Press Release

Dore Mobley	(301) 734-7255
Jerry Redding	(2301) 720-6959

USDA AMENDS IMPORTED FIRE ANT QUARANTINE

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2005–The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service today announced that it is amending the imported fire ant quarantine to include all or portions of 18 additional counties in Tennessee and one additional county in Arkansas.

APHIS currently regulates portions of, or entire areas of, 13 states including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

The interstate movement of regulated articles, including soil, plants and sod is restricted from the quarantined area. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of imported fire ants to noninfested areas of the United States.

The imported fire ant is an aggressive, stinging insect that, in large numbers, can seriously injure livestock, pets and humans. This pest feeds on crops and builds large, hard mounds that damage farm and field machinery.

Effective upon publication, notice of this interim rule is published in the Aug. 8 Federal Register. APHIS documents published in the Federal Register 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 Oct. 7. Send an original and three copies of postal mail or commercial delivery comments to Docket No. 05-030-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. If you wish to submit a comment using the Internet, go to EDOCKET at http://www.epa.gov/feddocket, click on "View Open APHIS Dockets," and locate agency Docket No. 05-030-1.

Comments are posted on the EDOCKET Web site and may also be viewed at USDA, Room 1141, South Building, 14th St. and Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C., between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. To facilitate entry into the comment reading room, please call (202) 690-2817.

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