Federal Register: NOTICES Meetings: [Docket No. APHIS-2008-0066]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Docket ID: [Docket No. APHIS-2008-0066]

NOTICE: NOTICES

ACTION: Meetings:

DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice.

SUBJECT CATEGORY: Notice of Availability of a Pest Risk Analysis for Importation of Guavas From Mexico Into the United States

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before August 25, 2008.

DOCUMENT SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation into the United States of fresh guava fruit from Mexico. Based on that analysis, 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 guavas from Mexico. We are making the pest risk analysis available to the public for review and comment.

SUMMARY: Pest Risk Analysis for Importation of Guavas from Mexico into the United States,

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

Background

Under the regulations in ``SubpartFruits and Vegetables'' (7 CFR 319.56 through 319.5647, 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 319.564 contains a performancebased 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. These measures are:

The fruits or vegetables are subject to inspection upon arrival in the United States and comply with all applicable provisions of Sec. 319.563;

The fruits or vegetables are imported from a pestfree area in the country of origin that meets the requirements of Sec. 319.565 for freedom from that pest and are accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate stating that the fruits or vegetables originated in a pestfree area in the country of origin;

The fruits or vegetables are treated in accordance with 7 CFR part 305;

The fruits or vegetables are inspected in the country of origin by an inspector or an official of the national plant protection organization of the exporting country, and have been found free of one or more specific quarantine pests identified by the risk analysis as likely to follow the import pathway; and/or

The fruits or vegetables are a commercial consignment.

APHIS received a request from the Government of Mexico to allow the importation of fresh guava fruit from Mexico into the United States. We have completed a pest risk assessment to identify pests of quarantine significance that could follow the pathway of importation into the United States and, based on that pest risk assessment, have prepared a risk management analysis to identify phytosanitary measures that could be applied to the commodity to mitigate the pest risk. We have concluded that guavas can be safely imported into the United States from Mexico using one or more of the five designated phytosanitary measures listed in Sec. 319.564(b). Therefore, in accordance with Sec. 319.564(c), we are announcing the availability of our pest risk analysis for public review and comment. The pest risk analysis may be viewed 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 pest risk analysis by calling or writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the subject of the pest risk analysis when requesting copies.

After reviewing the comments we receive, we will announce our decision regarding the import status of guavas from Mexico in a subsequent notice. If the overall conclusions of the analysis and the Administrator's determination of risk remain unchanged following our consideration of the comments, then we will begin issuing permits for importation of guavas from Mexico into the United States subject to the requirements specified in the risk management analysis.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 77017772, and 77817786; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.

Done in Washington, DC, this 20th day of June 2008. Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. E814504 Filed 62508; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 341034P

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Mr. David B. Lamb, Import Specialist, Commodity Import Analysis and Operations, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 207371231; (301) 7348758.