The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is allowing another 45 days for comments on its plans to overhaul its biotechnology regulations and the scope of a planned environmental impact statement.

 

After receiving requests from industry and environmental groups for a 60-day extension, APHIS today said it would extend the deadline for comments from March 7 to April 21.

 

 “We are fully committed to engaging constructively with APHIS to help the agency reach its regulatory goals and to develop a successful, broadly-supported system of regulation,” said one such request from 24 farm and food groups. The regulatory system, the request went on, should provide “risk-appropriate oversight that is consistent with the need for growers to have timely, reliable access to the products of innovative breeding techniques while at the same time not disrupting access to markets.”

 

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