[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 11, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 10517-10518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-5372]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 46 / Wednesday, March 11, 2009 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 10517]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
7 CFR Part 340
[Docket No. APHIS-2008-0023]
Introduction of Organisms and Products Altered or Produced
Through Genetic Engineering
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of public scoping session and extension
of public comment period.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) is holding a public scoping session for
issue-focused public meeting(s) to be held in April 2009 on the APHIS
proposed rule, ``Importation, Interstate Movement, and Release Into the
Environment of Certain Genetically Engineered Organisms.'' The purpose
of the scoping session is to discuss with all interested parties the
agenda and format for the April 2009 issue meeting(s).
DATES: The scoping session will be on March 13, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m.
ADDRESSES: The scoping session will be held at USDA Center at
Riverside, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD, in Conference Room A. For
directions or facilities information, call (301) 734-8010.
Other Information: Additional details regarding the format of the
meeting are available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/biotechnology/340/340_index.shtml.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you plan to attend the scoping
session, please contact Mr. Richard Coker, BRS, APHIS, 4700 River Road
Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238; (301) 734-5720.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On October 9, 2008, APHIS published in the Federal Register (73 FR
60007-60048, Docket No. APHIS-2008-0023) a proposal \1\ to revise our
regulations regarding the importation, interstate movement, and
environmental release of certain genetically engineered (GE) organisms.
The proposed revisions would bring the regulations into alignment with
provisions of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) and
update the regulations in response to advances in genetic science and
technology and our accumulated experience in implementing the current
regulations. APHIS sought public comment on the proposal from October
9, 2008, to November 24, 2008.
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\1\ To view the proposed rule, supporting documents, and any
comments we have received, and to submit written comments on the
proposed rule, go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2008-0023.
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On January 16, 2009, APHIS published in the Federal Register (74 FR
2907-2909, Docket No. APHIS-2008-0023) a notice announcing the
reopening of the public comment period for the proposed rule for an
additional 60 days, particularly seeking additional comments on the
following four issues:
Issue 1: Scope of the regulation and which GE organisms should be
regulated.
Issue 2: Incorporation into APHIS regulations of the Plant
Protection Act's noxious weed authority.
Issue 3: Elimination of notification procedure and revision of the
permit procedure.
Issue 4: Environmental release permit categories and regulation of
GE crops that produce pharmaceutical and industrial compounds.
All four issues were among those that have been raised in the
comments we have received so far on the proposed rule. In some cases
commenters identified concerns about these issues, but did not provide
specific suggestions as to how the proposed rule could be modified to
address these concerns. By extending the comment period, APHIS is
seeking to increase the transparency of the rulemaking process and
elicit more specific information and detailed suggestions regarding
these issues. We noted in the January 2009 notice reopening the comment
period that APHIS intends to hold an additional public meeting on the
proposed rule during the extended public comment period. We intend to
hold additional public meeting(s) in the greater Washington, DC area in
April 2009; to ensure that we identify the full range of topics for the
April meeting's agenda, we will be holding a scoping session on March
13, 2009.
The March 13, 2009 scoping session will begin with a discussion of
the topics to be included on the agenda for the April 2009 meeting(s).
In a previous notice published in the Federal Register (74 FR 2907-
2909, Docket No. APHIS-2008-0023) APHIS outlined four issues on which
the Agency is seeking comment. Those four issues will be included in
the agenda for the April 2009 meeting(s), along with other significant
issues deemed appropriate by APHIS based on recommendations made by
interested parties at the scoping session. The meeting participants at
the March 13 meeting will also be asked to offer recommendations
regarding collaborative meeting formats that would best ensure agenda
issues will be frankly and fully explored in the April 2009 meeting(s).
Those wishing to attend the March 13 scoping meeting should contact
Mr. Richard Coker at (301) 734-5720. Also contact Mr. Coker if you
require a sign language interpreter or other special accommodations.
Those unable to attend the scoping session may submit comments or
suggestions for the April issue meeting(s) to APHIS at the address
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT no later than March 20,
2009.
Parking and Security Procedures
Please note that a fee of $3.00 in exact change is required to
enter the parking lot at the USDA Center at Riverside. The machine
accepts $1 bills or quarters.
Upon entering the building, visitors should inform security
personnel that they are attending the 340 Proposed Rule public meeting.
State-issued photo identification is required and all bags will be
screened. Security personnel will direct visitors to the registration
tables located outside of Conference Room A on the first floor.
Registration upon arrival is required for all participants.
Purpose and Nature of the April 2009 Issue Meeting(s)
The April 2009 issue meeting(s) will provide an opportunity for
interested persons to discuss in a collaborative forum the key concerns
that were raised during the comment period on the
[[Page 10518]]
proposed rule with USDA officials and with one another. The issue-
focused meeting(s) will be open to the public and announced in advance
in the Federal Register. The proceedings will be transcribed, and the
transcripts will be made part of the rulemaking record. The meeting(s)
is intended to provide a forum for all interested parties to attend and
participate in all the discussions to foster focused, substantive
dialogue on the key issues.
Tentatively identified agenda items for consideration at the April
issue meeting(s) include the four issues outlined above from the
January 16, 2009 Federal Register notice.
Extension of Comment Period
APHIS is extending the comment period for the proposed rule, which
currently closes on March 17, 2009, until 60 days following the April
meeting(s) in order to include in the administrative record the
transcripts of the scoping session and public meeting(s), written
comments submitted by persons unable to attend the meeting(s), and
other written comments submitted by interested parties on the matters
addressed at the public meeting(s). Persons wishing to submit written
comments on the proposed rule may continue to do so until 60 days after
the April public meeting(s) through the Regulations.gov Web site (see
footnote 1). The new date for the close of the comment period will be
provided in our notice announcing the date and other details of the
April 2009 issue meeting(s). We will accept all comments we receive
between March 18, 2009 (the day after the close of the current comment
period) and the date of the notice that we will publish to announce the
date(s) of April 2009 issue meeting(s) and formally reopen the comment
period.
Done in Washington, DC, this 9th day of March 2009.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E9-5372 Filed 3-9-09; 4:15 pm]
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