PPQ 588 Application for Permit to Import Plants or Plant Product

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0579-0049. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average .25 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.							OMB APPROVED 0579-0049 Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE PLANT PROTECTION AND QUARANTINE APPLICATION FOR CONTROLLED IMPORT PERMIT (CIP) TO IMPORT RESTRICTED OR NOT AUTHORIZED PLANT MATERIAL			INSTRUCTIONS: TO BE COMPLETED AND SIGNED BY THE PERSON WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PLANT MATERIAL IN THE U.S. PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE. READ THE ENTIRE APPLICATION BEFORE COMPLETING. CONTINUE ON REVERSE IF NECESSARY. CITE ITEM NUMBER CONTINUED.		FORWARD COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: U.S. Department of Agriculture APHIS/Plant Protection and Quarantine Permit Unit 4700 River Road, Unit 133 Riverdale, MD 20737-1236 PHONE:1-877-770-5990 FAX: 301-734-8529
1. Applicant’s contact information (Last Name, First Name, and Title): Professional organization: Physical mailing address: TELEPHONE: ( ) FAX: ( ) EMAIL:
2. Address and/or location (GPS coordinates) where work will be performed:
3. (a) Will the imported plant material be planted or grown in the U.S. for any purpose? Yes No (b) Will the imported plant material be released into the natural environment? Yes No (c) Will the imported plant material be rendered incapable of propagation or destroyed during the duration of the permit? Yes No
4. Plants or plant products intended to be imported:
Country of Origin	Quantity of Plant Units Per Shipment	Total Number of Shipments		Scientific Names of Plant Material		Plant Parts to be Imported
5. Conveyance of intended importation:
6. Describe methods that will be applied during importation to maintain control of plant material and prevent exposure or transmission of any associated plant pests and pathogens to the environment. List supporting documents in Section 12:

PPQ FORM 588 (Previous editions obsolete.)

DEC 2012

7. Proposed control and monitoring of the plant material during the duration of permit: Growth chamber Laboratory Greenhouse Exterior screen house Field or open environment Alternative proposal (list supporting documents in Section 12):
8. The imported plant material is genetically engineered as regulated by 7 CFR Part 340, and requires a USDA/APHIS/Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) permit or authorization which will accompany the importation.   Please contact BRS via phone (301) 851-3935 or email Biotechquery@aphis.usda.gov for additional assistance regarding to these requirements. No - Imported plant materials are not regulated by 7 CFR Part 340. Yes - Plant material will be imported with a valid BRS Permit or Notification (in addition to the CIP).
9. Is the plant material or any part thereof known or suspected of being exposed to, or infected or contaminated with, any plant pest or pathogen? Indicate and describe. Additional information can be listed in Section 12. No. The plant material was produced in such a way to prevent exposure to plant pests: Potentially infected but will be sterilized sufficiently to destroy plant pests: Potentially infected but will receive therapy to eliminate pests: Potentially infected with intent to extract, identify, or propagate plant pests: (A PPQ 526 permit (Permit to Move Live Plant Pests, Noxious Weeds, Soil, and Prohibited Plants) will also be required.) Potentially infected, with other considerations. Please provide clarification:
10. If the plant material is intended for propagation purposes, provide the name and contact information of the supervisory plant pathologist and/or horticulturalist designated to monitor the plants at the approved facility throughout the duration of the permit. Not applicable; no propagation intended. Contact information:
11. Final disposition of imported plant materials, or of plants grown from imported plant materials, growing media, and residues and products thereof: Incineration Autoclaving (minimum of 15 minutes at 15 lbs. per square inch at 121 o C / 250 o F) Chemical sterilization (describe process) Other (describe process) Proposed date of final disposition/termination of permit:
12. This area may be used to continue any item on the form or to identify supporting documents. Cite the item number being continued or supported.
13. I am the person who will be responsible for the plant material described in Section 4. above. I agree to observe the conditions specified on a permit which may be issued by APHIS. I understand that inspection and approval of the facilities to be used for imported plant materials may be required before a permit is issued and during the duration of the permit. I understand that the kinds of plant materials listed in Section 4. may not be released or sold in the U.S. without proper authorization from USDA/APHIS.  By completing this section I am affirming my request for authorization to import plant commodities as stated in this application and will be responsible for the authorized material.
Signature of Applicant	Date

PPQ FORM 588 (Reverse)

DEC 2012

Instructions for Completing PPQ Form 588 - Application for Controlled Import Permit (CIP)

To Import Restricted or Not Authorized Plant Material

Please TYPE or PRINT legibly. Do not leave any boxes unfilled. For items that do not apply, please enter “N/A.” All information provided with the PPQ Form 588 is for the intention of receiving a permit from USDA/APHIS/PPQ to import plant material. USDA/APHIS/PPQ maintains all Federal requirements for protecting Personal Identifiable Information (PII) and does not disclose this information except as allowed by Federal authorization.

Section 1. Applicant’s contact information. Provide information specific to the applicant such as the applicant’s title (Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc.), the applicant’s first and last name, and the name of the applicant’s professional organization. This will facilitate appropriate communication between PPQ and the applicant. Providing the physical address allows PPQ to provide the applicant with any supporting documents in addition to electronic correspondence. Providing the telephone, fax, and electronic communication information allows PPQ to directly contact the applicant for purposes related to the application.

Section 2. Address and/or location (GPS coordinates) of the U.S. facility where work will be performed. In some cases, the address of the facility is different from the contact address of the applicant. In some situations, the GPS coordinates may be necessary to properly identify the location where the work will be conducted.

Section 3. (a) This applies to imported plant material that the applicant intends to grow or propagate in the U.S. by any method that will extend the life span of the imported material or increase the number of individuals by sexual or asexual methods. (b) This identifies any imported plant material that will be exposed, introduced, or incorporated into a farm, biome, garden, nursery, or natural environment. (c) This identifies whether the imported plant material will be destroyed or rendered sufficiently incapable of being propagated during the valid timeframe of the permit.

Section 4. Identify plant material by the country of origin, quantity of plant units (whole plant or tissue culture replicates, separated parts of the plant, such as, but not limited to, roots, bulbs, tubers, stems, trunk or bole, leaves, flower, fruit, seed, or any other part of a plant), number of shipments, and scientific name. This is necessary to allow PPQ to determine the specific quarantine restrictions and appropriate mitigation measures.

Section 5. Identify how plant material will be imported (air freight, vehicle, ship, small parcel, commercial carrier, international or domestic mail, hand carry). Generally hand-carried imports are not approved as the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection’s capacity to adequately inspect them within passenger clearance areas is limited. Also, security protocol restrictions are time consuming, often causing damage or loss of the imported plant material and long delays to the importer. Consequently, hand-carried imports will be authorized on a case-by-case basis and will require additional justification.

Section 6. Describe the specific methods that will be applied during the import process until the plant material arrives at the approved U.S. facility to maintain control of the material and prevent the possibility of exposure or transmission of associated plant pests and pathogens to the environment. Examples include, but are not limited to, double packaging, netting, isolation, flasks, sterile media, propagation processes, therapy verification, and validation of pest freedom.

Section 7. Describe how the plant material will be stored, grown, and/or propagated to prevent the introduction of associated plant pests and pathogens to the environment. This should include storage conditions for plant material intended for destructive analysis as well as growing/propagation conditions for plant material not for destructive analysis. Please note that mobile plant pests that could be associated with the plant material must be taken into consideration when proposing adequate control measures.

Section 8. If the imported plant material is genetically engineered, it may also be regulated by APHIS/BRS under 7 CFR Part 340. If the genetically-engineered plant material meets the definition of a regulated article under 7 CFR Part 340, an additional authorization (a BRS import notification or BRS import permit) is required and must also accompany the importation.   Please contact BRS by phone at (301) 851-3935 or via email at Biotechquery@aphis.usda.gov for additional assistance regarding their requirements. The APHIS/BRS URL is: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/biotechnology

Section 9. Indicate whether the plant material has been produced in such a manner to prevent/eliminate contamination with any plant pest or pathogen, if the imported material has potentially been exposed, and what method will be used to eliminate the plant pests after importation. If the intent is to isolate and identify plant pests or pathogens (diagnostics) from the imported plant material, the applicant must also apply for a PPQ 526 permit (Permit to Move Live Plant Pests, Noxious Weeds, Soil, and Prohibited Plants). If the previous conditions do not apply, provide a description of the proposal, justification for consideration, and appropriate control measures.

Section 10. In addition to verification and inspection conducted by PPQ, the permit holder is responsible for providing oversight of the plants while propagated and maintained as authorized within the permit. Please provide the name and contact information of a plant pathologist and/or horticulturalist who agrees to monitor the permitted plants at the approved facility for the duration of the permit. These individuals are not required to make quarantine decisions about the plants nor a determination of the quarantine status. The intent is to have individuals with knowledge about plant health who, if the plants become infested with a plant pest during the duration of the permit, will inform the applicant, who will inform the local PPQ State Plant Health Director, within a reasonable amount of time. These individuals are not liable or under responsibility other than to communicate changes in the health status of the plants.

Section 11. Describe how the imported plant materials, plants grown from imported plant materials, growing media, and residues and products thereof will be disposed of, sterilized, and/or cleaned on or before the expiration date of the permit. Permits are eligible for renewal following APHIS review of a new application.

Section 12. This area may be used to continue any item on the form or to identify supporting documents. Indicate which item on the form this information is referring to. Additional documents may accompany the application for clarification purposes and to provide PPQ with additional information that could be useful in making a determination to the permit requirements.

Section 13. By inserting his/her signature, the applicant understands that APHIS will review his/her qualifications to maintain the plant material in addition to the adequacy of the facilities that will be used. All information provided in this application is subject to verification, validation, and inspection before a permit is issued. The applicant agrees to adhere to the requirements that may accompany the permit upon issuance and will be responsible for the authorized plant material throughout the duration of the permit. Authority to approve the importation of the plant material proposed in this application is maintained by USDA/APHIS/PPQ as authorized within the Code of Federal Regulations.

DEC 2012