USDA Announces Deregulation of GE Creeping Bentgrass

Dear BRS Stakeholder,

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announces today the deregulation to The Scotts Company’s and Monsanto Company’s creeping bentgrass genetically engineered (GE) for resistance to the herbicide glyphosate. This notice also announces the availability of our Record of Decision (ROD) for the published Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The ROD describes the alternatives considered and documents APHIS’ decision to deregulate based on a thorough review of the potential environmental impacts in accordance with the agency’s National Environmental Policy Act implementing regulations, and its plant pest authority under the Plant Protection Act. APHIS concluded in its Final Plant Pest Risk Assessment (PPRA) that this variety of creeping bentgrass is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk to agricultural crops or other plants in the United States.

Notice of this determination will be published in the Federal Register on January 18, 2017. A copy of the petition, record of decision for the final EIS, final PPRA, final regulatory decision, and supporting documents can be found on the News and Information page of the BRS website.