Poster: Professionalism Outreach: Outreach & Engagement
801-P
eFile and the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) PPQ Pest Permitting Process
J. ABAD (1), J. Abad (1) (1) USDA-APHIS, U.S.A.
USDA APHIS safeguards U.S. agriculture against the entry, establishment, and spread of economically and environmentally significant pests. APHIS PPQ uses a permit type called the “PPQ 526 permit” to regulate the interstate movement and importation of plant pathogens (such as bacteria, fungi), pests (such as insects and nematodes), and biocontrols. We currently issue permits through ePermits, a web-based system that allows users to submit and track applications. PPQ receives over 6,000 of these applications per year. The average processing time is 80 days. Depending on the risk of the organism(s) requested, we may require that the work to be done in a USDA APHIS- inspected containment facility to adequately contain the organisms. This may increase processing time as PPQ determines if the facility is adequate. In most cases, this applies for the receipt of foreign organisms, federal quarantine pests, and diagnostic facilities. APHIS is developing a new permitting system known as “eFile” which we will deploy soon. We expect that this new system could substantially reduce the processing time for certain permits.