Notice2021-23904
Notice of Proposed Revision to Requirements for the Importation of Plums From Chile Into the United States
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Published
November 3, 2021
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Abstract
We are advising the public that we have prepared a commodity import evaluation document (CIED) relative to the importation into the United States of plums from Chile. Chile plums are currently subject to irradiation, either in Chile or in the United States, as a mitigation for European grapevine moth (EGVM). Based on the findings of the CIED, in addition to the option of irradiation, we are also proposing to authorize the importation of plums from Chile under a systems approach for EGVM, as well as an option for fumigation with methyl bromide. We are making the CIED available to the public for review and comment.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 210 (Wednesday, November 3, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 210 (Wednesday, November 3, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60613-60614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-23904]
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Notices
Federal Register
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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,
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 210 / Wednesday, November 3, 2021 /
Notices
[[Page 60613]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2021-0041]
Notice of Proposed Revision to Requirements for the Importation
of Plums From Chile Into the United States
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have prepared a commodity
import evaluation document (CIED) relative to the importation into the
United States of plums from Chile. Chile plums are currently subject to
irradiation, either in Chile or in the United States, as a mitigation
for European grapevine moth (EGVM). Based on the findings of the CIED,
in addition to the option of irradiation, we are also proposing to
authorize the importation of plums from Chile under a systems approach
for EGVM, as well as an option for fumigation with methyl bromide. We
are making the CIED available to the public for review and comment.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before
January 3, 2022.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>.
Enter APHIS-2021-0041 in the Search field. Select the Documents tab,
then select the Comment button in the list of documents.
<bullet> Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2021-0041, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may
be viewed at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> or in our reading room, which is
located in room 1620 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) 799-7039 before coming.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Claudia Ferguson, Senior
Regulatory Policy Specialist, Regulatory Coordination and Compliance,
Imports, Regulations, and Manuals, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit
133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 851-2352;
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9dfef1fce8f9f4fcb3fbf8effae8eef2f3dde8eef9fcb3faf2eb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c9aaa5a8bcada0a8e7afacbbaebcbaa6a789bcbaada8e7aea6bf">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Under the regulations in ``Subpart L--Fruits and Vegetables'' (7
CFR 319.56-1 through 319.56-12, referred to below as the regulations),
the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 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 or disseminated within the United States.
Section 319.56-4 of the regulations provides the requirements for
authorizing the importation of fruits and vegetables into the United
States, as well as revising existing requirements for the importation
of fruits and vegetables. Paragraph (c) of that section provides that
the name and origin of all fruits and vegetables authorized importation
into the United States, as well as the requirements for their
importation, are listed on the internet in APHIS' Fruits and Vegetables
Import Requirements database, or FAVIR (<a href="https://epermits.aphis.usda.gov/manual">https://epermits.aphis.usda.gov/manual</a>). It also provides that, if the
Administrator of APHIS determines that any of the phytosanitary
measures required for the importation of a particular fruit or
vegetable are no longer necessary to reasonably mitigate the plant pest
risk posed by the fruit or vegetable, APHIS will publish a notice in
the Federal Register making its pest risk documentation and
determination available for public comment.
Chile plums (Prunus domestica) are currently listed in FAVIR as
authorized for importation into the United States; however, the
requirements for such imports have recently changed. Following
detections during preclearance inspections in Chile of European
grapevine moth (EGVM; Lobesia botrana) larvae and pupae in plums
intended for shipment to the United States, on April 1, 2021, APHIS
issued a Federal Order (DA-2021-04) \1\ modifying the requirements for
such imports to prevent the introduction of EGVM. The Federal Order
required plums exported to the United States from Chile to be
irradiated with a minimum absorbed dose of 400 Gy upon arrival in the
United States or subjected to methyl bromide fumigation that was
conducted in Chile under an APHIS preclearance program. The allowance
for methyl bromide fumigation provided for in the Federal Order ended
on May 31, 2021.
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\1\ To view the Federal Order, go to: <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/plant_imports/federal_order/downloads/2021/da-2021-04.pdf">https://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/plant_imports/federal_order/downloads/2021/da-2021-04.pdf</a>.
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The national plant protection organization (NPPO) of Chile has
requested that APHIS revise the import requirements for plums from
Chile to the United States to allow for alternative mitigations to
address EGVM other than irradiation. In response to this request from
the NPPO, APHIS prepared a commodity import evaluation document (CIED)
titled ``Importation of Fresh Plums and Plum hybrids (Prunus domestica)
from Chile into the United States using a systems approach to mitigate
for European Grapevine Moth (Lobesia botrana).'' The CIED recommends
that, in addition to irradiation, the EGVM risk associated with the
importation of plums from Chile could also be mitigated by a systems
approach or by methyl bromide fumigation in Chile or at the port of
entry in the United States.
Therefore, in accordance with Sec. 319.56-4(c), we are announcing
the availability of our CIED for public review and comment. This
document, as well as a description of the economic considerations
associated with alternatives to the irradiation requirement, may be
viewed on the <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a> website or in our reading room (see
ADDRESSES above for a link to <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a> and information on the
location and hours of the reading room). You may request
[[Page 60614]]
paper copies of these documents by calling or writing to the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the
subject of the analysis you wish to review when requesting copies.
After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our
decision regarding whether to revise the requirements for the
importation of plums from Chile in a subsequent notice. If the overall
conclusions of our analysis and the Administrator's determination of
risk remain unchanged following our consideration of the comments, then
we will revise the requirements for the importation of plums from Chile
as described in this notice.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1633, 7701-7772, and 7781-7786; 21 U.S.C. 136
and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.
Done in Washington, DC, this 28th day of October 2021.
Mark Davidson,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-23904 Filed 11-2-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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