Notice of Determination of the Classical Swine Fever Status of Mexico, 2131-2132 [2018-00576]
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2131
Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 83, No. 10
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains documents other than rules or
proposed rules that are applicable to the
public. Notices of hearings and investigations,
committee meetings, agency decisions and
rulings, delegations of authority, filing of
petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are
examples of documents appearing in this
section.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2016–0038]
Notice of Determination of the
Classical Swine Fever Status of Mexico
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
We are advising the public of
our determination that Mexico is free of
classical swine fever (CSF). Based on
our evaluation of the animal health
status of Mexico, which we made
available to the public for review and
comment through a previous notice, the
Administrator has determined that CSF
is not present in Mexico and that live
swine, pork, and pork products may
safely be imported into the United
States from Mexico subject to conditions
in the regulations.
DATES: This change in disease status
will be recognized on January 16, 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
Chip Wells, Senior Staff Veterinarian,
Regionalization Evaluation Services,
National Import Export Services, VS,
APHIS, USDA, 4700 River Road, Unit
38, Riverdale, MD 20737–1231;
Chip.J.Wells@aphis.usda.gov; (301) 851–
3317.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) of the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
regulates the importation of animals and
animal products into the United States
to guard against the introduction of
animal diseases not currently present or
prevalent in this country. The
regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred to
below as the regulations) prohibit or
restrict the importation of specified
animals and animal products to prevent
the introduction into the United States
of various animal diseases, including
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SUMMARY:
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22:48 Jan 12, 2018
Jkt 244001
classical swine fever (CSF), foot-andmouth disease, swine vesicular disease,
and rinderpest. These are dangerous and
communicable diseases of ruminants
and swine.
The regulations in § 94.32 specify
conditions for the importation of live
swine, pork, and pork products from
certain regions that APHIS currently
recognizes as CSF-free but whose
products may be at risk of commingling
with products from CSF-affected regions
due to common land borders or other
factors. The conditions for such imports
include, among others, a requirement
for certification by a full-time salaried
veterinary officer of the national
government of the region of export that
the pork or pork products originated in
a CSF-free region, requirements that the
pork or pork products be derived only
from swine that were born and raised in
such a region and never lived in a CSFaffected region, a prohibition against the
comingling of the pork or pork products
with pork or pork products that have
been in an affected region, and a
requirement that any processing of the
pork or pork products be done in a
federally inspected processing plant in
a CSF-free region.
The regulations in 9 CFR part 92
contain requirements for requesting the
recognition of the animal health status
of a region or for the approval of the
export of a particular type of animal or
animal product to the United States
from a foreign region. If, after review
and evaluation of the information
submitted in support of the request
APHIS believes the request can be safely
granted, APHIS will make its evaluation
available for public comment through a
notice published in the Federal
Register. Following the close of the
comment period, APHIS will review all
comments received and will make a
final determination regarding the
request that will be detailed in another
notice published in the Federal
Register.
In response to a series of requests
submitted by the Government of Mexico
between 2007 and 2009, we conducted
a qualitative risk evaluation to evaluate
the CSF status of Mexican States other
than the nine States already recognized
at that time as CSF-free. The resulting
risk evaluation document, ‘‘APHIS
Evaluation of the CSF Status of a Region
in Mexico’’ (referred to below as the
‘‘2013 risk evaluation’’), did not support
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
CSF-free recognition of all of Mexico;
however, it did support access to the
U.S. domestic market under certain riskmitigating conditions. Based on the
findings of the 2013 risk evaluation, on
July 29, 2014, we published in the
Federal Register (79 FR 43974–43980,
Docket No. APHIS–2013–0061) a
proposal 1 to amend the regulations by
recognizing a new APHIS-defined lowrisk CSF region consisting of all
Mexican States except the nine CSF-free
States and the State of Chiapas, which
we did not recognize as CSF-free.
In February 2015, Mexico received
notice that the World Organization for
Animal Health (OIE) recognized the
country as CSF-free. Citing the OIE
decision, the Government of Mexico
then requested that APHIS suspend its
rulemaking and instead continue
evaluating Mexico for CSF-free status.
In response to this request, APHIS
reopened its evaluation of the CSF
status of Mexico. This reevaluation
incorporated findings from a 2015
APHIS site visit report, along with
updated surveillance data and other
information submitted by Mexico. These
findings are documented in an April
2016 addendum to the 2013 risk
evaluation.
On August 8, 2017, we published in
the Federal Register (82 FR 37043–
37044, Docket No. APHIS–2016–0038) a
notice 2 in which we announced the
availability for review and comment of
the April 2016 addendum to the 2013
risk evaluation. In the addendum, we
presented the results of our updated
evaluation of the risk of introducing
CSF into the United States via the
importation of live swine, pork, and
pork products from Mexico.
We solicited comments on the notice
for 60 days ending on October 10, 2017.
We received one comment by that date,
from a domestic pork industry group.
The commenter supported our
conclusion, as stated in the addendum,
that the risk of introduction of CSF into
the United States via the importation of
live swine, pork, and pork products
from Mexico is very low. Referencing a
recommendation by our site visit team
1 To view the 2013 risk evaluation, the proposed
rule, and the comments we received, go to https://
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS2013-0061.
2 To view the notice, the addendum, and the
comment we received, go to https://
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS2016-0038.
E:\FR\FM\16JAN1.SGM
16JAN1
2132
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 10 / Tuesday, January 16, 2018 / Notices
that certain improvements should be
made to slaughterhouse surveillance in
Mexico, however, the commenter urged
APHIS to ensure that those
improvements were implemented before
authorizing pork imports from Mexico.
In the April 2016 risk evaluation
addendum, we indicated that our
recommended improvements
notwithstanding, the design of Mexico’s
active surveillance system for CSF is
adequate. We made no statement
suggesting that recognition of Mexico as
CSF-free or trade with Mexico would be
contingent upon any action by the
Mexican Government to improve
slaughter surveillance.
Based on the addendum and the
reasons given in this document in
response to comments, we are
recognizing Mexico as free of CSF and
adding it to the list of regions found on
the APHIS website at https://
www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/
animals/animal_disease_status.shtml
that are considered to be free of CSF but
from which live swine, pork, and pork
products may only be imported into the
United States under certain conditions.
Copies of the list are also available via
postal mail, fax, or email from the
person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701–7772, 7781–
7786, and 8301–8317; 21 U.S.C. 136 and
136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and
371.4.
Done in Washington, DC, on January 10,
2018.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2018–00576 Filed 1–12–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2016–0035]
Notice of Affirmation of Addition of
Treatments for Aircraft for Certain
Hitchhiking Pests
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
We are affirming our earlier
determination that is was necessary to
immediately add two new treatment
schedules for aircraft for regulated pests
to the Plant Protection and Quarantine
(PPQ) Treatment Manual. In a previous
notice, we made available to the public
for review and comment a treatment
evaluation document that discussed the
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
22:48 Jan 12, 2018
Jkt 244001
existing treatment schedules, described
the new treatment schedules, and
explained why these changes were
immediately added to the PPQ
Treatment Manual. Based on the
treatment evaluation document and the
comments we received, we are affirming
the addition of those new treatments to
the PPQ Treatment Manual.
DATES: The addition of the treatments is
affirmed as of January 16, 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
George Balady, Senior Regulatory Policy
Specialist, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River
Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737–
1231; (301) 851–2240.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
regulations in 7 CFR chapter III are
intended, among other things, to
prevent the introduction or
dissemination of plant pests and
noxious weeds into or within the United
States. Under the regulations, certain
plants, fruits, vegetables, and other
articles must be treated before they may
be moved into the United States or
interstate. The phytosanitary treatments
regulations contained in part 305 of 7
CFR chapter III (referred to below as the
regulations) set out standards for
treatments required in parts 301, 318,
and 319 of 7 CFR chapter III for fruits,
vegetables, and other articles.
In § 305.2, paragraph (b) states that
approved treatment schedules are set
out in the Plant Protection and
Quarantine (PPQ) Treatment Manual.1
Section 305.3 sets out the processes for
adding, revising, or removing treatment
schedules in the PPQ Treatment
Manual. In that section, paragraph (b)
sets out the process for adding, revising,
or removing treatment schedules when
there is an immediate need to make a
change. The circumstances in which an
immediate need exists are described in
§ 305.3(b)(1). They are:
• PPQ has determined that an
approved treatment schedule is
ineffective at neutralizing the targeted
plant pest(s).
• PPQ has determined that, in order
to neutralize the targeted plant pest(s),
the treatment schedule must be
administered using a different process
than was previously used.
• PPQ has determined that a new
treatment schedule is effective, based on
efficacy data, and that ongoing trade in
a commodity or commodities may be
adversely impacted unless the new
treatment schedule is approved for use.
1 The PPQ Treatment Manual is available at
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/
manuals/index.shtml or by contacting the Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant
Protection and Quarantine, Manuals Unit, 92
Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 200, Frederick, MD
21702.
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
• The use of a treatment schedule is
no longer authorized by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency or by
any other Federal entity.
In accordance with § 305.3(b)(2), we
published a notice 2 in the Federal
Register on August 8, 2017 (82 FR
37042–37043, Docket No. APHIS–2016–
0035), in which we announced the
availability, for review and comment, of
a treatment evaluation document (TED)
we prepared to discuss the existing
treatment schedules, describe the new
treatment schedules, and explain why
certain changes were immediately
necessary.
We solicited comments on the notice
for 60 days ending on October 10, 2017.
We received two comments by that date,
from private citizens. Both commenters
supported the addition of the treatment
schedules.
Therefore, in accordance with the
regulations in § 305.3(b)(3), we are
affirming our addition of the two new
treatment schedules (T409–a and T409–
b–3) for aircraft for regulated pests to
the PPQ Treatment Manual. The
treatment schedules will be listed in the
PPQ Treatment Manual, which is
available as described in footnote 1.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701–7772 and 7781–
7786; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22,
2.80, and 371.3.
Done in Washington, DC, on January 10,
2018.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2018–00569 Filed 1–12–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS
Notice of Public Meeting of the
Alabama Advisory Committee To
Discuss Proposed Panelists for a
Hearing on Access To Voting in the
State of Alabama
U.S. Commission on Civil
Rights.
ACTION: Announcement of meeting.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given,
pursuant to the provisions of the rules
and regulations of the U.S. Commission
on Civil Rights (Commission) and the
Federal Advisory Committee Act that
the Alabama Advisory Committee
(Committee) will hold a meeting on
Tuesday, January 16, 2018, at 11:00 a.m.
(Central) for the purpose of a discussion
SUMMARY:
2 To view the notice, the TED, and the comments
we received, go to https://www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2016-0035.
E:\FR\FM\16JAN1.SGM
16JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 16, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2131-2132]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00576]
========================================================================
Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 10 / Tuesday, January 16, 2018 /
Notices
[[Page 2131]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2016-0038]
Notice of Determination of the Classical Swine Fever Status of
Mexico
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our determination that Mexico is
free of classical swine fever (CSF). Based on our evaluation of the
animal health status of Mexico, which we made available to the public
for review and comment through a previous notice, the Administrator has
determined that CSF is not present in Mexico and that live swine, pork,
and pork products may safely be imported into the United States from
Mexico subject to conditions in the regulations.
DATES: This change in disease status will be recognized on January 16,
2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Chip Wells, Senior Staff
Veterinarian, Regionalization Evaluation Services, National Import
Export Services, VS, APHIS, USDA, 4700 River Road, Unit 38, Riverdale,
MD 20737-1231; [email protected]; (301) 851-3317.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
regulates the importation of animals and animal products into the
United States to guard against the introduction of animal diseases not
currently present or prevalent in this country. The regulations in 9
CFR part 94 (referred to below as the regulations) prohibit or restrict
the importation of specified animals and animal products to prevent the
introduction into the United States of various animal diseases,
including classical swine fever (CSF), foot-and-mouth disease, swine
vesicular disease, and rinderpest. These are dangerous and communicable
diseases of ruminants and swine.
The regulations in Sec. 94.32 specify conditions for the
importation of live swine, pork, and pork products from certain regions
that APHIS currently recognizes as CSF-free but whose products may be
at risk of commingling with products from CSF-affected regions due to
common land borders or other factors. The conditions for such imports
include, among others, a requirement for certification by a full-time
salaried veterinary officer of the national government of the region of
export that the pork or pork products originated in a CSF-free region,
requirements that the pork or pork products be derived only from swine
that were born and raised in such a region and never lived in a CSF-
affected region, a prohibition against the comingling of the pork or
pork products with pork or pork products that have been in an affected
region, and a requirement that any processing of the pork or pork
products be done in a federally inspected processing plant in a CSF-
free region.
The regulations in 9 CFR part 92 contain requirements for
requesting the recognition of the animal health status of a region or
for the approval of the export of a particular type of animal or animal
product to the United States from a foreign region. If, after review
and evaluation of the information submitted in support of the request
APHIS believes the request can be safely granted, APHIS will make its
evaluation available for public comment through a notice published in
the Federal Register. Following the close of the comment period, APHIS
will review all comments received and will make a final determination
regarding the request that will be detailed in another notice published
in the Federal Register.
In response to a series of requests submitted by the Government of
Mexico between 2007 and 2009, we conducted a qualitative risk
evaluation to evaluate the CSF status of Mexican States other than the
nine States already recognized at that time as CSF-free. The resulting
risk evaluation document, ``APHIS Evaluation of the CSF Status of a
Region in Mexico'' (referred to below as the ``2013 risk evaluation''),
did not support CSF-free recognition of all of Mexico; however, it did
support access to the U.S. domestic market under certain risk-
mitigating conditions. Based on the findings of the 2013 risk
evaluation, on July 29, 2014, we published in the Federal Register (79
FR 43974-43980, Docket No. APHIS-2013-0061) a proposal \1\ to amend the
regulations by recognizing a new APHIS-defined low-risk CSF region
consisting of all Mexican States except the nine CSF-free States and
the State of Chiapas, which we did not recognize as CSF-free.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ To view the 2013 risk evaluation, the proposed rule, and the
comments we received, go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0061.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In February 2015, Mexico received notice that the World
Organization for Animal Health (OIE) recognized the country as CSF-
free. Citing the OIE decision, the Government of Mexico then requested
that APHIS suspend its rulemaking and instead continue evaluating
Mexico for CSF-free status.
In response to this request, APHIS reopened its evaluation of the
CSF status of Mexico. This reevaluation incorporated findings from a
2015 APHIS site visit report, along with updated surveillance data and
other information submitted by Mexico. These findings are documented in
an April 2016 addendum to the 2013 risk evaluation.
On August 8, 2017, we published in the Federal Register (82 FR
37043-37044, Docket No. APHIS-2016-0038) a notice \2\ in which we
announced the availability for review and comment of the April 2016
addendum to the 2013 risk evaluation. In the addendum, we presented the
results of our updated evaluation of the risk of introducing CSF into
the United States via the importation of live swine, pork, and pork
products from Mexico.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ To view the notice, the addendum, and the comment we
received, go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-
2016-0038.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We solicited comments on the notice for 60 days ending on October
10, 2017. We received one comment by that date, from a domestic pork
industry group.
The commenter supported our conclusion, as stated in the addendum,
that the risk of introduction of CSF into the United States via the
importation of live swine, pork, and pork products from Mexico is very
low. Referencing a recommendation by our site visit team
[[Page 2132]]
that certain improvements should be made to slaughterhouse surveillance
in Mexico, however, the commenter urged APHIS to ensure that those
improvements were implemented before authorizing pork imports from
Mexico.
In the April 2016 risk evaluation addendum, we indicated that our
recommended improvements notwithstanding, the design of Mexico's active
surveillance system for CSF is adequate. We made no statement
suggesting that recognition of Mexico as CSF-free or trade with Mexico
would be contingent upon any action by the Mexican Government to
improve slaughter surveillance.
Based on the addendum and the reasons given in this document in
response to comments, we are recognizing Mexico as free of CSF and
adding it to the list of regions found on the APHIS website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animal_disease_status.shtml
that are considered to be free of CSF but from which live swine, pork,
and pork products may only be imported into the United States under
certain conditions. Copies of the list are also available via postal
mail, fax, or email from the person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701-7772, 7781-7786, and 8301-8317; 21
U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.
Done in Washington, DC, on January 10, 2018.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-00576 Filed 1-12-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
