Addition of the Republic of Ecuador and the Republic of Peru to the List of Regions Affected With Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, 57408-57409 [2023-18073]
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57408
ACTION:
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 162 / Wednesday, August 23, 2023 / Notices
Notice of availability.
We are advising the public
that we are proposing to recognize the
regions of Tuscany and Umbria, Italy as
being free of swine vesicular disease.
This proposed recognition is based on a
risk evaluation we have prepared in
connection with this action, which we
are making available for review and
comment.
DATES: We will consider all comments
that we receive on or before October 23,
2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
by either of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS–
2023–0028 in the Search field. Select
the Documents tab, then select the
Comment button in the list of
documents.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:
Send your comment to Docket No.
APHIS–2023–0028, 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 regulations.gov or in
our reading room, which is located in
room 1620 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.
Chip Wells, Senior Veterinary Medical
Officer, Regionalization Evaluation
Services (RES), Strategy & Policy,
Veterinary Services, APHIS, 4700 River
Road, Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737–
1231; (301) 851–3317; email:
AskRegionalization@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred to
below as the regulations) govern the
importation of certain animals and
animal products into the United States
in order to prevent the introduction of
various animal diseases, including
swine vesicular disease (SVD). This is a
dangerous and communicable disease of
swine.
Within part 94, § 94.12 contains
requirements governing the importation
of pork or pork products from regions
where SVD exists. Section 94.14
prohibits the importation of domestic
swine that are moved from or transit any
region in which SVD is known to exist.
In accordance with § 94.12(a)(1), the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) maintains a web-based
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
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17:27 Aug 22, 2023
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list of regions which the Agency
considers free of SVD. Paragraph (a)(2)
of this section states that APHIS will
add a region to this list after it conducts
an evaluation of the region and finds
that SVD is not present.
The regulations in § 92.2 contain
requirements for requesting the
recognition of the animal health status
of a region (as well as 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 document 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
document published in the Federal
Register.
The Government of Italy has
requested that APHIS evaluate the SVD
disease status of the regions of Tuscany
and Umbria. In response to Italy’s
request, we have prepared an
evaluation, titled ‘‘APHIS Evaluation of
Toscana and Umbria, Italy for Swine
Vesicular Disease’’ (November 2022).1
Based on the evaluation, we have
determined that the regions of Tuscany
and Umbria, Italy are free of SVD.
APHIS has also determined that the
surveillance, prevention, and control
measures implemented by Italy are
sufficient to minimize the likelihood of
introducing SVD into the United States
via imports of species or products
susceptible to these diseases. Our
determination supports adding the
regions of Tuscany and Umbria, Italy to
the web-based list of regions that APHIS
considers free of SVD.
Therefore, in accordance with
§ 92.2(g), we are announcing the
availability of our evaluation of the SVD
status of the regions of Tuscany and
Umbria, Italy for public review and
comment. We are also announcing the
availability of an environmental
assessment (EA), which has been
prepared in accordance with: (1) The
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C.
4321 et seq.), (2) regulations of the
Council on Environmental Quality for
implementing the procedural provision
of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), (3)
USDA regulations implementing NEPA
(7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA
Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part
372). The evaluation and EA may be
1 Tuscany
PO 00000
and Toscana are equivalent.
Frm 00003
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
viewed on the Regulations.gov website
or in our reading room. (Instructions for
accessing Regulations.gov and
information on the location and hours of
the reading room are provided under the
heading ADDRESSES at the beginning
of this notice.) The documents are also
available by contacting the person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
Information submitted in support of
Italy’s request is available by contacting
the person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
After reviewing any comments we
receive, we will announce our decision
regarding the disease status of the
regions of Tuscany and Umbria, Italy
with respect to SVD in a subsequent
notice.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1633, 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, this 17th day of
August 2023.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2023–18112 Filed 8–22–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2023–0044]
Addition of the Republic of Ecuador
and the Republic of Peru to the List of
Regions Affected With Highly
Pathogenic Avian Influenza
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
We are advising the public
that we added the Republic of Ecuador
and the Republic of Peru 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 the
Republic of Ecuador and the Republic of
Peru, as a result of the confirmation of
HPAI in these countries.
DATES: The Republic of Ecuador and the
Republic of Peru were added to the list
of regions APHIS considers to be
affected with HPAI, effective
respectively on December 3, 2022, and
December 12, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
La’Toya Lane, APHIS Veterinary
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\23AUN1.SGM
23AUN1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 162 / Wednesday, August 23, 2023 / Notices
Services, Regionalization Evaluation
Services, 920 Main Campus Drive, Suite
300, Raleigh, NC 27606; phone: (301)
550–1671; email: AskRegionalization@
usda.gov.
The
regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred to
below as the regulations) govern the
importation of certain animals and
animal products into the United States
to prevent the introduction of various
animal diseases, including Newcastle
disease and highly pathogenic avian
influenza (HPAI). The regulations
prohibit or restrict the importation of
live poultry, poultry meat, and other
poultry products from regions where
these diseases are considered to exist.
Section 94.6 of the regulations
contains requirements governing the
importation into the United States of
carcasses, meat, parts or products of
carcasses, and eggs (other than hatching
eggs) of poultry, game birds, or other
birds from regions of the world where
HPAI exists or is reasonably believed to
exist. HPAI is an extremely infectious
and potentially fatal form of avian
influenza in birds and poultry that, once
established, can spread rapidly from
flock to flock. The Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
maintains a list of restricted regions it
considers affected with HPAI of any
subtype on the APHIS website at
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/
ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-andanimal-product-import-information/
animal-health-status-of-regions.
APHIS receives notice of HPAI
outbreaks from veterinary officials of the
exporting country, from the World
Organization for Animal Health
(WOAH),1 or from other sources the
Administrator determines to be reliable.
On November 28, 2022, the veterinary
authorities of the Republic of Ecuador
reported to the WOAH the occurrence of
HPAI in that country. On December 3,
2022, after confirming that HPAI
occurred in commercial birds and
poultry, APHIS added the Republic of
Ecuador to the list of regions where
HPAI exists. On that same day, APHIS
issued an import alert notifying
stakeholders that APHIS imposed
import restrictions on poultry,
commercial birds, ratites, avian
hatching eggs, unprocessed avian
products and byproducts, and certain
fresh poultry commodities from the
Republic of Ecuador to mitigate risk of
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1 The World Organization for Animal Health
internationally follows a British English spelling of
‘‘organisation’ in its name; also, it was formerly the
Office International des Epizooties, or OIE, but on
May 28, 2022, the Organization announced that the
acronym was changed from OIE to WOAH.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:27 Aug 22, 2023
Jkt 259001
HPAI introduction into the United
States.
On December 2, 2022, the veterinary
authorities of the Republic of Peru
reported to the WOAH the occurrence of
HPAI in that country. On December 12,
2022, after confirming that the HPAI
occurred in commercial birds or
poultry, APHIS added the Republic of
Peru to the list of regions where HPAI
exists. On that same day, APHIS issued
an import alert notifying stakeholders
that APHIS imposed import restrictions
on poultry, commercial birds, ratites,
avian hatching eggs, unprocessed avian
products and byproducts, and certain
fresh poultry commodities from the
Republic of Peru to mitigate risk of
HPAI introduction into the United
States.
With the publication of this notice,
we are informing the public that we
added: The Republic of Ecuador to the
list of regions APHIS considers affected
with HPAI of any subtype, effective
December 3, 2022; and the Republic of
Peru to the list of regions APHIS
considers affected with HPAI of any
subtype, effective December 12, 2022.
This notice serves as an official record
and public notification of these actions.
Congressional Review Act
Pursuant to the Congressional Review
Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs
designated this action as not a major
rule, as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1633, 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, this 15th day of
August 2023.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2023–18073 Filed 8–22–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2022–0038]
Notice of Availability of a Pest Risk
Analysis for the Importation of Fresh
Table Beet Root (Beta vulgaris L.) for
Consumption From the United
Kingdom Into the Continental United
States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the
U.S. Virgin Islands
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
57409
We are advising the public
that we have prepared a pest risk
analysis that evaluates the risks
associated with importation of fresh
table beet root (Beta vulgaris L.) for
consumption from the United Kingdom
into the continental United States,
Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin
Islands. 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 table beet root from
the United Kingdom. We are making the
pest risk analysis available to the public
for review and comment.
DATES: We will consider all comments
that we receive on or before October 23,
2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
by either of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS–
2022–0038 in the Search field. Select
the Documents tab, then select the
Comment button in the list of
documents.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:
Send your comment to Docket No.
APHIS–2022–0038, 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 www.regulations.gov
or in our reading room, which is located
in room 1620 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: Ms.
Claudia Ferguson, Senior Regulatory
Policy Specialist, Regulatory
Coordination and Compliance, PPQ,
APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 133,
Riverdale, MD 20737–1231; (301) 851–
2352; Claudia.Ferguson@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Background
Under the regulations in ‘‘Subpart L–
Fruits and Vegetables’’ (7 CFR 319.56–
1 through 319.56–12, referred to below
as the regulations), the Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
prohibits or restricts the importation of
fruits and vegetables into the United
States from certain parts of the world to
prevent plant pests from being
introduced into or disseminated within
the United States.
E:\FR\FM\23AUN1.SGM
23AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 162 (Wednesday, August 23, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57408-57409]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-18073]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2023-0044]
Addition of the Republic of Ecuador and the Republic of Peru to
the List of Regions Affected With Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we added the Republic of
Ecuador and the Republic of Peru 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 the Republic of Ecuador and the Republic of Peru, as a
result of the confirmation of HPAI in these countries.
DATES: The Republic of Ecuador and the Republic of Peru were added to
the list of regions APHIS considers to be affected with HPAI, effective
respectively on December 3, 2022, and December 12, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. La'Toya Lane, APHIS Veterinary
[[Page 57409]]
Services, Regionalization Evaluation Services, 920 Main Campus Drive,
Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27606; phone: (301) 550-1671; email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred
to below as the regulations) govern the importation of certain animals
and animal products into the United States to prevent the introduction
of various animal diseases, including Newcastle disease and highly
pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The regulations prohibit or restrict
the importation of live poultry, poultry meat, and other poultry
products from regions where these diseases are considered to exist.
Section 94.6 of the regulations contains requirements governing the
importation into the United States of carcasses, meat, parts or
products of carcasses, and eggs (other than hatching eggs) of poultry,
game birds, or other birds from regions of the world where HPAI exists
or is reasonably believed to exist. HPAI is an extremely infectious and
potentially fatal form of avian influenza in birds and poultry that,
once established, can spread rapidly from flock to flock. The Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) maintains a list of
restricted regions it considers affected with HPAI of any subtype on
the APHIS website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/animal-health-status-of-regions.
APHIS receives notice of HPAI outbreaks from veterinary officials
of the exporting country, from the World Organization for Animal Health
(WOAH),\1\ or from other sources the Administrator determines to be
reliable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The World Organization for Animal Health internationally
follows a British English spelling of ``organisation' in its name;
also, it was formerly the Office International des Epizooties, or
OIE, but on May 28, 2022, the Organization announced that the
acronym was changed from OIE to WOAH.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On November 28, 2022, the veterinary authorities of the Republic of
Ecuador reported to the WOAH the occurrence of HPAI in that country. On
December 3, 2022, after confirming that HPAI occurred in commercial
birds and poultry, APHIS added the Republic of Ecuador to the list of
regions where HPAI exists. On that same day, APHIS issued an import
alert notifying stakeholders that APHIS imposed import restrictions on
poultry, commercial birds, ratites, avian hatching eggs, unprocessed
avian products and byproducts, and certain fresh poultry commodities
from the Republic of Ecuador to mitigate risk of HPAI introduction into
the United States.
On December 2, 2022, the veterinary authorities of the Republic of
Peru reported to the WOAH the occurrence of HPAI in that country. On
December 12, 2022, after confirming that the HPAI occurred in
commercial birds or poultry, APHIS added the Republic of Peru to the
list of regions where HPAI exists. On that same day, APHIS issued an
import alert notifying stakeholders that APHIS imposed import
restrictions on poultry, commercial birds, ratites, avian hatching
eggs, unprocessed avian products and byproducts, and certain fresh
poultry commodities from the Republic of Peru to mitigate risk of HPAI
introduction into the United States.
With the publication of this notice, we are informing the public
that we added: The Republic of Ecuador to the list of regions APHIS
considers affected with HPAI of any subtype, effective December 3,
2022; and the Republic of Peru to the list of regions APHIS considers
affected with HPAI of any subtype, effective December 12, 2022. This
notice serves as an official record and public notification of these
actions.
Congressional Review Act
Pursuant to the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.),
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs designated this action
as not a major rule, as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1633, 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, this 15th day of August 2023.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-18073 Filed 8-22-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
