Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 99-011-2]

Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment and Finding of

No Significant Impact

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of reopening and extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we are reopening and extending

the comment period for a draft environmental assessment and finding of

no significant impact that have been prepared by the Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service. The draft environmental assessment and

finding of no significant impact relate to the release into the

environment of nonindigenous leaf beetles for use as biological control

agents to suppress saltcedar, a major weed pest of water courses and

riparian habitats. This reopening and extension will provide interested

groups and individuals with additional time to prepare and submit

comments.

DATES: We invite you to comment on Docket No. 99-011-1. We will

consider all comments that we receive by June 4, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Please send your comment and three copies to: Docket No. 99-

011-1, 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. 99-011-1.

You may read any comments that we receive on this docket 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 rules, are available on the Internet at http://

www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Ronald D. Hennessey, Entomologist,

Biotechnology and Biological Analysis, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit

139, Riverdale, MD 20737-1228; (301) 734-8537; or e-mail:

[email protected]. For copies of the draft environmental

assessment and finding of no significant impact, write to Dr. Ronald D.

Hennessey at the same address. Please refer to the title of the draft

environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact when

ordering copies.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On March 18, 1999, we published in the Federal Register (64 FR

13395-13396, Docket No. 99-011-1) a notice advising the public that a

draft environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact

have been prepared by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

relative to the release into the environment of nonindigenous leaf

beetles for use as biological control agents to suppress saltcedar, a

major weed pest of water courses and riparian habitats.

Comments on the notice were required to be received on or before

April 19, 1999. We are now advising the public that we are reopening

and extending the comment period on Docket No. 99-011-1 for an

additional 45 days. This action will allow interested persons

additional time to prepare and submit comments.

The draft environmental assessment and finding of no significant

impact have been prepared in accordance with: (1) the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) (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 Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372).

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 150aa-150jj, 151-165, and 167.

Done in Washington, DC, this 28th day of April 1999.

Craig A. Reed,

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 99-11129 Filed 5-3-99; 8:45 am]

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