[Federal Register: May 23, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 100)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 28114-28115]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
7 CFR Parts 318 and 319
[Docket No. 00-059-2]
Movement and Importation of Fruits and Vegetables
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
ACTION: Affirmation of interim rule as final rule.
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SUMMARY: We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim
rule that amended the regulations that govern the movement of fruits
and vegetables from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to require
the treatment of pigeon peas (fresh shelled or in the pod) from Puerto
Rico for movement into any other area of the United States. In
addition, we amended the regulations that govern the importation of
fruits and vegetables to require the treatment of pigeon peas (fresh
shelled or in the pod) from the Dominican Republic imported into any
area of the United States except Puerto Rico, and to prohibit the
importation of mangoes from the British Virgin Islands into the U.S.
Virgin Islands. These actions were necessary to prevent the
introduction and dissemination of plant pests that are new to or not
widely distributed within the United States.
DATES: The interim rule became effective January 21, 2003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Hesham A. Abuelnaga, Import
Specialist, Phytosanitary Issues Management Team, PPQ, APHIS, 4700
River Road Unit 140, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 734-5334.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The regulations in ``Subpart--Fruits and Vegetables from Puerto
Rico or Virgin Islands'' (7 CFR 318.58 through 318.58-16) are designed
to prevent the dissemination of plant pests, including diseases, from
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands into other parts of the United
States. The regulations in ``Subpart--Fruits and Vegetables'' (7 CFR
319.56 through 319.56-8) prohibit or restrict the importation of fruits
and vegetables into the United States from certain parts of the world
to prevent the introduction and dissemination of plant pests that are
new to or not widely distributed within the United States.
In an interim rule effective and published in the Federal Register
on January 21, 2003 (68 FR 2681-2684, Docket No. 00-059-1), we amended
the regulations in ``Subpart--Fruits and Vegetables from Puerto Rico or
Virgin Islands'' to require the treatment of pigeon peas (fresh shelled
or in the pod) from Puerto Rico for movement into any other area of the
United States, including the U.S. Virgin Islands. (The Federal Register
published a correction (68 FR 6544) to the interim rule on February 7,
2003.) In addition, we amended the regulations in ``Subpart--Fruits and
Vegetables'' to require the treatment of pigeon peas (fresh shelled or
in the pod) from the Dominican Republic for importation into any area
of the United States, except Puerto Rico, and to prohibit the
importation of mangoes from the British Virgin Islands into the U.S.
Virgin Islands. These actions were necessary to protect the United
States from the introduction or spread of injurious plant pests.
Comments on the interim rule were required to be received on or
before March 24, 2003. We did not receive any comments. Therefore, for
the reasons given in the interim rule, we are adopting the interim rule
as a final rule.
This action also affirms the information contained in the interim
[[Page 28115]]
rule concerning Executive Order 12866 and the Regulatory Flexibility
Act, Executive Order 12988, and the Paperwork Reduction Act.
Further, for this action, the Office of Management and Budget has
waived its review under Executive Order 12866.
List of Subjects
7 CFR Part 318
Cotton, Cottonseeds, Fruits, Guam, Hawaii, Plant diseases and
pests, Puerto Rico, Quarantine, Transportation, Vegetables, Virgin
Islands.
7 CFR Part 319
Bees, Coffee, Cotton, Fruits, Honey, Imports, Logs, Nursery stock,
Plant diseases and pests, Quarantine, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Rice, Vegetables.
PART 318--HAWAIIAN AND TERRITORIAL QUARANTINE NOTICES
PART 319--FOREIGN QUARANTINE NOTICES
0
Accordingly, we are adopting as a final rule, without change, the
interim rule that amended 7 CFR parts 318 and 319 and that was
published at 68 FR 2681-2684 on January 21, 2003.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7711-7714, 7718, 7731, 7732, 7751-7754,
7756, and 7760; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.
Done in Washington, DC, this 16th day of May, 2003.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 03-12984 Filed 5-22-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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