US Government Seeks Comments on Wood Packaging

In an effort to stem the spread of plant pests such as the Asian longhorned beetle, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking industry comments on regulatory options.

“We are soliciting public comment on regulatory options that could be applied to wood packaging material (e.g., crates, dunnage, wooden spools, pallets, packing blocks) used in domestic commerce to decrease the risk of the artificial spread of plant pests such as the emerald ash borer and the Asian longhorned beetle,” said an announcement in the Federal Register. “These and other plant pests that could be transported interstate by wood packaging material pose a serious threat to US agriculture and to natural, cultivated, and urban forests. We are also announcing our intent to prepare an environmental impact statement on various potential pest mitigation measures and opening a public scoping period for this document,” it continued.

Comments are due October 26, 2009. For more information: http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2009-0016