Boll Weevil Control Program; Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 94-119-4]

Boll Weevil Control Program; Availability of Environmental

Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service has confirmed its finding of no significant impact

for a proposed program to eradicate the boll weevil in the Lower Rio

Grande Valley of Texas. On January 30, 1995, we announced that we had

prepared an environmental assessment and preliminary finding of no

significant impact for the proposed eradication program. This

confirmation of the finding of no significant impact follows our review

of comments received regarding the proposed eradication program and the

environmental assessment.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the final environmental assessment and finding of

no significant impact are available for public inspection at USDA, room

1141, South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW.,

Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,

except holidays. Persons wishing to inspect those documents are

requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to facilitate entry into the

reading room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Vicki Wickheiser, Writer-Editor,

Environmental Analysis and Documentation, BBEP, APHIS, 4700 River Road

Unit 149, Riverdale, MD 20737-1228, (301) 734-8963. Copies of the final

environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact are

available in both English and Spanish and may be obtained by contacting

Ms. Wickheiser or by calling Plant Protection and Quarantine's Central

Region Office at (210) 504-4154.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has proposed

to cooperate in a boll weevil [[Page 15746]] eradication program in the

Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in the counties of Brooks, Cameron,

Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy. The proposed Lower Rio Grand Valley

program would relay on integrated control methods, including the use of

chemicals, on cotton crops. Consistent with the National Environmental

Policy Act (NEPA), Aphids had prepared an environmental assessment (EA)

that analyzes the potential effects of the program's alternatives and

actions on the quality of the human environment.

The EA considers the characteristics of the Lower Rio Grande Valley

and focuses on the Potential effects of chemical pesticides. Because of

the presence of communities in proximity to cotton fields, certain

program modifications and some additional protective measures have been

proposed and adopted. The potential presence of endangered and

threatened species in close proximity to program activities prompted

APHIS to also prepare a biological assessment of endangered and

threatened species which contains special protective measures for those

species. All of these protective measures are designed to reduce the

potential for adverse effects.

Consistent with important policy objectives and principles of

``environmental justice'' as expressed in Executive Order No. 12898,

APHIS held a public meeting on November 29, 1994, in Weslaco, TX (59 FR

56458, Docket No. 94-119-1), and two public hearings on February 16,

1995 (60 FR 5617-5618, Docket No. 94-119-2; 60 FR 7747-7748, Docket 94-

119-3), also in Weslaco, TX. The purpose of the November 1994 public

meeting was to provide a forum for community input on health and

environmental issues associated with implementation of the proposed

boll weevil eradication program. APHIS considered the public's

perspectives in its development of the EA for the proposed program. The

purpose of the February 1995 public hearings was to provide the public

additional opportunities to express views or question agency officials

regarding the proposed eradication program, the EA, and the preliminary

finding of no significant impact.

APHIS made the EA and the preliminary finding of no significant

impact available for public review for a period of 30 days. Subsequent

to that period, APHIS considered the comments that it received from the

public (private individuals, organizations, industry, and government)

before making final revisions in the EA.

The APHISA decisionmaker has confirmed the preliminary finding that

the proposed eradication program will not significantly impact the

quality of the human environment, and determined that an environmental

impact statement does not need to be prepared, and that the program may

proceed.

We are mailing copies of the final EA and final finding of no

significant impact (in English or Spanish, as applicable) to all

persons who submitted comments or manifested an interest in the

proposed eradication program.

Done in Washington, DC, this 22nd day of march 195.

Terry L. Medley,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 95-7526 Filed 3-24-95; 8:45 am]

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