Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service May 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 amending 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 will not change. The current systems approach, which includes requirements for orchard certification, traceback labeling, pre-harvest orchard surveys, orchard sanitation, post-harvest safeguards, fruit cutting and inspection at the packinghouse, port-of-arrival inspection, and clearance activities, will be required for importation of fresh Hass avocado fruit from all approved areas of Mexico. The fruit will 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 final rule will 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 correcting an error in a notice announcing that the Secretary of Agriculture is soliciting nominations for the election of members and alternates to the General Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan. The notice was published in the Federal Register on March 1, 2016.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment concerning authorization to import under permit, for distribution and sale for emergency use, a Classical Swine Fever Virus Vaccine, Live Pestivirus Vector. The environmental assessment, which is based on a risk analysis prepared to assess the risks associated with the use of this vaccine, examines the potential effects that 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 use of 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 under permit for distribution and sale for emergency use in the United States 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 and provided the product meets all requirements for approval.

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.