Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service August 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice pertains to reimbursable overtime charged for Sunday, holiday, or other overtime work performed in connection with the inspection, laboratory testing, certification, or quarantine of certain articles, to user fees for certain veterinary diagnostic services, and to fees charged for agricultural quarantine and inspection services that are provided in connection with certain commercial vessels, commercial trucks, commercial railroad cars, commercial aircraft, and international airline passengers arriving at ports in the customs territory of the United States. The purpose of this notice is to remind the public of the reimbursable overtime charges and user fees for fiscal year 2006 (October 1, 2005, through September 30, 2006).

We are proposing to amend the regulations governing the importation of meat and other edible animal products by allowing, under certain conditions, the importation of whole cuts of boneless beef from Japan. We are proposing this action in response to a request from the Government of Japan and after conducting an analysis of the risk that indicates that such beef can be safely imported from Japan under the conditions described in this proposal.

We are proposing to amend the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act regulations concerning records and reports to require veterinary biologics licensees and permittees to record specific information concerning adverse events associated with the use of biological products that they produce or distribute and to compile and submit those records in a summary report to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) every 12 months for products licensed for 1 year or more; for newly licensed products, a summary report would have to be submitted at 6-month intervals during the first year of the product license and at 12-month intervals thereafter. The summary report would also have to identify the number of doses, or the average number of doses, of the product in distribution channels, if available. These records and reports would help ensure that APHIS will be able to provide complete and accurate information to consumers regarding adverse reactions or other problems associated with the use of licensed biological products. This proposed rule replaces a previously published proposed rule, which we are withdrawing as part of this document, that contained fewer specifics concerning the information that would have to be recorded in adverse event reports associated with the use of veterinary biologics that are submitted to the Agency.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has received a petition from Monsanto Company seeking a determination of nonregulated status for corn designated as transformation event MON 88017, which has been genetically engineered for resistance to a corn rootworm complex and for tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate. The petition has been submitted in accordance with our regulations concerning the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms and products. In accordance with those regulations, we are soliciting public comments on whether this corn presents a plant pest risk. We are also making available for public comment an environmental assessment for the proposed determination of nonregulated status.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment for a field trial of genetically engineered strains of an endophytic fungus of perennial ryegrass, Neotyphodium sp. isolate Lp1. The fungi have been genetically engineered to disrupt the ergovaline synthesis pathway. This environmental assessment is available for public review and comment.

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the brucellosis regulations concerning the interstate movement of swine by adding Florida to the list of validated brucellosis-free States. The interim rule was based on our determination that Florida meets the criteria for classification as a validated brucellosis-free State. That action relieved certain restrictions on the interstate movement of breeding swine from Florida.

We are amending the imported fire ant regulations by designating as quarantined areas all of 1 county in Arkansas and all or portions of 18 counties in Tennessee. As a result of this action, the interstate movement of regulated articles from those areas will be restricted. This action is necessary to prevent the artificial spread of imported fire ant to noninfested areas of the United States.

We are notifying the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has received a petition requesting that specific standards be promulgated for the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of domestic ferrets. We are soliciting comments from the public regarding the petition, and whether we should continue to regulate the handling, care, treatment, and transportation of ferrets covered by the Animal Welfare Act under the general standards in the regulations, or promulgate specific standards for ferrets. We are also requesting comments regarding what should be included in any such standards.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment relative to the control of saltcedar (Tamarix spp.). The environmental assessment considers the effects of, and alternatives to, the release of a nonindigenous leaf beetle, Diorhabda elongata, into the environment to reduce the severity of saltcedar infestations. The environmental assessment provides a basis for our conclusion that the release into the environment of the biological control agent will not present a risk of introducing plant pests into the United States or disseminating plant pests within the United States and will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. Based on its findings of no significant impact, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.