[Federal Register: April 18, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 75)]
[Notices]
[Page 19915-19916]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18ap01-26]
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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 19915]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 00-070-2]
Mycogen c/o Dow and Pioneer; Availability of Environmental
Assessment for Determination of Nonregulated Status
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that an environmental assessment
has been prepared for a proposed determination that corn line developed
by Mycogen Seeds c/o Dow AgroSciences LLC and Pioneer Hi-Bred
International, Inc., and designated as line 1507, which has been
genetically engineered for insect resistance and tolerance to the
herbicide glufosinate, would no longer be considered a regulated
article under our regulations governing the introduction of certain
genetically engineered organisms. We are making this environmental
assessment available to the public for review and comment.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive by May 18, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Please send four copies of your comment (an original and
three copies) to: Docket No. 00-070-2, Regulatory Analysis and
Development, PPD, APHIS, Suite 3C03, 4700 River Road Unit 118,
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to
Docket No. 00-070-2.
You may read the petition for a determination of nonregulated
status submitted by Mycogen Seeds c/o Dow AgroSciences LLC and Pioneer
Hi-Bred International, Inc., the environmental assessment, and any
comments we receive on this notice of availability 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.
APHIS documents published in the Federal Register, and related
information, including the names of organizations and individuals who
have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Susan Koehler, Biotechnology
Assessments Section, PPQ, APHIS, Suite 5B05, 4700 River Road Unit 147,
Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 734-4886. To obtain a copy of the
environmental assessment, contact Ms. Kay Peterson at (301) 734-4885;
e-mail: kay.peterson@aphis.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On May 15, 2000, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) received a petition (APHIS Petition No. 00-136-01p) from
Mycogen Seeds c/o Dow AgroSciences LLC (Mycogen c/o Dow) of
Indianapolis, IN, and Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. (Pioneer) of
Johnston, IA, seeking a determination that a corn line designated as
Zea mays L. cultivar line 1507 (line 1507), which has been genetically
engineered for resistance to certain lepidopteran insect species and
tolerance to the herbicide glufosinate, does not present a plant pest
risk and, therefore, is not a regulated article under APHIS'
regulations in 7 CFR part 340.
On September 6, 2000, APHIS published a notice in the Federal
Register (65 FR 53976-53977, Docket no. 00-070-1) announcing that the
Mycogen c/o Dow and Pioneer petition had been received and was
available for public review. The notice also discussed the role of
APHIS, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Food and Drug
Administration in regulating the subject corn line and food products
derived from it. In the notice, APHIS solicited written comments from
the public as to whether corn line 1507 posed a plant pest risk. The
comments were to have been received by APHIS on or before November 6,
2000. APHIS received no comments on the subject petition during the
designated 60-day comment period.
Corn line 1507 has been genetically engineered to express a Cry1F
insecticidal protein derived from the common soil bacterium, Bacillus
thuringiensis subsp. aizawai (Bt aizawai). The Cry1F protein is said to
be effective in controlling the larvae of such common pests of corn as
European corn borer, southwestern corn borer, black cutworm, and fall
armyworm. The subject corn line also contains the pat gene derived from
the bacterium Streptomyces viridochromogenes. The pat gene encodes the
phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) protein, which confers
tolerance to the herbicide glufosinate. Expression of these added genes
is controlled in part by gene sequences from the plant pathogens
cauliflower mosaic virus and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Microprojectile
bombardment was used to transfer the added genes into the recipient
inbred corn line Hi-II.
Corn line 1507 has been considered a regulated article under the
regulations in 7 CFR part 340 because it contains gene sequences from
plant pathogens. Field tests of the subject corn line have been
conducted since 1997 under APHIS notifications under confined
conditions. If the Mycogen c/o Dow and Pioneer petition for a
determination of nonregulated status is approved, corn line 1507 would
no longer be considered a regulated article under APHIS' regulations in
7 CFR part 340 and the requirements pertaining to regulated articles
under those regulations would no longer apply to the subject corn line
or its progeny.
To provide the public with documentation of APHIS' review and
analysis of the environmental impacts and plant pest risk associated
with a determination of nonregulated status for the Mycogen c/o Dow and
Pioneer corn line 1507, an environmental assessment (EA) has been
prepared. The EA was prepared in accordance with: (1) The National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.), (2) regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality for
implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508), (3) USDA regulations implementing NEPA (7 CFR part 1b), and (4)
APHIS' NEPA
[[Page 19916]]
Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372).
Done in Washington, DC, this 12th day of April 2001.
Bobby R. Acord,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 01-9626 Filed 4-17-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P