Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are amending the regulations to recognize the State of Sonora as a region in Mexico that is free of fever ticks. We are also establishing an exemption from acaricide dipping treatment requirements, and the documentation requirements associated with such dipping, that were formerly applicable to cattle and other ruminants originating from Sonora as a condition of eligibility for entry to the United States, provided that certain conditions are met. This action will remove restrictions on the importation of cattle and other ruminants from Sonora that we believe are no longer necessary and reduce the costs associated with tick dipping for exporters and importers of ruminants.

Commercial consignments of Hass avocado fruit are currently authorized entry into the continental United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico from the Mexican State of Michoac[aacute]n under a systems approach to mitigate against quarantine pests of concern. We are proposing to amend the regulations to allow the importation of fresh Hass avocado fruit into the continental United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico from all of Mexico, provided individual Mexican States meet the requirements set out in the regulations and the operational workplan. Initially, this action would only apply to the Mexican State of Jalisco. With the exception of a clarification of the language concerning when sealed, insect-proof containers would be required to be used in shipping and the removal of mandatory fruit cutting at land and maritime borders, the current systems approach would not change. That systems approach, which includes requirements for orchard certification, limited production area, trace back labeling, pre- harvest orchard surveys, orchard sanitation, post-harvest safeguards, fruit cutting and inspection at the packinghouse, port-of-arrival inspection, and clearance activities, would then be required for importation of fresh Hass avocado fruit from all approved areas of Mexico. 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 Mexico with an additional declaration stating that the consignment was produced in accordance with the systems approach described in the operational workplan. This action would allow for the importation of fresh Hass avocado fruit from Mexico while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of plant pests into the continental United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared a draft environmental assessment relative to the control of emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis. The environmental assessment considers the effects of, and alternatives to, the field release of a parasitic wasp, Spathius galinae, into the continental United States for use as a biological control agent to reduce the severity of emerald ash borer infestations. We are making the environmental assessment 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 interstate movement of regulated nursery stock from quarantined areas to prevent the spread of citrus canker, citrus greening, and Asian citrus psyllid.

We are reopening the comment period for our proposed rule that would amend our regulations governing the importation and interstate movement of fruits and vegetables by broadening our existing performance standard to provide for approval of all new fruits and vegetables for importation or interstate movement into or within the United States using a notice-based process. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.

We are advising the public that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is holding a 2-day, invitation-only workshop on agricultural coexistence, the concurrent cultivation of conventional, organic, identity-preserved, and genetically engineered crops consistent with farmer choices and consumer preferences. The objective of the workshop is to advance an understanding of agricultural coexistence and discuss how to make coexistence achievable and a basic consideration for all stakeholders. Workshop participants will represent a broad range of interests and experience relating to agricultural coexistence. The public is invited to listen to or watch the workshop sessions via phone and/or Webcast, after which they will have the opportunity to provide comments on the proposals discussed.

In a final rule that was published in the Federal Register on November 10, 2014, and effective on December 10, 2014, we adopted, with changes, an interim rule that amended the brucellosis regulations to, among other things, reduce the age at which most cattle and domestic bison are included in herd blood tests. In that amendment we intended to include all sexually intact cattle and domestic bison 18 months of age or older in herd blood tests, however we inadvertently omitted the words ``or older.'' This document corrects that error.

We are amending the regulations concerning the importation of citrus fruit to allow the importation of commercial consignments of two Unshu orange hybrids from the Republic of Korea into the continental United States. These hybrids will be eligible for importation into the continental United States subject to the existing conditions for the importation of Unshu oranges from the Republic of Korea. We also are making one minor change to the existing regulations by adding an explicit statement that only commercial consignments of Unshu oranges will be eligible for importation into the continental United States. These changes will remove the prohibition on the importation of Unshu orange hybrids that can safely enter the United States, provided that certain conditions are met, and will codify an existing requirement.

We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest list and risk management document regarding the risks associated with the interstate movement of fresh sea asparagus tips from Hawaii into the continental United States. Based on these documents, 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 movement of fresh sea asparagus tips from Hawaii. We are making these documents available to the public for review and comment.

We are advising the public of our determination that soybean and cotton genetically engineered for herbicide resistance by the Monsanto Company are no longer considered regulated articles under our regulations governing the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms. Our determination is based on our evaluation of data submitted by the Monsanto Company in its two petitions for a determination of nonregulated status, our analysis of publically available scientific data, and comments received from the public on the petition for nonregulated status and its associated environmental impact statement and plant pest risk assessments. This notice also announces the availability of our written determination and record of decision.

We are withdrawing an interim rule that established regulations to restrict the interstate movement and importation into the United States of live fish that are susceptible to viral hemorrhagic septicemia, a highly contagious disease of certain fresh and saltwater fish. We are taking this action after considering the comments we received following the publication of the interim rule, which subsequently delayed the effective date of the interim rule indefinitely.

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 Animal Welfare Act regulations for the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of certain animals by dealers, research facilities, exhibitors, carriers, and intermediate handlers.

We are proposing to amend the regulations governing approval of facilities that receive livestock moved in interstate commerce. We are also proposing several amendments to the conditions under which livestock may move to such facilities without official identification or prior issuance of an interstate certificate of veterinary inspection or alternative documentation. These changes are necessary to update the regulations governing livestock marketing facilities, while also helping ensure animal disease traceability of livestock that are moved in interstate commerce to such facilities.