PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 16-484 WAC, Seed potato Y-N quarantine, the department is considering repealing the current seed potato Y-N quarantine.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: Chapters 17.24 and 34.05 RCW.
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The state national harmonization program for seed potatoes (SNHP) is a national standard for seed potato certification. When implemented, the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) will require seed potatoes moving interstate to comply with SNHP. Included in the SNHP is the requirement for participating states to comply with the United States-Canada necrotic virus management plan. Under this plan both the United States and Canada will manage four necrotic viruses, including PVY-n, through seed potato certification. This will change PVY-n from a quarantine pest to a regulated nonquarantine pest and make the current state quarantine requirements obsolete.
Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.
Process for Developing New Rule: Department staff will discuss any proposed amendments with affected stakeholders. Affected stakeholders will also have an opportunity to submit written comments on the proposed rules during the public comment period and will be able to present oral testimony at the public hearing.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Mary A. Martin Toohey, Assistant Director, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection Division, P.O. Box 42560, Olympia, WA 98504-2560, phone (360) 902-1907, fax (360) 902-2094, e-mail mtoohey@agr.wa.gov; or Tom Wessels, Program Manager, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection Division, P.O. Box 42560, Olympia, WA 98504-2560, phone (360) 902-1984, fax (360) 902-2094, e-mail twessels@agr.wa.gov.
November 14, 2006
Mary A. Martin Toohey
Assistant Director