Methyl Bromide; Official Quarantine Uses

AGENCY:

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

SUMMARY:

We are extending the comment period for our proposed rule that would establish regulations to provide for the submission of requests by State, local, or tribal authorities for a determination whether methyl bromide treatments or applications required by the State, local, or tribal authorities to prevent the introduction, establishment, or spread of plant pests or noxious weeds should be authorized as official quarantine uses. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.

DATES:

We will consider all comments that we receive on or before November 12, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments by any of the following methods:

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. 02-086-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. 02-086-1.
• E-mail: Address your comment to regulations@aphis.usda.gov. Your comment must be contained in the body of your message; do not send attached files. Please include your name and address in your message and “Docket No. 02-086-1” on the subject line.
• Agency Web site: Go to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/cominst.html for a form you can use to submit an e-mail comment through the APHIS Web site.
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for locating this docket and submitting comments.

Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on Docket No. 02-086-1 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.

Other Information: You may view APHIS documents published in the Federal Register and related information, including the names of groups and individuals who have commented on APHIS dockets, on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dr. Inder P. Gadh, Treatment Specialist, Phytosanitary Issues Management, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 140, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-6799.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On August 12, 2004, we published in the Federal Register (69 FR 49824-49829, Docket No. 02-086-1) a proposal to establish regulations to provide for the submission of requests by State, local, or tribal authorities for a determination whether methyl bromide treatments or applications required by the State, local, or tribal authorities to prevent the introduction, establishment, or spread of plant pests or noxious weeds should be authorized as official quarantine uses. The proposed rule would establish a process by which State, local, or tribal authorities could request and, if warranted, receive, a determination that their methyl bromide requirements should be authorized as official quarantine uses.

Comments on the proposed rule were required to be received on or before October 12, 2004. We are extending the comment period on Docket No. 02-086-1 for an additional 30 days, ending November 12, 2004. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7719; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.