Washington, DC
November 24, 2008
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) is seeking public comment on a petition to deregulate
corn genetically engineered (GE) to produce a microbial enzyme
that facilitates ethanol production. APHIS has regulated the
corn through its notification and permitting process since 2002.
The petition for deregulation, submitted by
Syngenta Seeds, Inc., is
in accordance with APHIS’ regulations concerning the
introduction of GE organisms and products and is available for
the public’s review and comment. As part of the decisionmaking
process, APHIS also has prepared a draft environmental
assessment (EA) for review and comment.
Following the comment period, APHIS makes a determination of
nonregulated status if it can conclude that the organism does
not pose a plant pest risk. If APHIS grants the Syngenta Seeds,
Inc., petition for deregulation, the GE corn and its progeny
would no longer be regulated articles. The product could then be
freely moved and planted without the requirement of permits or
other regulatory oversight by APHIS. The scientific evidence
indicates that there are unlikely to be any environmental, human
health or food safety concerns associated with the GE corn.
APHIS is responsible for protecting U.S. agriculture and the
environment from animal and plant pests. APHIS regulates GE
products in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Food
and Drug Administration (FDA). In compliance with agency policy,
Syngenta Seeds, Inc. submitted a food and feed safety and
nutritional assessment summary to FDA for this GE corn. EPA is
not involved in evaluating this GE corn because it has not been
engineered to produce a pesticide or to be tolerant to an
herbicide.
APHIS has safely regulated GE organisms since 1986 and has
overseen the deregulation of more than 70 products.
This action was published in the Nov. 19, 2008, Federal
Register. APHIS is seeking comment on the petition and on the
EA.
Consideration will be given to comments received on or before
Jan. 20, 2009. Send two copies of postal mail or commercial
delivery comments to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0016, Regulatory
Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700
River Road, Unit
118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Comments can be submitted on the
the Federal eRulemaking portal at
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2007-0016.
Click on “Add Comments” to view public comments and related
materials available electronically.
Comments are posted on the Reglations.gov Web site and also can
be reviewed at USDA, Room 1141, South Building, 14th St. and
Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC, 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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