Press Release

Dore Mobley	(301) 734-7255
Jerry Redding	(202) 720-6959

USDA SOLICITS COMMENTS ON IMPORTED PLANTS CERTIFICATION

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2004--The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is amending its regulations to establish a certification program for imported plants. Sites that produce geraniums and other garden plant species in countries where Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 is known to occur are subject to certification. This pathogen causes potato brown rot and if established in the United States could have a devastating impact on potato production.

This newly established certification program requires registration and certification of production sites, regular testing for Ralstonia at production sites and use of a phytosanitary certificate. These requirements will ensure that imported articles of Pelargonium spp. (geraniums) and Solanum spp. (eggplants, weeds such as nightshade, shrubs, vines, huckleberry plants and other garden plants) are free of the Ralstonia pathogen. Compliance with the certification standards is required for importation of regulated articles into the United States.

This interim rule is published in the April 23 Federal Register and becomes effective May 24. APHIS documents published in the Federal Register and related information, including the names of organizations and individuals who have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

Consideration will be given to comments received on or before June 22. Comments can be submitted by postal mail, commercial delivery or by e-mail. Send an original and three copies of postal or commercial delivery comments to Docket No. 03-019-2, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Suite 3C7, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, Md. 20737-1238 or e-mail comments to regulations@aphis.usda.gov. E-mail comments must be contained in the body of the message; do not send attached files. Please include your name and address in the message and type "Docket No. 03-019-2" on the subject line. To submit comments online, go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for locating and submitting comments regarding this docket.

Comments received can be reviewed at USDA, Room 1141, South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington D.C., between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To facilitate entry into the comment reading room, please call (202) 690-2817.

Note to Reporters: USDA news releases, program announcements and media advisories are available on the Internet. Go to the APHIS home page at http://www.aphis.usda.gov and click on the "News" button.