A comprehensive summary of today’s judicial, legislative, and regulatory developments in agriculture and food. Email important additions HERE.
ANNOUNCEMENT: HAPPENING TOMORROW! Register for the Fifth Annual Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference in Memphis, TN / June 8. CLE credit available! Additional information available here.
LEGISLATIVE:
S. 2991: A bill to amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to provide that cybersecurity and grid security improvements are eligible for electric loans and loan guarantees under that Act. Referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
S. 2993: A bill to amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to include energy storage as renewable energy under the Rural Energy for America Program. Referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
S. 2990: A bill to amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to clarify provisions enacted by the Captive Wildlife Safety Act to further the conservation of prohibited wildlife species. Referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
S. 2989: A bill to amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to encourage soil health. Referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
S. 2997: A bill to amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to advance carbon utilization technologies. Referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
H.R. 6008: To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to withdraw the outer Continental Shelf in the Mid-Atlantic planning area from disposition. Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
H.R. 6007: To release certain Federal land in California from wilderness study. Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
H.Res. 921: Expressing support for the designation of 2018 as the “Year of the Anacostia” and recognizing the Washington metropolitan area’s efforts and partnerships to restore the Anacostia River watershed. Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources and House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
H.R. 5996: To reauthorize and amend the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000. Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources and House Committee on the Judiciary.
REGULATORY: Includes APHIS, EPA, and NOAA rules and notices.
ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE:
Notice advising the public of our determination that Japan is free of classical swine fever (CSF) and swine vesicular disease (SVD). Based on an evaluation of the CSF and SVD status of Japan, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, the Administrator has determined that CSF and SVD are not present in Japan and that live swine, pork, and pork products may safely be imported into the United States from Japan subject to conditions in the regulations. Info here.
Notice advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared a preliminary determination regarding a request from Bayer CropScience LP seeking a determination of nonregulated status for cotton designated as event GHB811. Details here.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY:
Rule establishes tolerances for residues of acequinocyl in or on guava and the tropical and subtropical, small fruit, inedible peel, subgroup 24A. Interregional Research Project Number 4 (IR-4) requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). Details here.
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHIERC ADMINISTRATION:
Notice sets forth the proposed schedule and agenda of a forthcoming meeting of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC). Details here.
Notice the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Salmon Technical Team (STT) will hold a series of meetings to initiate the development of salmon rebuilding plans for Klamath River fall Chinook, Sacramento River fall Chinook, Strait of Juan de Fuca natural coho, Queets River natural coho, and Snohomish River natural coho. Details here.
Notice free Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops and Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops will be held in July, August, and September of 2018. Info here.
Notice NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to Garden State Offshore Energy, LLC (GSOE), to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during marine site characterization surveys off the coast of Delaware as part of the Skipjack Wind Project in the area of the Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy. Info here.