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

We are advising the public of our determination that creeping bentgrass designated as event ASR368, which has been genetically engineered for resistance to the herbicide glyphosate by the Scotts Company and Monsanto Company is no longer considered a regulated article under our regulations governing the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms. Our determination is based on our evaluation of data submitted by the Scotts Company and Monsanto Company in its petition 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 assessment. This notice also announces the availability of our written determination and record of decision.

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 fresh beans, shelled or in pods, from Jordan into the continental United States.

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 Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey.

We are advising the public that Biotechnology Regulatory Services of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is updating its Biotechnology Quality Management System Program and renaming it the Biotechnology Quality Management Support Program to offer a more flexible, more customizable, and less costly program that is easily accessible to a wider universe of researchers and developers conducting biotechnology activities under APHIS' regulations. These updates represent the next step in the continual improvement to this voluntary quality management program.

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 fresh apricots from continental Spain.

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 interstate movement of fruit from Hawaii.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request a renewal and revision of an information collection associated with the regulations for the commercial transportation of equines for slaughter.

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 to evaluate service delivery by the National Import Export Services to the public.

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 table eggs from regions where Newcastle disease exists and exportation of poultry and hatching eggs from the United States.

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 export of animal products from the United States.

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 live fish, fertilized eggs, and gametes to prevent the introduction of spring viremia of carp into the United States.

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 an information collection associated with the regulations for the importation of fresh citrus fruit from Uruguay, including Citrus hybrids and Fortunella spp., into the continental United States.

In a final rule published in the Federal Register on August 30, 2016, and effective on October 31, 2016, we amended the Virus- Serum-Toxin Act regulations to make veterinary biologics labeling requirements more consistent with current science and veterinary practice. However, we inadvertently removed a requirement for an indications statement that should appear on final container labels, carton labels, and enclosures. This document corrects that error.

We are proposing to amend the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation of Hass avocados from Colombia into the continental United States. As a condition of entry, Hass avocados from Colombia 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; lot identification; and inspection for quarantine pests by the Colombian national plant protection organization. Additionally, avocados from Colombia would be required to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that the avocados have been produced in accordance with the proposed requirements. This action would allow for the importation of Hass avocados from Colombia into the continental United States while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of plant pests.

In a final rule published in the Federal Register on January 20, 2016, and effective on February 19, 2016, we revised our regulations regarding the exportation of livestock from the United States. Among other revisions, we expanded the scope of the regulations so that, if the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) knows that an importing country requires an export health certificate endorsed by the competent veterinary authority of the United States for any animal other than livestock or for any animal semen, animal embryos, hatching eggs, other embryonated eggs, or gametes intended for export to that country, the animal or other commodity must have an endorsed export health certificate in order to be eligible for export from the United States. While, in the preamble for that rule, we indicated that APHIS is the competent veterinary authority of the United States, and must endorse the export health certificate in such instances, this was not reflected in the regulations themselves. This document corrects that error.

We are extending the comment period for our proposed rule to amend the horse protection regulations to provide that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will train and license inspectors to inspect horses at horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions for compliance with the Horse Protection Act. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments. We are also making a clarification to the proposed regulations pertaining to specific prohibitions concerning exhibitors.

We are advising the public that we have made changes to the areas in the State of Idaho that are quarantined to prevent the spread of pale cyst nematode. The description of the quarantined area has been updated several times since the last notice was published on September 8, 2010.

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 interstate movement of horses that have tested positive for equine infectious anemia.

We are amending the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act regulations regarding the packaging and labeling of veterinary biological products to provide for the use of an abbreviated true name on small final container labeling for veterinary biologics; require labeling to bear a consumer contact telephone number; change the format used to show the establishment or permit number on labeling and require such labeling to show the product code number; change the storage temperature recommended in labeling for veterinary biologics; require vaccination and revaccination recommendations in labeling to be consistent with licensing data; require labeling information placed on carton tray covers to appear on the outside face of the tray cover; remove the restriction requiring multiple-dose final containers of veterinary biologics to be packaged in individual cartons; require labeling for bovine virus diarrhea vaccine containing modified live virus to bear a statement warning against use in pregnant animals; reduce the number of copies of each finished final container label, carton label, or enclosure required to be submitted for review and approval; require labels for autogenous biologics to specify the organism(s) and/or antigen(s) they contain; and require labeling for conditionally licensed veterinary biologics to bear a statement concerning efficacy and potency requirements. In addition, we are also amending the regulations concerning the number of labels or label sketches for experimental products required to be submitted for review and approval, and the recommended storage temperature for veterinary biologics at licensed establishments. These changes are necessary in order to update and clarify labeling requirements and to ensure that information provided in labeling is accurate with regard to the expected performance of the product.

We are proposing to amend the regulations concerning the importation of fruits and vegetables to allow the importation of fresh persimmons from New Zealand into the United States. As a condition of entry, the persimmons would have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach that would include requirements for orchard certification, orchard pest control, post harvest safeguards, fruit culling, traceback, sampling, and treatment with either hot water or modified atmosphere treatment. The persimmons would also have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that they were produced under, and meet all the components of, the systems approach and were inspected and found to be free of quarantine pests in accordance with the proposed requirements. This action would allow the importation of fresh persimmons from New Zealand while continuing to protect against the introduction of plant pests into the United States.

We are reopening the comment period for our proposed rule that would amend the fruits and vegetables regulations to list lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f.) from Chile as eligible for importation into the continental United States subject to a systems approach. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.

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

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

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service plans to prepare an updated environmental impact statement to analyze the effects of a program to eradicate exotic fruit fly species from wherever they might occur in the United States, including Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This notice identifies potential issues and alternatives that will be studied in the environmental impact statement, and requests public comments to further delineate the scope of the alternatives and environmental impacts and issues.