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USDA MAKES CHANGES TO PHYTOSANITARY TREATMENT REGULATIONS
January 26, 2010
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending the phytosanitary treatment regulations in 7 CFR part 305 by removing the lists of approved treatments and treatment schedules from the regulations, while retaining the general requirements for performing treatments and certifying or approving treatment facilities. APHIS is removing treatment schedules from other places where they are currently found in 7 CFR chapter III as well. Approved treatment schedules will instead be found in the Plant Protection and Quarantine Treatment Manual, which is available on the Internet.
APHIS is also establishing a new process to provide the public with notice and the opportunity to comment on changes to treatment schedules.
Finally, APHIS is harmonizing and combining the requirements for performing irradiation treatment for imported articles, articles moved interstate from Hawaii and U.S. territories and articles moved interstate from an area quarantined for fruit flies.
These changes will simplify and expedite the processes for adding, changing and removing treatment schedules while continuing to provide for public participation in the process.
These changes will also simplify the presentation of treatments to the public by consolidating all treatments into one document and eliminating redundant text from the regulations.
This final rule is published in today’s Jan. 26 Federal Register and becomes effective Feb. 25.
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Note to Reporters: Public notices and other APHIS information are available on the Internet and through Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds. Go to the APHIS news release page at http://www.aphis.usda.gov and click on the “Newsroom” button to view and/or sign up to receive releases via the RSS feed link. For additional information about this topic contact Greg Rosenthal at (301) 734-3265 or by e-mail at Gregory.J.Rosenthal@aphis.usda.gov.
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USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720.6382 (TDD).
