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Docket ID: [Docket No. APHIS-2006-0172]

NOTICE: NOTICES

ACTION: Environmental statements; availability, etc.:

DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

SUBJECT CATEGORY: Interstate Movement of Garbage From Hawaii; Availability of an Environmental Assessment and a Pest Risk Assessment

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before December 8, 2006.

DOCUMENT SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared a sitespecific environmental assessment and a pest risk assessment relative to a request to allow the interstate movement of garbage from Hawaii to a landfill in the State of Washington. The environmental assessment contains a general assessment of the potential environmental effects associated with moving garbage interstate from Hawaii to Washington, subject to certain pest risk mitigation measures and documents our review and analysis of the environmental impacts associated with, and alternatives to, the proposed action. The pest risk assessment evaluates the risks associated with the interstate movement of garbage from Hawaii to Washington. We are making these assessments available to the public for review and comment.

SUMMARY: Hawaii garbage; interstate movement to Washington landfill,

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

The importation and interstate movement of garbage is regulated by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under 7 CFR 330.400 and 9 CFR 94.5 (referred to below as the regulations) in order to protect against the introduction into and dissemination within the United States of plant and animal pests and diseases.

APHIS is advising the public that we have prepared a sitespecific environmental assessment and a pest risk assessment relative to a request to allow the interstate movement of garbage from Hawaii to the State of Washington.

The environmental assessment, titled ``Movement of Plasticbaled Municipal Solid Waste from Honolulu, Hawaii to Roosevelt Regional Landfill, Washington'' (October 2006), contains a general assessment of the potential environmental effects associated with moving garbage interstate from Hawaii to the Roosevelt Regional Landfill in Klickitat County, WA, subject to certain pest risk mitigation measures. The environmental assessment documents our review and analysis of environmental impacts associated with, and alternatives to, the proposed action.

The pest risk assessment, titled ``The Risk of Introduction of Pests to Washington State via PlasticBaled Municipal Solid Waste from Hawaii'' (September 2006), evaluates the plant pest risks associated with the interstate movement of garbage from Hawaii to the Roosevelt Regional Landfill.

We are making these assessments available to the public for review and comment. We will consider all comments that we receive on or before the date listed under the heading DATES at the beginning of this notice. The environmental assessment and pest risk assessment may be viewed on the Internet on the Regulations.gov Web site or in our reading room (see ADDRESSES above for instructions for accessing Regulations.gov and information on the location and hours of the reading room). You may request paper copies of the documents by calling or writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the title of the document(s) you wish to receive when requesting copies.

The environmental assessment has been 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 15001508), (3) USDA regulations implementing NEPA (7 CFR part 1), and (4) APHIS' NEPA Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372).

Done in Washington, DC, this 3rd day of November 2006. Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. E619027 Filed 11706; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 341034P

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Ms. Shannon Hamm, Assistant Deputy Administrator, Policy and Program Development, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 20, Riverdale, MD 207371231; (301) 7344957.