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

We are proposing to amend the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation of lemons from northwest Argentina into the continental United States. As a condition of entry, lemons from northwest Argentina would have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach that would include requirements for importation in commercial consignments; registration and monitoring of places of production and packinghouses; pest-free places of production; grove sanitation, monitoring, and pest control practices; treatment with a surface disinfectant; lot identification; and inspection for quarantine pests by the Argentine national plant protection organization. Additionally, lemons from northwest Argentina would have to be harvested green and within a certain time period, or treated for Medfly in accordance with an approved treatment schedule. Lemons from northwest Argentina would also be required to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that the lemons have been inspected and found to be free of quarantine pests and were produced in accordance with the proposed requirements. This action would allow for the importation of lemons from northwest Argentina into the United States while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of quarantine pests.

This is a notice to inform the public of the next meetings of the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Animal Health. The meetings are being organized by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to discuss matters of animal health.

In a final rule published in the Federal Register on October 23, 2015, and effective on November 23, 2015, we amended the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation of fresh peppers into the United States from Ecuador subject to a systems approach. However, the scope of the pest risk analysis supporting the rule was limited to the continental United States. Therefore, we are amending the regulations to limit the importation of fresh peppers from Ecuador to the continental United States only.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection associated with the regulations for the importation of Unshu oranges from the Republic of Korea into the continental United States.

We are proposing to amend the regulations to allow the importation of fresh cherimoya fruit from Chile into the continental United States, provided that fruit is produced in accordance with a systems approach, as an alternative to the currently required treatment. Commercial consignments of fresh cherimoya fruit are currently authorized entry into all ports of the United States from Chile subject to a mandatory soapy water and wax treatment. The proposed systems approach would include requirements for production site registration, low pest prevalence area certification, post-harvest processing, and fruit cutting and inspection at the packinghouse. The fruit would also be required to be imported in commercial consignments and accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of Chile with an additional declaration stating that the consignment was produced in accordance with the regulations. Fresh cherimoya fruit that does not meet the conditions of the systems approach would continue to be allowed to be imported into the United States subject to treatment. This action would allow for the importation of fresh cherimoya fruit from Chile while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of plant pests into the continental United States.

Under the auspices of the National Science and Technology Council, USDA, along with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are holding the third public meeting related to the memorandum entitled, ``Modernizing the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products,'' issued by the Executive Office of the President in July 2015. The purpose of the third public meeting is to illustrate current Federal roles and responsibilities regarding biotechnology products. The docket, FDA-2015-N-3403, established by FDA prior to the first public meeting, will continue to be used for this interagency effort.

We are proposing to amend the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP, the Plan), its auxiliary provisions, and the indemnity regulations for the control of H5 and H7 low pathogenic avian influenza to clarify participation in the NPIP and amend participation requirements, amend definitions for poultry and breeding stock, amend the approval process for new diagnostic tests, and amend laboratory inspection and testing requirements. These changes would align the regulations with international standards and make them more transparent to Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service stakeholders and the general public. The proposed changes were voted on and approved by the voting delegates at the Plan's 2014 National Plan Conference.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request approval of a revision to and extension of an information collection associated with regulations for the importation of live poultry, poultry meat, and other poultry products from specified regions.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared a record of decision for the programmatic environmental impact statement titled ``Carcass Management During a Mass Animal Health Emergency.''

We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with importation of fresh pomegranate fruit from Peru into the continental 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 pomegranates from Peru. We are making the pest risk analysis available to the public for review and comment.

We are extending the comment period for our proposed rule that would amend the Animal Welfare Act regulations concerning the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of marine mammals in captivity. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment concerning authorization to ship for the purpose of field testing, and then to field test, an unlicensed Canine Osteosarcoma Vaccine, Live Listeria Vector. The environmental assessment, which is based on a risk analysis prepared to assess the risks associated with the field testing of this vaccine, examines the potential effects that field testing this veterinary vaccine could have on the quality of the human environment. Based on the risk analysis and other relevant data, we have reached a preliminary determination that field testing this veterinary vaccine will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment, and that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared. We intend to authorize shipment of this vaccine for field testing following the close of the comment period for this notice unless new substantial issues bearing on the effects of this action are brought to our attention. We also intend to issue a U.S. Veterinary Biological Product license for this vaccine, provided the field test data support the conclusions of the environmental assessment and the issuance of a finding of no significant impact and the product meets all other requirements for licensing.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request a revision to and extension of approval of an information collection associated with the regulations for the importation of fresh bananas from the Philippines into the continental United States.

We are extending the comment period for our notice of intent to prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement in connection with potential changes to the regulations regarding the importation, interstate movement, and environmental release of certain genetically engineered organisms. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.

We are giving notice of a meeting of the General Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection associated with the Horse Protection Program.

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the golden nematode regulations by removing areas in Orleans, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties in the State of New York from the list of generally infested areas. The interim rule was necessary to relieve restrictions on the movement of regulated articles from areas no longer under quarantine for golden nematode. As a result of the interim rule, movement of such articles from areas no longer under quarantine can proceed while preventing the spread of golden nematode from infested areas to noninfested areas of the United States.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has reached a preliminary decision to extend our determination of nonregulated status of Pioneer corn event DP-004114-3 (hereinafter Pioneer 4114 corn) to Syngenta's corn event MZIR098 in response to a request from Syngenta Seeds Inc. MZIR098 corn has been genetically engineered for resistance to insects and to the herbicide glufosinate-ammonium using the same mechanism of action as Pioneer 4114. We are making available for public comment our preliminary regulatory determination, preliminary finding of no significant impact, and plant pest risk similarity assessment for the proposed determination of nonregulated status.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection associated with livestock disease surveillance programs.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared a final environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact relative to a national approach for the control of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks within the United States. Based on the environmental assessment and our review of all public comments received, we have concluded that such an approach will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) plans to prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement in connection with potential changes to the regulations regarding the importation, interstate movement, and environmental release of certain genetically engineered organisms. This notice identifies reasonable alternatives and potential issues to be evaluated in the environmental impact statement and requests public comments to further define the scope of the alternatives and environmental impacts and issues for APHIS to consider.

We are proposing to amend the Animal Welfare Act regulations concerning the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of marine mammals in captivity. These proposed changes would affect sections in the regulations relating to variances and implementation dates, indoor facilities, outdoor facilities, space requirements, and water quality. We are also proposing to revise the regulations that relate to swim-with-the-dolphin programs. We believe these actions are necessary to ensure that the minimum standards for the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of marine mammals in captivity are based on current industry and scientific knowledge and experience.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request a revision to and extension of approval of an information collection associated with the regulations for the importation of wooden handicrafts from China.

We are amending the black stem rust quarantine and regulations by adding nine varieties to the list of rust-resistant Berberis species and varieties. This action will allow for the interstate movement of these newly developed varieties without unnecessary restrictions.