[APWG] Comments on glyphosate for weed control
Patricia_Ford at fws.gov
Patricia_Ford at fws.gov
Thu Oct 20 08:34:00 CDT 2005
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi
USDA APHIS is seeking specific info regarding their use of glyphosate in
non-agricultural areas for weed
control. This will aid the drafting of the first ever a EIS on a
genetically engineered crop, a Roundup Ready creeping bentgrass intended
primarily for golf course use. DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS IS NOV. 14
A Gordon
Brown/NISC/OS/DOI
@DOI To
Anne M Barrett/POB/OS/DOI at DOI,
10/14/2005 01:35 Annie Simpson/BRD/USGS/DOI at USGS,
PM bpostle at osmre.gov, Chris
Pease/NWRS/R9/FWS/DOI at FWS, David
Downes/PPA/OS/DOI at DOI, Deborah
Weinstein/PPA/OS/DOI at DOI, Don
MacLean/ARL/R9/FWS/DOI at FWS, Erin
Williams/ARL/R9/FWS/DOI at FWS,
Everett Wilson/ARL/R9/FWS/DOI at FWS,
fnibling at do.usbr.gov, Gary
Johnston/WASO/NPS at NPS, Gina
Ramos/WO/BLM/DOI at BLM,
jdivittorio at do.usbr.gov,
jiminomak at yahoo.com, James
Orwin/DC/BIA/DOI at BIA, Jenny
Ericson/NWRS/R9/FWS/DOI at FWS, Joe
Starinchak/ARL/R9/FWS/DOI at FWS,
Karen Koltes/OIA/OS/DOI at DOI, Kari
Duncan/ARL/R9/FWS/DOI at FWS, Kenneth
Havran/PEP/OS/DOI at DOI, Linda
Drees/FTCOLLINS/NPS at NPS, Marie
Maltese/ARL/R9/FWS/DOI at FWS, Michael
Lusk/NWRS/R9/FWS/DOI at FWS, Pamela
Thibodeaux/ARL/R9/FWS/DOI at FWS,
Paula Frechen/ARL/R9/FWS/DOI at FWS,
rbochar at usbr.gov, Randy G
Westbrooks/BRD/USGS/DOI at USGS, Rita
Beard/FTCOLLINS/NPS at NPS, Sharon K
Gross/BRD/USGS/DOI at USGS, Shawn
Alam/PEP/OS/DOI at DOI, Sterling
White/WO/BLM/DOI at BLM, Terry
Cacek/FTCOLLINS/NPS at NPS, Thomas
Ahlfeld/MMS/DOI at MMS,
tiffany at uscompact.org@DOI, William
P Gregg/BRD/USGS/DOI at USGS
cc
Subject
Fw: [ficmnew] Fwd: [Aliens-L] U.S.
interest - Use of glyphosate for
weed control, non-ag la...
This EIS process is precedent setting -- so far as I know, this is the
first request for exemption from Plant Protection Act coverage for a
non-agricultural (read row crop) plant. Depending on the usage rates of
glyphosate on lands near the potential sites of distribution of this new
creeping bentgrass, there could be selection pressure leading to the
potential for adverse effects on other species of plants. At our ISAC
meeting this week, Bill Dickerson of North Carolina reported a new tropical
spiderwort that is resistant to glyphosate applications, and thus is
causing economic damage to GMO crops in the southeast. Please share this
with your scientifically-inclined colleagues. The draft EIS is under
development at USDA/APHIS and they are seeking DOI involvement to help with
data collection and analysis.
____________________________________________________
A. Gordon Brown, DOI Invasive Species Coordinator and Liaison to the
National Invasive Species Council
FedEx: National Invasive Species Council, 1201 Eye St, NW, Room 574,
Washington, DC 20005
Mail: Office of the Secretary (OS/SIO/NISC), 1849 C St, NW, Washington, DC
20240
a_gordon_brown at ios.doi.gov
202-354-1879 direct; 202-285-7600 cell
202-513-7243 main; 202-371-1751 fax
www.invasivespecies.gov
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. 03-101-5]
Environmental Impact Statement;
Petition for Deregulation of Genetically
Engineered Glyphosate-Tolerant
Creeping Bentgrass; Request for
Additional Information
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: We are advising the public
that the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service is seeking
information to develop an
environmental impact statement as part
of its consideration of a petition
received from Monsanto Company and
The Scotts Company. The petition
requests a determination of
nonregulated status for engineered
creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera)
that is glyphosate tolerant. We are
preparing this environmental impact
statement in accordance with 7 CFR
372.5 and 40 CFR 1501.3 and 1501.4.
We are seeking specific information
about glyphosate use to control grasses.
We are primarily interested in the
details of those programs that focus on
weed management in nonagricultural
lands.
DATES: We will consider all comments
that we receive on or before November
14, 2005.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
by either of the following methods:
* Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
http://www.regulations.gov and, in the
''Search for Open Regulations'' box,
select ''Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service'' from the agency
drop-down menu, then click on
''Submit.'' In the Docket ID column,
select APHIS-2005-0029 to submit or
view public comments on APHIS
Docket ID 03-101-5.
* Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:
Please send four copies of your
comment (an original and three copies)
to Docket No. 03-101-5, Regulatory
Analysis and Development, PPD,
APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River Road,
Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.
Please state that your comment refers to
Docket No. 03-101-5.
Reading Room: You may read any
comments that we receive on this
docket in our reading room. The reading
room is located in room 1141 of the
USDA South Building, 14th Street and
Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC. Normal reading room
hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except holidays. To be
sure someone is there to help you,
please call (202) 690-2817 before
coming.
Other Information: Comments
submitted in response to the previous
notices cited in this document may be
viewed on the Internet on the following
Web sites; there is no need to resubmit
those previously submitted comments
in response to this notice. Comments on
Docket No. 03-101-1 and Docket No.
03-101-2 are available at https://
web01.aphis.usda.gov/Bentgrass.nsf.
Comments on Docket No. 03-101-4 are
available on the Regulations.gov Web
site (see ''Federal eRulemaking Portal''
above) or at http://docket.epa.gov/
edkfed/do/EDKStaffCollectionDetail
View?objectId=0b0007d4806fe549.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
Susan M. Koehler, BRS, APHIS, 4700
River Road, Unit 147, Riverdale, MD
20737-1238; (301) 734-4886.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) is preparing an
environmental impact statement (EIS)
with respect to a possible decision to
remove engineered creeping bentgrass
with glyphosate resistance (Scotts/
Monsanto event ASR368) from
regulation under 7 CFR part 340. We are
seeking specific information about
glyphosate use to control grasses in
vegetation management programs that
focus on publicly or privately owned,
non-agricultural lands. These locations
may include areas like parks or
recreation areas, highway roadsides,
pipeline pumping stations, or electrical
substations. The types of habitats in
which we are most interested are
grasslands, riparian areas, or wetlands,
because creeping bentgrass is best
adapted for these areas. However,
information on any habitats where
Agrostis, Polypogon, or Poa sp. are
present would also be useful.
The type of information that APHIS
seeks is specific and detailed. We invite
information about both your vegetation
management program and how that
program would change if glyphosate
resistant grasses were established in the
managed habitat. The specific types of
information that we seek are listed
below:
(I) An overall description of the
management program.
(A) Whether the goals and purpose of
the management program include:
1. The control of invasive or noxious
weeds.
2. The recovery or management of
habitat for federally listed threatened or
endangered species or other wildlife or
species of concern.
3. The restoration of ecosystem
function.
4. The maintenance of public use
areas or rights-of-way.
(B) If creeping bentgrass or its
sexually compatible relatives are
present in the managed area:
1. Herbicide combinations or
formulations used that include
glyphosate.
2. The total land area that is treated
with glyphosate or a formulation
containing glyphosate.
3. The method and frequency of
application of these herbicide
formulations in the management plan.
(II) How management programs would
change if glyphosate resistant species
were present.
(A) Include potential changes in
management strategies.
(B) Changes in cost.
(C) Changes in focus of program.
(D) Legal restrictions on alternative
vegetation management strategies.
Because the data and information that
we seek is not generally available, we
are requesting this information in
response to this notice. Descriptive and
application-specific information is most
helpful. Floristic assessments showing
the prevalence of the cited grasses or
sexually compatible relatives are also of
interest. Please let us know if we may
contact you for further information
about your management activities. Your
contributions will be used within the
EIS to evaluate possible environmental
impacts from engineered creeping
bentgrass.
Background
The Host Organism
Agrostis stolonifera (creeping
bentgrass or CBG) is a cool-season,
wind-pollinated, perennial species with
about 13 relatives with which it can
cross in the United States. CBG and
about 33 other species of the genus
occur naturally across the continental
United States. The species occurs in wet
meadows, seepage areas, ditches, on
stream banks and along the margins of
ponds and lakes, in moist disturbed
areas, various grasslands (including
upland prairies), mesic to rather dry
upland forests, and on roadsides and
railroad embankments. Bentgrasses can
spread via dispersal of seed by wind,
water, and animals, and vegetatively via
above-ground runners (stolons).
Common bentgrasses and rabbitsfoot
grasses (e.g., Polypogon monspeliensis)
may become glyphosate resistant if
pollen transmits the genes to these other
species, conferring resistance to
glyphosate. Other grasses in other
genera (such as Poa, bluegrasses) could
become tolerant or resistant to
glyphosate through selective processes
following repeated use of the herbicide
on golf courses.
The Regulatory History
On April 14, 2003, APHIS received
petition 03-104-01p from Monsanto
Company (St. Louis, MO) and The
Scotts Company (Gervais, OR)
(Monsanto/Scotts), requesting
deregulation of a creeping bentgrass
(Agrostis stolonifera L., synonym A.
palustris Huds.) that has been
genetically engineered for tolerance to
the herbicide glyphosate. The
Monsanto/Scotts petition states that the
subject creeping bentgrass, designated
as event ASR368, should not be
regulated by APHIS because it does not
present a plant pest risk. (The petition
is available on the Internet at http://
www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/
03_10401p.pdf.)
In a notice published in the Federal
Register on January 5, 2004 (69 FR 315-
317, Docket No. 03-101-1), APHIS
announced the receipt of the Monsanto/
Scotts petition and solicited comments
on whether the subject creeping
bentgrass would present a plant pest
risk. We solicited comments concerning
our notice for 60 days, ending March 5,
2004.
On September 24, 2004, APHIS
published in the Federal Register (69
FR 57257-57260, Docket No. 03-101-2)
a notice advising the public of our
decision to prepare an EIS as part of our
consideration of petition 03-104-01p.
Our decision was based on several
factors: (1) Data associated with the
petition, (2) a report prepared by the
Weed Science Society of America on the
weed management implications
associated with the potential
deregulation and commercialization of
glyphosate tolerant and glufosinate
tolerant creeping bentgrass varieties
(http://www.wssa.net/society/
bentgrass.pdf), (3) our preliminary risk
assessment (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/
brs/aphisdocs/03_10401p_ra.pdf), and
(4) public comments received in
response to the January 5, 2004, Federal
Register notice.
Pursuant to 40 CFR 1501.4(d), APHIS
initiated the scoping process as
mandated by the National
Environmental Policy Act, beginning
with the previously cited January 2004
Federal Register notice. The comment
period for the September 2004 notice of
intent was scheduled to close on
October 24, 2004. However, in a
document published in the Federal
Register on November 18, 2004 (Docket
No. 03-101-3, 69 FR 67532-67533), we
reopened that comment period until
December 2, 2004, to give interested
parties additional time to respond.
On April 11, 2005, APHIS published
a notice (70 FR 18352-18353, Docket
No. 03-101-4) announcing public
scoping meetings. The meetings were
held in Chevy Chase, MD, on May 3,
2005, and in Corvallis, OR, on May 18,
2005.
All comments that we received in
response to the January 2004, September
2004, November 2004, and April 2005
notices will be included as part of the
scoping process and need not be
resubmitted. You may read the
previously submitted comments on the
Internet or in our reading room (see
ADDRESSES above). When the draft EIS is
completed, we will publish a notice in
the Federal Register announcing its
availability and inviting the public to
comment on it. Following our
consideration of the comments received,
APHIS will prepare a final EIS; its
availability will also be announced in
the Federal Register along with a public
comment period, after which the Record
of Decision will be issued.
Done in Washington, DC, this 5th day of
October 2005.
Elizabeth E. Gaston,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
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