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Compliance agreement No. s-14-02

1. All shipments of soil must be in sturdy leak proof containers which will prevent spillage or pest escape in transit and while samples are waiting processing. Packages should be labeled "Contents--Soil Samples," have a permit label (PPQForm 550), and be accompanied by a copy of the permit. Packages of soil may move from the port of entry (POE) to the approved establishment only by bonded carrier or the US Postal Service.
2. Used shipping containers must be decontaminated by one of the treatments approved for soil (see 5 below) or destroyed by incineration. In cases where a large reusable container does not lend itself to heat treatment, it may be subjected to a sterilizing chemical rinse such as a 10% bleach solution. Soil residue must be collected and treated as such.
3. Soil samples will not be reshipped to other laboratories unless such laboratory has a valid permit and compliance agreement for foreign soil, or a valid compliance agreement for domestic soil.
4. Untreated soil may not be retained longer than 6 months without prior authorization from USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine. Untreated soil is subject to the following safeguards:
1. It must be stored only at the Soil Foodweb, Corvallis, OR.
2. It must be stored in leak proof containers and clearly marked to show country of origin and date collected.
3. Access to the storage and handling facilities must be limited to authorized personnel only.
4. Personnel who have access to the storage and handling facilities must be kept informed of USDA APHIS requirements and safeguards contained in this compliance agreement and in the USDA Soil Permit (PPQ Form 525).
5. All soil and soil residues not subjected to destructive analysis to eliminate any pest or disease risk. shall be treated with one of the schedules below:
1. Dry heat
   Temperature . . . . . . . . . .Exposure Period
   110---120.5degreesC . . . . (230-249degrees F) - 16 hours
   121 --- 154 degrees C . . . .(250 - 309 degrees F) - 2 hours
   154.5 - 192.5 degrees C . . .(310 - 379 degrees F) - 30 min.
   193 --- 220 degrees C . . . .(380 - 429 degrees F) - 4 min.
   221 --- 232 degrees C . . . .(430 - 450 degrees F) - 2 min.
   
   Note: Do not start counting time until entire mass reaches the required temperature.
   
2. Steam heat
   15 Lbs of pressure for 30 minutes. Individual packages should be 5 Lbs or less or, if in trays, the soil should not be more than 2 inches in depth.
   
   Note: Do not start timing until pressure reaches 15 pounds.
   
6. Any water residues (effluent) from the handling/processing of untreated soil samples must be treated by one of the following approved schedules before discarding, to control the possible hazard of pest spread:
1. a. autoclaving.
2. b. boiling for 1 minute.
3. c. subjecting effluent to destructive analysis which will eliminate any pest or disease risk.
4. d. For domestic origin soil samples from areas regulated by 7 CFR 301.80, .81, .85,
7. All spills of untreated soil outside the immediate processing area will be reported to the APHIS office in Portland, Oregon within 24 hours of the occurrence.
8. 8. All activities related to the removal and/or maintenance of organisms from the soil must be authorized by the proper authorities (State and/or Federal).
9. 9. When your facility has control over the collection of soils, the collectors are to be informed that, equipment and hand tools used for collecting soils in areas subject to Federal and/or State cooperative domestic plant quarantines are to be thoroughly cleaned of all soil residue at the collection site.
10. 10. Authorized personnel will maintain records showing the status and/or disposition of all shipments. These records must include the country of origin, amount of soil, date of entry and the date of destruction. The records will be made available to PPQ upon request.
11. USDA-APHIS-PPQ personnel shall be given access to Soil Foodweb, Corvallis, OR, to ascertain compliance with this agreement, during normal business hours.
12. This agreement may be canceled by the officer who is supervising its enforcement, orally or in writing, whenever the officer finds that this facility, its employees or agents have failed to comply with its conditions. If the cancellation is oral, the decision to cancel this agreement and the reason(s) for canceling shall be confirmed in writing as promptly as circumstances permit. Any cancellation may be appealed by writing to the Administrator within ten days after receiving written notification of the cancellation.
13. Any person who knowingly violates the Plant Protection Act (PPA) (7U.S.C. §§7701 et. Seq.) and/or the Animal Health Protection Act (AHPA) (7 U.S.C. §§ 8301 et. Seq.) may be criminally prosecuted and found guilty of a misdemeanor which can result in penalties, and one year prison term, or both. Additionally, any person violating the PPA and/or the AHPA may be assessed civil penalties of up to $250,000 per violation or twice the gross gain or gross loss for any violation that results in the person deriving pecuniary gain or causing pecuniary loss to another, whichever is greater.
14. Compliance Agreements and Departmental (Soil) permits are non-transferable. If you hold a Departmental (Soil) Permit and you leave your present employer or company, you must notify your local USDA office promptly. If permit material is to be used by other persons within the same company, those persons must be under the permittee's supervision or they must apply for their own permit. Notification to this office may help facilitate such circumstances. ***