Availability of Draft Environmental Assessment and Preliminary Plant Pest Risk Assessment for Petition to Deregulate GE Canola with Altered Oil Profile

June 25, 2018

Dear BRS Stakeholder,

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking public comment on a draft Environmental Assessment (dEA) and 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). DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid that supports brain development and protects neurological function. Nuseed’s DHA canola accumulates a substantially higher concentration of DHA in the seed oil compared to other conventional canola varieties.

This notice may be viewed in the Federal Register. Beginning tomorrow, the public will be able to submit comments on the dEA and preliminary PPRA for 30 days through July 26, 2018, at: https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=APHIS-2017-0096. These documents can be accessed now on the News and Information page of the BRS website.

APHIS will thoroughly review and consider all public input submitted during the comment period, and use the information as we work to complete, and then publish, final environmental documents and our regulatory determination.