Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service March 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This is to notify all interested parties, including individuals and entities possessing, using, or transferring federally listed biological agents and toxins, that a meeting will be held to provide specific regulatory guidance related to the Federal Select Agent Program established under the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002. The meeting is being organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Justice's Federal Bureau of Investigation. Issues to be discussed include entity registration, security risk assessments, biosafety requirements, and security measures.

We are amending the regulations regarding the importation of horses from countries affected with contagious equine metritis (CEM) by incorporating an additional certification requirement for imported horses 731 days of age or less and adding new testing protocols for test mares and imported stallions and mares more than 731 days of age. We are taking these actions in response to incidents that prompted an investigation by an expert review panel, which identified specific weaknesses in the current regulations. This action will provide additional safeguards against the introduction of CEM through the importation of affected horses.

We are advising the public that an environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact have been prepared by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service relative to the control of air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera). Based on its finding of no significant impact, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.

We are amending the National Poultry Improvement Plan (the Plan) and its auxiliary provisions by providing new or modified sampling and testing procedures for Plan participants and participating flocks. The changes were voted on and approved by the voting delegates at the Plan's 2008 National Plan Conference. These changes will keep the provisions of the Plan current with changes in the poultry industry and provide for the use of new sampling and testing procedures.

We are advising the public that we have prepared a commodity import evaluation document (CIED) that evaluates the phytosanitary measures under which garlic may be imported into the continental United States from the European Union and several other countries. Currently, garlic may be imported from these countries into the United States only if it is treated for certain pests. Based on the CIED, we believe that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures other than treatment will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of garlic from these countries into the continental United States. We are making the CIED available to the public for review and comment.

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 regulations for the importation of Hass avocados from Michoacan, Mexico.

This is to notify all interested parties, including individuals and entities possessing, using, or transferring federally listed biological agents and toxins, that a meeting will be held to provide specific regulatory guidance related to the Federal Select Agent Program established under the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002. The meeting is being organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Justice's Federal Bureau of Investigation. Issues to be discussed include entity registration, security risk assessments, biosafety requirements, and security measures.

We are proposing to amend the regulations governing the importation of plants and plant products to add Bromeliad plants of the genera Aechmea, Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and Vriesea from Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands to the list of plants that may be imported into the United States in an approved growing medium, subject to specified growing, inspection, and certification requirements. We are taking this action in response to requests from those three countries and after determining that the plants could be imported, under certain conditions, without resulting in the introduction into, or the dissemination within, the United States of a plant pest or noxious weed.

We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk analysis for the purpose of evaluating the pest risks associated with the importation of fresh papaya (Carica papaya) fruit from Malaysia into the continental United States. Based on our analysis, we have concluded that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the pest risk. We are making the pest risk analysis available to the public for review and comment.

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 black stem rust quarantine and regulations.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to initiate an information collection to support the research and development phase of surveys entitled National Animal Health Monitoring System needs assessments.

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 Fowl Laryngotracheitis-Marek's Disease Vaccine, Serotype 3, Live Marek's Disease Vector. The environmental assessment, which is based on a risk analysis prepared for 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, 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.