Washington, DC
October 29, 2008
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) has launched a new biotechnology compliance component to
its ePermits system that will allow the agency to initiate,
process and track compliance inspections for the field testing
of regulated genetically engineered organisms.
The ePermits system is a Web-based tool that allows the
electronic filing, processing and tracking of permit
applications. The system allows individuals to process permit
applications on-line for biotechnology regulatory services’
notifications and permits, as well as certain plant protection
and quarantine and veterinary services’ permits. Submitting
applications and receiving permits via the Internet save
customers a tremendous amount of time and effort. It also
enables APHIS regulatory officials to issue and track permits,
reducing delivery time and expense.
The updated system quickly and efficiently imports and processes
data, including inspection locations and APHIS inspection
reports. Reports of non-compliance discovered through
inspections will also be handled electronically through this
system improvement.
With these enhancements, APHIS can quickly search compliance
history, allowing the agency to more easily identify, track and
resolve potential problem areas and compliance incidents. The
updated system will greatly enhance overall management of the
inspection program while reducing costs. Future planned
enhancements include the capability to combine inspection data
with real-time weather data to monitor compliance conditions
when bad weather strikes.
APHIS is responsible for regulating the importation,
interstate movement and environmental release of certain
genetically engineered organisms. Developers are responsible for
following APHIS’ regulations for the safe environmental release
of genetically engineered organisms, and APHIS ensures
compliance with all regulatory requirements through high-quality
inspections, comprehensive investigations and prompt enforcement
efforts. APHIS is committed to ensuring safety in the
development of genetically engineered organisms and continues to
strengthen approaches to regulating environmental releases. |
|
