On June 26, 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced it was seeking public comment on a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and a preliminary Plant Pest Risk Assessment (PPRA) prepared in response to a petition from Nuseed Americas Inc. (Nuseed) to deregulate a canola variety genetically engineered to convert oleic acid to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).  83 Fed. Reg. 29742.  APHIS will thoroughly review and consider all public input submitted during the comment period, and use the information as it works to complete, and then publish, final environmental documents and its regulatory determination.

The Federal Register notice states that APHIS’ draft PPRA “has concluded that canola designated as event B0050–027, which has been genetically engineered to accumulate the long chain omega-3 fatty acid known as [DHA] in seed, is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk” and APHIS’ draft EA presents two alternatives “based on our analysis of data submitted by Nuseed, a review of other scientific data, field tests conducted under APHIS oversight, and comments received on the petition.”  The alternatives are:  “(1) Take no action, i.e., APHIS would not change the regulatory status of canola designated as event B0050-027, or (2) make a determination of nonregulated status of canola designated as event B0050-027.”  APHIS requests comments to be submitted by July 26, 2018.