United States. We solicited comments on the notice for 60
days ending on September 17, 2007. We did not receive any comments.
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\1\ To view the notice and the pest risk analysis, go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2007-0102
.
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Therefore, in accordance with the regulations in Sec. 319.56-
4(c)(2)(ii), we are announcing our decision to begin issuing permits
for the importation of eggplant and okra from Ghana into all areas of
the United States and the importation of peppers from Ghana into the
continental United States subject to the following phytosanitary
measures:
The eggplant, okra, and peppers must be treated, in Ghana,
with irradiation using a minimum absorbed dose of 400 Gy and subject to
other requirements of 7CFR part 305.
Each consignment of eggplant, okra, and peppers must be
accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by Ghana's national
plant protection organization stating that the consignment received
irradiation treatment with 400 Gy as the minimum absorbed dose. In the
case of eggplant, the phytosanitary certificate must also include an
additional declaration that reads ``The fruit in this consignment was
inspected and found free of Eutetranychus orientalis.''
The eggplant, okra, and peppers may be imported in
commercial consignments only.
The eggplant, okra, and peppers will be subject to
standard port-of-entry inspection upon arrival in the United States and
must be free of quarantine pests.
These conditions will be listed in the fruits and vegetables manual
(available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/fv.pdf
). In addition to those specific measures, the
eggplant, okra, and peppers will be subject to the general requirements
listed in Sec. 319.56-3 that are applicable to the importation of all
fruits and vegetables.
Done in Washington, DC, this 15th day of October 2007.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E7-20674 Filed 10-18-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P