# 2025-15702: USDA Backs Off GMO Environmental Probes, Speeds Up Approvals

2025-15702, Petitions Seeking Determination of Nonregulated Status; Notice of Intent of Withdrawal of Notices of Intent, is a Federal Register notice from Agriculture Department, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service published 2025-08-18, effective 2025-07-09 (as of 2026-06-08).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-15702
- As of: 2026-06-08
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2025-15702
- Title: Petitions Seeking Determination of Nonregulated Status; Notice of Intent of Withdrawal of Notices of Intent
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Agriculture Department; Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- Citation: 90 FR 40050
- Published: 2025-08-18
- Effective: 2025-07-09
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-08

## In one line

USDA Backs Off GMO Environmental Probes, Speeds Up Approvals

## Summary

The USDA’s APHIS is stopping its plans to prepare environmental reports for two requests about genetically engineered organisms. This change means APHIS won’t do these extra reviews anymore starting July 9, 2025. People waiting on these decisions should know the process is speeding up, with no extra costs announced.

## Abstract

This notice advises the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is withdrawing notices of intent to prepare environmental impact statements for two petitions seeking determinations of nonregulated status for organisms developed using genetic engineering. APHIS' decision to withdraw the notices of intent is consistent with APHIS' July 9, 2025 Program Update that as of that date, APHIS will no longer prepare an analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act to accompany its review of petitions seeking a determination of nonregulated status. This document provides public notice of this withdrawal.

## Effects PRIA read

- APHIS Stops NEPA Reviews for GMO Petitions: benefit, medium. APHIS is withdrawing notices of intent to prepare environmental impact statements for two petitions and, as of July 9, 2025, will no longer prepare National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analyses to accompany its review of petitions seeking determinations of nonregulated status for organisms deve…

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## Sources
- [2025-15702 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/18/2025-15702/petitions-seeking-determination-of-nonregulated-status-notice-of-intent-of-withdrawal-of-notices-of)
- [2025-15702 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-08-18/pdf/2025-15702.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2025-15701, Agency Information Collection Activities; Extension, Without Change, of a Curre…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-15701)
- [Next: 2025-15711, Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-15711)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-15702 (as of 2026-06-08).