USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will prepare a programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to “evaluate a range of alternatives” for updating its biotechnology regulations.

 

APHIS plans to publish a notice in the Federal Register this week asking for comments on what the agency should consider in the draft EIS, as well as on the definitions that APHIS plans to use.

 

Since 1987, APHIS said it has been considering amending its regulations that address “introductions of the products of biotechnology that may pose plant pest or noxious weed risks to reflect lessons learned from regulating biotechnology products, reflect advances in biotechnology and address comments and suggestions raised by stakeholders.”  It added that the update to the regulations would “increase the efficiency and precision of our regulations.”

 

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