Establishment-Specific Data Release Strategic Plan, 2092-2094 [2015-00434]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS–2014–0032]
Establishment-Specific Data Release
Strategic Plan
Food Safety and Inspection
Service, USDA.
AGENCY:
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Notice and request for
comments.
ACTION:
FSIS is announcing the
availability of the Agency’s draft
Establishment-Specific Data Release
Strategic Plan (the draft Plan) for
sharing data on federally inspected meat
and poultry establishments with the
public. FSIS developed the Plan in
response to memoranda released by
President Obama and the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) that
called for increased data sharing; an
Executive Order for agencies to develop
plans for making information available
to the public; National Advisory
Committee on Meat and Poultry
Inspection (NACMPI) recommendations;
and a National Research Council (NRC)
review. FSIS is seeking public
comments on the draft Plan.
DATES: Submit comments on or before
March 16, 2015.
ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested
persons to submit comments on the
draft data release Plan. Comments may
be submitted by one of the following
methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: This
Web site provides the ability to type
short comments directly into the
comment field on this Web page or
attach a file for lengthier comments. Go
to https://www.regulations.gov/. Follow
the online instructions at that site for
submitting comments.
Mail, CD–ROMs: Send to Docket
Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Food Safety and Inspection Service,
Patriots Plaza 3, 1400 Independence
Avenue SW., Mailstop 3782, Room
8–163B, Washington, DC 20250–3700.
Hand- or courier-delivered submittals:
Deliver to Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E Street
SW., Room 8–163A, Washington, DC
20250–3700.
Instructions: All items submitted by
mail or electronic mail must include the
Agency name and docket number FSIS–
2014–0032. Comments received in
response to this docket will be made
available for public inspection and
posted without change, including any
personal information, to https://
www.regulations.gov.
Docket: For access to background
documents or to comments received, go
to the FSIS Docket Room at Patriots
Plaza 3, 355 E Street SW., Room 164–
A, Washington, DC 20250–3700
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
SUMMARY:
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Dr.
Daniel L. Engeljohn, Assistant
Administrator, Office of Policy and
Program Development; Telephone: (202)
205–0495.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Background
The Food Safety and Inspection
Service (FSIS) administers a regulatory
program under the Federal Meat
Inspection Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601 et
seq.), the Poultry Products Inspection
Act (PPIA) (21 U.S.C. 451 et seq.), and
the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA)
(21 U.S.C. 1031 et seq.) to protect the
health and welfare of consumers. The
Agency is responsible for ensuring that
the nation’s commercial supply of meat,
poultry, and egg products is safe,
wholesome, not adulterated, and
correctly labeled and packaged.
FSIS inspects these products at
official slaughtering and processing
establishments, verifying that the
establishments meet regulatory
requirements and enforcing those
requirements as necessary.
Additionally, FSIS employees
(inspectors, veterinarians, laboratorians,
and Enforcement, Investigations, and
Analysis Officers (EIAOs)) perform a
variety of activities, including
conducting inspections, ensuring
compliance with existing regulations,
and collecting and testing
microbiological and chemical residue
samples to verify whether
establishments maintain Hazard
Analysis and Critical Control Point
(HACCP) or other food safety systems
that address these hazards. While
conducting these activities and
performing many other key functions,
FSIS collects a large volume of
establishment-specific data on
pathogens and residues. For example,
FSIS collects data on regulated,
domestic slaughter and processing
establishments and on product imported
from foreign countries with inspection
systems equivalent to that of the United
States.
FSIS produces reports using this data
for internal use, as well as reports and
data shared publicly through the
Agency’s Web site 1 and other public
communication venues. FSIS aggregates
most of the data it shares with the
1 For more information, please visit: https://
www.fsis.usda.gov.
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 10 / Thursday, January 15, 2015 / Notices
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public or provides the data in summary
format.
On January 21, 2009, President
Obama issued a ‘‘Memorandum on
Transparency and Open Government’’,2
intended to promote increased public
trust in the Government through ‘‘a
system of transparency, public
participation, and collaboration.’’ A
month later, OMB sent a memorandum
to Executive Departments and agencies
on ‘‘The President’s Memorandum on
Transparency and Open Government—
Interagency Collaboration,’’ 3 which
enclosed a copy of the Presidential
memorandum and announced plans for
developing a directive on transparency,
participation, and collaboration across
Government and with groups outside
the Government. On December 8, 2009,
OMB issued the Open Government
Directive, requiring the Departments
and agencies to take various steps
toward creating a more open
Government, such as by publishing
information online in an open format
that is available to the public without
restrictions.4
In 2010, in response to the
memoranda and directive discussed in
the preceding paragraph, and a desire to
more publicly share data collected by
the Agency, FSIS began exploring how
best to share establishment-specific data
with the public. As a first step, FSIS
consulted NACMPI, which
recommended that FSIS obtain guidance
from the National Academies or other
entities with recognized expertise in
data management and analysis to
improve data accessibility and
usefulness for internal and external
stakeholders.5
Acting on the NACMPI
recommendation, FSIS asked the
National Academies’ NRC in late 2010
2 ‘‘Transparency and Open Government:
Memorandum for the Heads of Executive
Departments and Agencies’’. (74 FR 4685; Jan. 26,
2009), pp. 4685–4686. Available at:https://
www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/
TransparencyandOpenGovernment.
3 ‘‘Memorandum for the Heads of Executive
Departments and Agencies: President’s
Memorandum on Transparency and Open
Government—Interagency Collaboration.’’
Memorandum Number: M–09–12. 24 February,
2009. Available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
sites/default/files/omb/assets/memoranda_fy2009/
m09-12.pdf.
4 ‘‘Memorandum for the Heads of Executive
Departments and Agencies: President’s
Memorandum on Transparency and Open
Government—Interagency Collaboration.’’
Memorandum Number: M–10–06. 8 December,
2009. Available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
open/documents/open-government-directive.
5 ‘‘The National Advisory Committee on Meat and
Poultry Inspection Data Collection, Analysis, and
Transparency ‘Subcommittee.’’ 2010. Available at:
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/
caa395aa-5f88-467e-b20f-a010e95cb4db/Data_
Subcommittee_Final_Report.pdf?MOD=AJPERES.
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to study the potential food safety
benefits and other consequences of
making establishment-specific data
publicly available on the Internet.6 The
NRC convened a committee that in 2011
issued a report laying out an approach
for FSIS’s release of establishmentspecific data that considered the
benefits and costs of data sharing. In
exploring how other Government
agencies share data with the public, the
NRC selected for review a number of
regulatory and non-regulatory agencies
that share data on their activities.
Information about data sharing within
and from these agencies is available in
the NRC report.
The NRC Committee concluded, on
the basis of its review of the design and
implementation of data release efforts
by other regulatory and non-regulatory
agencies, that FSIS could ‘‘benefit from
consultation with these agencies and
could build on their effective practices
when designing a public data release
program.’’ The NRC Committee found
that, on the whole, there were ‘‘strong
arguments supporting public release of
establishment-specific FSIS data,
especially data that are subject to release
under [the Freedom of Information
Act].’’ To maximize its effectiveness and
minimize its potential adverse
unintended consequences, FSIS’s ‘‘data
disclosure should be guided by a
carefully designed informationdisclosure strategy.’’ 7 The NRC
Committee specifically recommended
that FSIS develop a strategic plan to
guide it in the release of establishmentspecific data.
FSIS also conducted its own in-depth
review of Federal data sharing
procedures and resources. This review
focused on both regulatory and nonregulatory agencies and identified
model Web sites, data-sharing portals,
and other public data-sharing resources.
As a consequence of its review and the
recommendations that it received, the
Agency developed the draft
Establishment-Specific Data Release
Strategic Plan (the draft Plan). The draft
Plan is accessible at: https://
www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/
98c33278-53dd-4228-a6956 National Research Council, Committee on a
Study of Food Safety and Other Consequences of
Publishing Establishment-Specific Data. The
Potential Consequences of Public Release of Food
Safety and Inspection Service EstablishmentSpecific Data. 2011. Available at: https://
www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13304.
7 National Research Council, Committee on a
Study of Food Safety and Other Consequences of
Publishing Establishment-Specific Data. ‘‘The
Potential Consequences of Public Release of Food
Safety and Inspection Service EstablishmentSpecific Data.’’ 2011. Available at: https://
www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13304.
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54f429cf4413/Establishment-SpecificData-Release-Plan.pdf?MOD=AJPERES.
In January 2014, as a follow-up to its
2010 meeting, FSIS shared the draft
Plan with NACMPI to gather input and
seek feedback before the public release
and implementation of the Plan.
NACMPI recommended that FSIS
prioritize the release of establishmentlevel datasets that FSIS already
publishes in a aggregated or summary
form and datasets related to sampling
programs for pathogens that are
considered adulterants. NACMPI also
recommended that FSIS consider
releasing additional datasets and adding
this information to the Plan. The
Agency has incorporated this input in
the version of the draft Plan that the
present document announces.
Meanwhile, in the effort to identify
and plan for the release of additional
data to the public, FSIS and other
regulatory agencies have been
encouraged by President Obama’s
’’Memorandum on Regulatory
Compliance’’ 8 and the Executive Order,
‘‘Making Open and Machine Readable
the New Default for Government
Information,’’ 9 to develop plans for
making information on regulatory
compliance and enforcement activities
available in machine-readable format
and accessible, downloadable, and
searchable online. Under the draft Plan,
FSIS will use Data.gov as a repository
and point-of-access for released data.
Data.gov is a Federal, governmentsponsored Web site designed to
‘‘increase the ability of the public to
easily find, download, and use datasets
that are generated and held by the
Federal Government.’’10 FSIS will
provide a link to Data.gov on its Web
site.
The draft Plan covers dataset selection
criteria, data release procedures, a
preliminary list of Agency datasets for
public release, and performance
measures for evaluating the
effectiveness of data release. It also
provides details on the specific
sampling programs from which the
establishment-specific data are drawn.
The draft Plan includes a preliminary
list of Agency datasets for public
release. The data to be released first will
be demographic datasets for all
regulated establishments (expanding the
data currently available through the
8 ‘‘Memorandum on Regulatory Compliance.’’ 76
Federal Register 14 (21 January 2011), pp. 3825–
3826.
9 Making Open and Machine Readable the New
Default for Government Information.’’ Executive
Order 13642. 78 Federal Register 93 (14 May 2013),
pp. 28111–28113.
10 About Data.gov.’’ Data.gov. Available at:
https://www.data.gov/about.
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 10 / Thursday, January 15, 2015 / Notices
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FSIS Meat, Poultry, and Egg Inspection
Directory). ‘‘Demographics’’ here refers
to identifying characteristics of meat
and poultry establishments that are
subject to FSIS inspection.11 These
include, but are not limited to, the
following variables: Establishments’
‘‘HACCP size’’—large, small, or very
small; products the establishments’
produce; and their USDA official
establishment number.
At a later date, FSIS will release
Agency datasets on testing data on Shiga
Toxin-producing Escherichia coli
(STEC) in raw, non-intact beef products
and on Listeria monocytogenes and
Salmonella in RTE products. Additional
Agency datasets FSIS intends to release
include, but are not limited to, testing
and serotype data on Salmonella and
Campylobacter in young chickens and
young turkeys; Salmonella and
Campylobacter in comminuted poultry;
Salmonella in raw ground beef; routine
chemical residue testing data in meat
and poultry products; advanced meat
recovery (AMR) testing data. These
preliminary Agency datasets will not all
be released at the same time and before
releasing the final datasets. FSIS will
publish a Constituent Update with a
link to a sample dataset for stakeholder
review.
Besides the preliminary datasets that
the Agency will be releasing, as stated
in the draft Plan, FSIS is considering
additional data sources for future
release. These include: Inspection task
data associated with verification of
compliance with each regulation;
humane handling task data; and import
sampling task data relating to STEC,
Salmonella, and residue testing.
The Agency is sharing the draft Plan
with the larger public to benefit from
any comments and suggestions that the
public may provide. The Agency will
consider all comments submitted before
releasing and posting any datasets. The
Agency will revise the draft Plan as
necessary.
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
No agency, officer, or employee of the
USDA shall, on the grounds of race,
color, national origin, religion, sex,
gender identity, sexual orientation,
disability, age, marital status, family/
parental status, income derived from a
public assistance program, or political
beliefs, exclude from participation in,
deny the benefits of, or subject to
discrimination any person in the United
States under any program or activity
conducted by the USDA.
11 The preliminary demographics dataset will not
include information on egg products
establishments. FSIS will release this information at
a later date.
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To file a complaint of discrimination,
complete the USDA Program
Discrimination Complaint Form, which
may be accessed online at https://
www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/
docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_
12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you
or your authorized representative.
Send your completed complaint form
or letter to USDA by mail, fax, or email:
Mail
U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400
Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20250–9410.
Fax
(202) 690–7442.
Email
program.intake@usda.gov.
Persons with disabilities who require
alternative means for communication
(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.)
should contact USDA’s TARGET Center
at (202)720–2600 (voice and TDD).
Additional Public Notification
FSIS will announce this notice online
through the FSIS Web page located at
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/federalregister.
FSIS will also make copies of this
Federal Register publication available
through the FSIS Constituent Update,
which is used to provide information
regarding FSIS policies, procedures,
regulations, Federal Register notices,
FSIS public meetings, and other types of
information that could affect or would
be of interest to constituents and
stakeholders. The Update is
communicated via Listserv, a free
electronic mail subscription service for
industry, trade groups, consumer
interest groups, health professionals,
and other individuals who have asked
to be included. The Update is also
available on the FSIS Web page. In
addition, FSIS offers an electronic mail
subscription service which provides
automatic and customized access to
selected food safety news and
information. This service is available at
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe.
Options range from recalls to export
information to regulations, directives,
and notices. Customers can add or
delete subscriptions themselves, and
have the option to password protect
their accounts.
Done at Washington, DC, on: January 9,
2015.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2015–00434 Filed 1–14–15; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Ochoco National Forest, Paulina
Ranger District; Oregon; Black
Mountain Vegetation and Fuels
Management Project EIS
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Ochoco National Forest is
preparing an environmental impact
statement (EIS) to analyze the effects of
managing vegetation and fuels within
the 34,011 acre Black Mountain project
area, which is approximately 35 miles
east of Prineville, Oregon. The project
area includes National Forest system
lands within the North Fork Crooked
River watershed. The alternatives that
will be analyzed include the proposed
action, no action, and additional
alternatives that will respond to issues
generated through the scoping process.
The Ochoco National Forest will give
notice of the full environmental analysis
and decision making process so
interested and affected people may
participate and contribute to the final
decision.
DATES: Scoping comments must be
received by March 2, 2015. The draft
environmental impact statement is
expected to be completed and available
for public comment in October, 2015.
The final environmental impact
statement is expected to be completed
in March, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to
Sandra Henning, District Ranger,
Paulina Ranger District, Ochoco
National Forest, 3160 NE Third Street,
Prineville, Oregon 97754. Alternately,
electronic comments may be sent to
comments-pacificnorthwest ochoco@
fs.fed.us. Electronic comments must be
submitted as part of the actual email
message, or as an attachment in plain
text (.txt), Microsoft Word (.doc), rich
text format(.rtf), or portable document
format (.pdf).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jeffrey Marszal, Project Leader at 3160
NE Third Street, Prineville, Oregon
97754, or at (541) 416–6500, or by email
at jmarszal@fs.fed.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Purpose and Need for Action
The existing condition of the Black
Mountain project area was evaluated in
2014 and documented in the Black
Mountain project record. The evaluation
determined that conditions in the
planning area have departed from the
historic conditions in several ways.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 10 (Thursday, January 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2092-2094]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-00434]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS-2014-0032]
Establishment-Specific Data Release Strategic Plan
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: FSIS is announcing the availability of the Agency's draft
Establishment-Specific Data Release Strategic Plan (the draft Plan) for
sharing data on federally inspected meat and poultry establishments
with the public. FSIS developed the Plan in response to memoranda
released by President Obama and the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) that called for increased data sharing; an Executive Order for
agencies to develop plans for making information available to the
public; National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection
(NACMPI) recommendations; and a National Research Council (NRC) review.
FSIS is seeking public comments on the draft Plan.
DATES: Submit comments on or before March 16, 2015.
ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on the
draft data release Plan. Comments may be submitted by one of the
following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the ability to
type short comments directly into the comment field on this Web page or
attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to https://www.regulations.gov/. Follow the online instructions at that site for
submitting comments.
Mail, CD-ROMs: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Patriots Plaza 3, 1400
Independence Avenue SW., Mailstop 3782, Room 8-163B, Washington, DC
20250-3700.
Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to Patriots Plaza 3,
355 E Street SW., Room 8-163A, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2014-0032. Comments
received in response to this docket will be made available for public
inspection and posted without change, including any personal
information, to https://www.regulations.gov.
Docket: For access to background documents or to comments received,
go to the FSIS Docket Room at Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E Street SW., Room
164-A, Washington, DC 20250-3700 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Daniel L. Engeljohn, Assistant
Administrator, Office of Policy and Program Development; Telephone:
(202) 205-0495.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) administers a
regulatory program under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (21
U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) (21
U.S.C. 451 et seq.), and the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA) (21
U.S.C. 1031 et seq.) to protect the health and welfare of consumers.
The Agency is responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial
supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, not
adulterated, and correctly labeled and packaged.
FSIS inspects these products at official slaughtering and
processing establishments, verifying that the establishments meet
regulatory requirements and enforcing those requirements as necessary.
Additionally, FSIS employees (inspectors, veterinarians,
laboratorians, and Enforcement, Investigations, and Analysis Officers
(EIAOs)) perform a variety of activities, including conducting
inspections, ensuring compliance with existing regulations, and
collecting and testing microbiological and chemical residue samples to
verify whether establishments maintain Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Point (HACCP) or other food safety systems that address these
hazards. While conducting these activities and performing many other
key functions, FSIS collects a large volume of establishment-specific
data on pathogens and residues. For example, FSIS collects data on
regulated, domestic slaughter and processing establishments and on
product imported from foreign countries with inspection systems
equivalent to that of the United States.
FSIS produces reports using this data for internal use, as well as
reports and data shared publicly through the Agency's Web site \1\ and
other public communication venues. FSIS aggregates most of the data it
shares with the
[[Page 2093]]
public or provides the data in summary format.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ For more information, please visit: https://www.fsis.usda.gov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On January 21, 2009, President Obama issued a ``Memorandum on
Transparency and Open Government'',\2\ intended to promote increased
public trust in the Government through ``a system of transparency,
public participation, and collaboration.'' A month later, OMB sent a
memorandum to Executive Departments and agencies on ``The President's
Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government--Interagency
Collaboration,'' \3\ which enclosed a copy of the Presidential
memorandum and announced plans for developing a directive on
transparency, participation, and collaboration across Government and
with groups outside the Government. On December 8, 2009, OMB issued the
Open Government Directive, requiring the Departments and agencies to
take various steps toward creating a more open Government, such as by
publishing information online in an open format that is available to
the public without restrictions.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ ``Transparency and Open Government: Memorandum for the Heads
of Executive Departments and Agencies''. (74 FR 4685; Jan. 26,
2009), pp. 4685-4686. Available at:https://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/TransparencyandOpenGovernment.
\3\ ``Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and
Agencies: President's Memorandum on Transparency and Open
Government--Interagency Collaboration.'' Memorandum Number: M-09-12.
24 February, 2009. Available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/memoranda_fy2009/m09-12.pdf.
\4\ ``Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and
Agencies: President's Memorandum on Transparency and Open
Government--Interagency Collaboration.'' Memorandum Number: M-10-06.
8 December, 2009. Available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/open/documents/open-government-directive.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 2010, in response to the memoranda and directive discussed in
the preceding paragraph, and a desire to more publicly share data
collected by the Agency, FSIS began exploring how best to share
establishment-specific data with the public. As a first step, FSIS
consulted NACMPI, which recommended that FSIS obtain guidance from the
National Academies or other entities with recognized expertise in data
management and analysis to improve data accessibility and usefulness
for internal and external stakeholders.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ ``The National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry
Inspection Data Collection, Analysis, and Transparency
`Subcommittee.'' 2010. Available at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/caa395aa-5f88-467e-b20f-a010e95cb4db/Data_Subcommittee_Final_Report.pdf?MOD=AJPERES.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acting on the NACMPI recommendation, FSIS asked the National
Academies' NRC in late 2010 to study the potential food safety benefits
and other consequences of making establishment-specific data publicly
available on the Internet.\6\ The NRC convened a committee that in 2011
issued a report laying out an approach for FSIS's release of
establishment-specific data that considered the benefits and costs of
data sharing. In exploring how other Government agencies share data
with the public, the NRC selected for review a number of regulatory and
non-regulatory agencies that share data on their activities.
Information about data sharing within and from these agencies is
available in the NRC report.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ National Research Council, Committee on a Study of Food
Safety and Other Consequences of Publishing Establishment-Specific
Data. The Potential Consequences of Public Release of Food Safety
and Inspection Service Establishment-Specific Data. 2011. Available
at: https://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13304.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The NRC Committee concluded, on the basis of its review of the
design and implementation of data release efforts by other regulatory
and non-regulatory agencies, that FSIS could ``benefit from
consultation with these agencies and could build on their effective
practices when designing a public data release program.'' The NRC
Committee found that, on the whole, there were ``strong arguments
supporting public release of establishment-specific FSIS data,
especially data that are subject to release under [the Freedom of
Information Act].'' To maximize its effectiveness and minimize its
potential adverse unintended consequences, FSIS's ``data disclosure
should be guided by a carefully designed information-disclosure
strategy.'' \7\ The NRC Committee specifically recommended that FSIS
develop a strategic plan to guide it in the release of establishment-
specific data.
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\7\ National Research Council, Committee on a Study of Food
Safety and Other Consequences of Publishing Establishment-Specific
Data. ``The Potential Consequences of Public Release of Food Safety
and Inspection Service Establishment-Specific Data.'' 2011.
Available at: https://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13304.
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FSIS also conducted its own in-depth review of Federal data sharing
procedures and resources. This review focused on both regulatory and
non-regulatory agencies and identified model Web sites, data-sharing
portals, and other public data-sharing resources. As a consequence of
its review and the recommendations that it received, the Agency
developed the draft Establishment-Specific Data Release Strategic Plan
(the draft Plan). The draft Plan is accessible at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/98c33278-53dd-4228-a695-54f429cf4413/Establishment-Specific-Data-Release-Plan.pdf?MOD=AJPERES.
In January 2014, as a follow-up to its 2010 meeting, FSIS shared
the draft Plan with NACMPI to gather input and seek feedback before the
public release and implementation of the Plan. NACMPI recommended that
FSIS prioritize the release of establishment-level datasets that FSIS
already publishes in a aggregated or summary form and datasets related
to sampling programs for pathogens that are considered adulterants.
NACMPI also recommended that FSIS consider releasing additional
datasets and adding this information to the Plan. The Agency has
incorporated this input in the version of the draft Plan that the
present document announces.
Meanwhile, in the effort to identify and plan for the release of
additional data to the public, FSIS and other regulatory agencies have
been encouraged by President Obama's ''Memorandum on Regulatory
Compliance'' \8\ and the Executive Order, ``Making Open and Machine
Readable the New Default for Government Information,'' \9\ to develop
plans for making information on regulatory compliance and enforcement
activities available in machine-readable format and accessible,
downloadable, and searchable online. Under the draft Plan, FSIS will
use Data.gov as a repository and point-of-access for released data.
Data.gov is a Federal, government-sponsored Web site designed to
``increase the ability of the public to easily find, download, and use
datasets that are generated and held by the Federal Government.''\10\
FSIS will provide a link to Data.gov on its Web site.
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\8\ ``Memorandum on Regulatory Compliance.'' 76 Federal Register
14 (21 January 2011), pp. 3825-3826.
\9\ Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for
Government Information.'' Executive Order 13642. 78 Federal Register
93 (14 May 2013), pp. 28111-28113.
\10\ About Data.gov.'' Data.gov. Available at: https://www.data.gov/about.
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The draft Plan covers dataset selection criteria, data release
procedures, a preliminary list of Agency datasets for public release,
and performance measures for evaluating the effectiveness of data
release. It also provides details on the specific sampling programs
from which the establishment-specific data are drawn.
The draft Plan includes a preliminary list of Agency datasets for
public release. The data to be released first will be demographic
datasets for all regulated establishments (expanding the data currently
available through the
[[Page 2094]]
FSIS Meat, Poultry, and Egg Inspection Directory). ``Demographics''
here refers to identifying characteristics of meat and poultry
establishments that are subject to FSIS inspection.\11\ These include,
but are not limited to, the following variables: Establishments'
``HACCP size''--large, small, or very small; products the
establishments' produce; and their USDA official establishment number.
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\11\ The preliminary demographics dataset will not include
information on egg products establishments. FSIS will release this
information at a later date.
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At a later date, FSIS will release Agency datasets on testing data
on Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in raw, non-intact
beef products and on Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella in RTE
products. Additional Agency datasets FSIS intends to release include,
but are not limited to, testing and serotype data on Salmonella and
Campylobacter in young chickens and young turkeys; Salmonella and
Campylobacter in comminuted poultry; Salmonella in raw ground beef;
routine chemical residue testing data in meat and poultry products;
advanced meat recovery (AMR) testing data. These preliminary Agency
datasets will not all be released at the same time and before releasing
the final datasets. FSIS will publish a Constituent Update with a link
to a sample dataset for stakeholder review.
Besides the preliminary datasets that the Agency will be releasing,
as stated in the draft Plan, FSIS is considering additional data
sources for future release. These include: Inspection task data
associated with verification of compliance with each regulation; humane
handling task data; and import sampling task data relating to STEC,
Salmonella, and residue testing.
The Agency is sharing the draft Plan with the larger public to
benefit from any comments and suggestions that the public may provide.
The Agency will consider all comments submitted before releasing and
posting any datasets. The Agency will revise the draft Plan as
necessary.
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds
of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status,
income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs,
exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to
discrimination any person in the United States under any program or
activity conducted by the USDA.
To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program
Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at https://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your
authorized representative.
Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax,
or email:
Mail
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication,
1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410.
Fax
(202) 690-7442.
Email
program.intake@usda.gov.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact
USDA's TARGET Center at (202)720-2600 (voice and TDD).
Additional Public Notification
FSIS will announce this notice online through the FSIS Web page
located at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.
FSIS will also make copies of this Federal Register publication
available through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide
information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal
Register notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information
that could affect or would be of interest to constituents and
stakeholders. The Update is communicated via Listserv, a free
electronic mail subscription service for industry, trade groups,
consumer interest groups, health professionals, and other individuals
who have asked to be included. The Update is also available on the FSIS
Web page. In addition, FSIS offers an electronic mail subscription
service which provides automatic and customized access to selected food
safety news and information. This service is available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. Options range from recalls to export
information to regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add
or delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to password
protect their accounts.
Done at Washington, DC, on: January 9, 2015.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2015-00434 Filed 1-14-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P
