Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In a final rule published in the Federal Register on September 14, 2023, and effective on October 16, 2023, we amended the regulations governing the importation of equines to better align our regulations with international standards, as well as to clarify existing policy or intent, and correct inconsistencies or outdated information. However, in amending the regulations for horses that are refused entry, we neglected to account for rare and specific situations in which an imported horse's death during travel can be determined to be unrelated to foreign animal disease risk. Additionally, in aiming to improve the readability of the regulations governing equines imported from Canada, we inadvertently changed the regulations to incorrectly read that certificates for horses from Canada must be issued and endorsed, rather than issued or endorsed, by a salaried veterinarian of the Canadian Government. This document corrects those errors.

We are advising the public that we have prepared pest risk analyses that evaluate the risks associated with the importation of leaves and stems of rosemary and leaves and stems of tarragon from Ethiopia into the continental United States. Based on the analyses, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of rosemary and tarragon from Ethiopia. We are making the pest risk analyses available to the public for review and comment.

We are advising the public that we have added Kosovo and Mozambique to the list of regions that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service considers to be affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). These actions follow our imposition of HPAI-related restrictions on avian commodities originating from or transiting Kosovo or Mozambique, as a result of the confirmation of HPAI in these countries.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) and draft plant pest risk assessment (PPRA) evaluating the potential environmental impacts and plant pest risk that may result from the approval of a petition for nonregulated status for maize developed using genetic engineering for dicamba, glufosinate, quizalofop, and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic resistance with tissue- specific glyphosate resistance facilitating the production of hybrid maize seed. We are making the draft EIS and draft PPRA available for public review and comment.

We are giving notice that the Secretary of Agriculture is soliciting nominations for the election of a member at-large and regional members and their alternates for the General Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has received a petition from Bayer U.S.-Crop Science seeking a determination of nonregulated status for maize (corn) event MON 95379 that has been developed using genetic engineering to produce two insecticidal proteins to protect against feeding damage caused by target lepidopteran pests. We are making the petition available for review and comment to help us identify potential issues and impacts that we may determine should be considered in our evaluation of the petition.

We are advising the public of our decision to authorize the importation of fresh Ugu leaves (Telfairia occidentalis Hook.f.) from Nigeria into the continental United States. Based on findings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh Ugu leaves from Nigeria.

In accordance with the Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002, we are proposing to amend and republish the list of select agents and toxins that have the potential to pose a severe threat to animal or plant health, or to animal or plant products. This Act requires the biennial review and republication of the list of select agents and toxins and the revision of the list as necessary. This action would implement findings from the biennial review for the list. The biennial review was initiated within 2 years of the completion of the previous biennial review. In addition, we are proposing to add definitions for several terms; codify policies regarding the role of responsible officials and alternate responsible officials, conclusion of patient care, and annual internal inspections; and revise or clarify provisions related to validated inactivation procedures and viable select agent removal methods, recordkeeping, non-possession of select agents and toxins, electronic Federal Select Agent Programs, registration, Tier 1 enhancements, and exclusion of naturally infected animals. We are also proposing to add requirements for reporting discoveries of select agents and toxins, provisions regarding effluent decontamination system, biosafety provisions for facility verification requirements for registered biosafety level 3 and animal biosafety level 3 laboratories, a new requirement related to restricted experiments, and to correct editorial errors. These proposed changes would economically benefit producers, research and reference laboratories, and State and Federal oversight agencies, while also maintaining adequate program oversight of select agents and toxins.

We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with importation of fresh rhizomes of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) for consumption from Mexico into the United States. Based on the analysis, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh rhizomes of turmeric from Mexico. We are making the pest risk analysis available to the public for review and comment.