Petition To Amend Animal Welfare Act Regulations To Prohibit Public Contact With Big Cats, Bears, and Nonhuman Primates, 41257-41258 [2016-14976]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 122 / Friday, June 24, 2016 / Proposed Rules
Latah
Lewis
Nez Perce
Shoshone
Washington:
Adams
Asotin
Chelan (Does not include the North Cascades National Park portion)
Douglas
Ferry
Garfield
Grant
Kittitas (Does not include the Yakima
Firing Range portion)
Lincoln
Okanogan
Pend Oreille
Stevens
Whitman
Switzerland
Union
Kentucky:
Bracken
Carroll
Gallatin
Grant
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Pendleton
Ohio:
Adams
Brown
Butler
Highland
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Dayton
*
Ohio:
Champaign
Clark
Greene
Miami
Montgomery
Preble
Area of Application. Survey area plus:
Indiana:
Randolph
Wayne
Ohio:
Auglaize
Clinton
Darke
Logan
Shelby
*
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*
*
[FR Doc. 2016–14912 Filed 6–23–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325–39–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
9 CFR Parts 2 and 3
[Docket No. APHIS–2012–0107]
sradovich on DSK3TPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
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WASHINGTON
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Southeastern Washington-Eastern Oregon
Survey Area
Oregon:
Umatilla
Washington:
Benton
Franklin
Walla Walla
Yakima
Area of Application. Survey area plus:
Oregon:
Baker
Grant
Harney
Malheur
Morrow
Union
Wallowa
Wheeler
Washington:
Columbia
Kittitas (Only includes the Yakima Firing
Range portion)
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Survey Area
Washington:
Spokane
Area of Application. Survey area plus:
Idaho:
Benewah
Bonner
Boundary
Clearwater
Idaho
Kootenai
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:15 Jun 23, 2016
Jkt 238001
Petition To Amend Animal Welfare Act
Regulations To Prohibit Public Contact
With Big Cats, Bears, and Nonhuman
Primates
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; reopening of comment
period.
AGENCY:
We are reopening the
comment period for a petition
requesting amendments to the Animal
Welfare Act regulations and standards
pertaining to physical contact with
dangerous animals. We are especially
interested in receiving public comments
on the additional questions included in
this notice. We are providing
information about upcoming virtual
stakeholder listening sessions and other
efforts intended to gather additional
public comment. This action will allow
interested persons additional time to
prepare and submit comments and
further inform our thinking on the
handling of dangerous animals.
DATES: The comment period for the
notice published on August 5, 2013 (78
FR 47215) and reopened on October 24,
2013 (78 FR 63408) is reopened. We will
consider all comments that we receive
on or before August 31, 2016. The
virtual listening sessions described in
this notice will be held on Wednesday,
June 29, 2016, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
41257
eastern time (ET); Wednesday, July 6,
2016, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET; and
Thursday, August 4, 2016, from 1 p.m.
to 3 p.m. ET. Registration is required to
participate in the listening sessions.
Links for registering to participate in the
virtual listening sessions are included in
the Web site in footnote 2 below.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
by either of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0107.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:
Send your comment to Docket No.
APHIS–2012–0107, Regulatory Analysis
and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station
3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118,
Riverdale, MD 20737–1238.
Supporting documents and any
comments we receive on this docket
may be viewed at https://
www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0107 or
in our reading room, which is located in
room 1141 of the USDA South Building,
14th Street and Independence Avenue
SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading
room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except
holidays. To be sure someone is there to
help you, please call (202) 799–7039
before coming.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
Barbara Kohn, Senior Staff Veterinarian,
Animal Care, APHIS, 4700 River Road
Unit 84, Riverdale, MD 20737–1234;
(301) 851–3751.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
On August 5, 2013, we published in
the Federal Register (78 FR 47215–
47217, Docket No. APHIS–2012–0107) a
notice 1 making available for comment a
petition requesting amendments to the
Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulations
and standards, including amendments
to prohibit licensees from allowing
individuals, with certain exceptions,
from coming into direct or physical
contact with big cats, bears, or
nonhuman primates of any age, to
define the term ‘‘sufficient distance,’’
and to prohibit the public handling of
young or immature big cats, bears, and
nonhuman primates.
Comments were required to be
received on or before October 4, 2013.
In a subsequent notice published
October 24, 2013 (78 FR 63408), we
reopened the comment period for an
additional 45 days to November 18,
2013. We received 15,379 comments.
We are again reopening the comment
period and will accept all comments we
receive on or before August 31, 2016.
1 To view the notice, petition, and the comments
we received, go to https://www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0107.
E:\FR\FM\24JNP1.SGM
24JNP1
sradovich on DSK3TPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
41258
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 122 / Friday, June 24, 2016 / Proposed Rules
We are especially interested in receiving
public comments on the questions
presented below. Responses to these
questions will help further inform our
thinking on the handling of dangerous
animals:
1. What factors and characteristics
should determine if a type of animal is
suitable for public contact? When the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) describes an animal as
dangerous, there are certain
characteristics we use to classify the
animals, such as the size, strength, and
instinctual behavior of an animal, risk of
disease transmission between animals
and humans (i.e., zoonoses such as
Herpes B), and ability to safely and
humanely handle (or control) the animal
in all situations.
2. What animals should APHIS
consider including under the definition
of dangerous animals? For example, are
all nonhuman primates dangerous? We
currently identify some animals as
dangerous, including, but not limited to,
nondomestic felids (such as lions, tigers,
jaguars, mountain lions, cheetahs, and
any hybrids thereof), wolves, bears,
certain nonhuman primates (such as
gorillas, chimps, and macaques),
elephants, hippopotamuses,
rhinoceroses, moose, bison, camels, and
common animals known to carry rabies.
3. What animals may pose a public
health risk and why? What risks does
public contact with dangerous animals
present to the individual animal and the
species and why?
4. What are the best methods of
permanent, usable animal identification
for dangerous animals?
5. What are the most humane training
techniques to use with dangerous
animals?
6. What scientific information (peerreviewed journals preferred) is available
that identifies the appropriate weaning
ages for nondomestic felids, bears,
elephants, wolves, nonhuman primates,
and other dangerous animals?
7. What industry, organizational, or
governmental standards have been
published for the handling and care of
dangerous animals?
8. What constitutes sufficient barriers
for enclosures around dangerous
animals to keep members of the public
away from the animals? What methods
(structures, distance, attendants, etc.)
are needed to prevent entry of the
public into an enclosure and keep the
animal safe while still allowing for
meaningful viewing?
In addition to inviting the public to
comment on these questions, we are
making available for the public a Web
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:15 Jun 23, 2016
Jkt 238001
site 2 containing background
information on the topics explained in
this notice. We also plan to convene
three virtual listening sessions during
the summer, allowing stakeholders to
participate regardless of their location
before the close of the public comment
period. The dates of each virtual
listening session are as follows:
• June 29, 2016, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
eastern time (ET);
• July 6, 2016, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET;
and
• August 4, 2016, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET.
Persons wishing to participate in the
virtual listening sessions are required to
register prior to the session. Links for
registering to participate in each
listening session are included in the
Web site in footnote 2. Upon
registration, participants will be
provided with a call-in number and
access code. The virtual listening
sessions will provide the public with
opportunities to share their views on the
handling of dangerous animals and
provide us with additional material to
inform our thinking on this topic.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2131–2159; 7 CFR 2.22,
2.80, and 371.7.
Done in Washington, DC, this 21st day of
June 2016.
William H. Clay,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2016–14976 Filed 6–23–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
10 CFR Part 72
[Docket No. PRM–72–6; NRC–2008–0649]
Petition for Rulemaking Submitted by
C–10 Research and Education
Foundation, Inc.
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Petition for rulemaking; denial.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is denying Requests
4 and 9 of a petition for rulemaking
(PRM), dated November 24, 2008, filed
by Ms. Sandra Gavutis, Executive
Director of C–10 Research and
Education Foundation, Inc. (the
petitioner). The petitioner requested
that the NRC amend its regulations
concerning dry cask safety, security,
transferability, and longevity. The
petitioner made 12 specific requests.
SUMMARY:
2 https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/
animalwelfare/Handling-Dangerous-AnimalsFeedback-Page.
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
The NRC previously denied 9 of these
requests and accepted 1 request for
consideration in the rulemaking
process. Two remaining requests were
reserved for future rulemaking
determinations. The purpose of this
Federal Register notice is to announce
the NRC’s final decision to deny these
two remaining requests.
DATES: The docket for the petition for
rulemaking, PRM–72–6, is closed on
June 24, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID
NRC–2008–0649 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of
information for this action. You may
obtain publicly-available information
related to this action by any of the
following methods:
• Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov and search
for Docket ID NRC–2008–0649. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol
Gallagher; telephone: 301–415–3463;
email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For
technical questions, contact the
individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
document.
• NRC’s Agencywide Documents
Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may obtain publiclyavailable documents online in the
ADAMS Public Documents collection at
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/
adams.html. To begin the search, select
‘‘ADAMS Public Documents’’ and then
select ‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS
Search.’’ For problems with ADAMS,
please contact the NRC’s Public
Document Room (PDR) reference staff at
1–800–397–4209, 301–415–4737, or by
email to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The
ADAMS accession number for each
document referenced (if it is available in
ADAMS) is provided the first time that
it is mentioned in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section.
• NRC’s PDR: You may examine and
purchase copies of public documents at
the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville
Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Torre Taylor, telephone: 301–415–7900,
email: Torre.Taylor@nrc.gov; or Haile
Lindsay, telephone: 301–415–0616,
email: Haile.Lindsay@nrc.gov; both of
the Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington DC 20555–
0001.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. The Petition
Section 2.802 of title 10 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (10 CFR),
‘‘Petition for rulemaking,’’ provides an
E:\FR\FM\24JNP1.SGM
24JNP1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 122 (Friday, June 24, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 41257-41258]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-14976]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
9 CFR Parts 2 and 3
[Docket No. APHIS-2012-0107]
Petition To Amend Animal Welfare Act Regulations To Prohibit
Public Contact With Big Cats, Bears, and Nonhuman Primates
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; reopening of comment period.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are reopening the comment period for a petition requesting
amendments to the Animal Welfare Act regulations and standards
pertaining to physical contact with dangerous animals. We are
especially interested in receiving public comments on the additional
questions included in this notice. We are providing information about
upcoming virtual stakeholder listening sessions and other efforts
intended to gather additional public comment. This action will allow
interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments and
further inform our thinking on the handling of dangerous animals.
DATES: The comment period for the notice published on August 5, 2013
(78 FR 47215) and reopened on October 24, 2013 (78 FR 63408) is
reopened. We will consider all comments that we receive on or before
August 31, 2016. The virtual listening sessions described in this
notice will be held on Wednesday, June 29, 2016, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
eastern time (ET); Wednesday, July 6, 2016, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET;
and Thursday, August 4, 2016, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. Registration is
required to participate in the listening sessions. Links for
registering to participate in the virtual listening sessions are
included in the Web site in footnote 2 below.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0107.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2012-0107, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may
be viewed at https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012-
0107 or in our reading room, which is located in room 1141 of the USDA
South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington,
DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you,
please call (202) 799-7039 before coming.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Barbara Kohn, Senior Staff
Veterinarian, Animal Care, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 84, Riverdale,
MD 20737-1234; (301) 851-3751.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
On August 5, 2013, we published in the Federal Register (78 FR
47215-47217, Docket No. APHIS-2012-0107) a notice \1\ making available
for comment a petition requesting amendments to the Animal Welfare Act
(AWA) regulations and standards, including amendments to prohibit
licensees from allowing individuals, with certain exceptions, from
coming into direct or physical contact with big cats, bears, or
nonhuman primates of any age, to define the term ``sufficient
distance,'' and to prohibit the public handling of young or immature
big cats, bears, and nonhuman primates.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ To view the notice, petition, and the comments we received,
go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0107.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comments were required to be received on or before October 4, 2013.
In a subsequent notice published October 24, 2013 (78 FR 63408), we
reopened the comment period for an additional 45 days to November 18,
2013. We received 15,379 comments.
We are again reopening the comment period and will accept all
comments we receive on or before August 31, 2016.
[[Page 41258]]
We are especially interested in receiving public comments on the
questions presented below. Responses to these questions will help
further inform our thinking on the handling of dangerous animals:
1. What factors and characteristics should determine if a type of
animal is suitable for public contact? When the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) describes an animal as dangerous, there are
certain characteristics we use to classify the animals, such as the
size, strength, and instinctual behavior of an animal, risk of disease
transmission between animals and humans (i.e., zoonoses such as Herpes
B), and ability to safely and humanely handle (or control) the animal
in all situations.
2. What animals should APHIS consider including under the
definition of dangerous animals? For example, are all nonhuman primates
dangerous? We currently identify some animals as dangerous, including,
but not limited to, nondomestic felids (such as lions, tigers, jaguars,
mountain lions, cheetahs, and any hybrids thereof), wolves, bears,
certain nonhuman primates (such as gorillas, chimps, and macaques),
elephants, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, moose, bison, camels, and
common animals known to carry rabies.
3. What animals may pose a public health risk and why? What risks
does public contact with dangerous animals present to the individual
animal and the species and why?
4. What are the best methods of permanent, usable animal
identification for dangerous animals?
5. What are the most humane training techniques to use with
dangerous animals?
6. What scientific information (peer-reviewed journals preferred)
is available that identifies the appropriate weaning ages for
nondomestic felids, bears, elephants, wolves, nonhuman primates, and
other dangerous animals?
7. What industry, organizational, or governmental standards have
been published for the handling and care of dangerous animals?
8. What constitutes sufficient barriers for enclosures around
dangerous animals to keep members of the public away from the animals?
What methods (structures, distance, attendants, etc.) are needed to
prevent entry of the public into an enclosure and keep the animal safe
while still allowing for meaningful viewing?
In addition to inviting the public to comment on these questions,
we are making available for the public a Web site \2\ containing
background information on the topics explained in this notice. We also
plan to convene three virtual listening sessions during the summer,
allowing stakeholders to participate regardless of their location
before the close of the public comment period. The dates of each
virtual listening session are as follows:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalwelfare/Handling-Dangerous-Animals-Feedback-Page.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 29, 2016, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. eastern time (ET);
July 6, 2016, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET; and
August 4, 2016, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET.
Persons wishing to participate in the virtual listening sessions
are required to register prior to the session. Links for registering to
participate in each listening session are included in the Web site in
footnote 2. Upon registration, participants will be provided with a
call-in number and access code. The virtual listening sessions will
provide the public with opportunities to share their views on the
handling of dangerous animals and provide us with additional material
to inform our thinking on this topic.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2131-2159; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.7.
Done in Washington, DC, this 21st day of June 2016.
William H. Clay,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-14976 Filed 6-23-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
