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

We are amending the Karnal bunt regulations to remove certain areas or fields in Baylor, Knox, Throckmorton, and Young Counties, TX, from the list of regulated areas based on our determination that those fields or areas meet our criteria for release from regulation. This action is necessary to relieve restrictions that are no longer necessary.

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 issuance of phytosanitary certificates for plants or plant products being exported to foreign countries.

We are proposing to relieve certain restrictions regarding the movement of Hass variety avocados. Specifically, we are proposing to amend our domestic quarantined regulations to provide for the interstate movement of Hass avocados from Mexican fruit fly and sapote fruit fly quarantined areas in the United States with a certificate if the fruit is safeguarded after harvest in accordance with specific measures. We are also proposing to amend our foreign quarantined regulations to remove trapping and bait spray treatment requirements related to Anastrepha spp. fruit flies for imported Hass avocados from Michoacan, Mexico. These actions are warranted in light of research demonstrating the limited host status of Hass avocados to various species of fruit flies in the genus Anastrepha, including Mexican fruit fly and sapote fruit fly. By amending our domestic and foreign quarantined regulations, we would make our domestic and foreign requirements for movement of Hass avocados consistent with each other and would relieve restrictions for Mexican Hass avocado producers. In addition, this action would provide an alternative means for Hass avocados to be moved interstate if the avocados originate from a Mexican fruit fly or sapote fruit fly quarantined area in the United States.

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the regulations concerning the importation of animals and animal products by adding Armenia to the list of regions where African swine fever exists. We took that action because outbreaks of African swine fever had been confirmed in various locations in the northern portion of Armenia. The interim rule was necessary to prevent the introduction of African swine fever into the United States.

We are advising the public of our decision to begin issuing permits for the importation of dropwort leaves with stems from South Korea into the continental United States subject to the requirements specified in the risk management analysis. Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, we believe 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 importation of dropwort leaves with stems from South Korea.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared a regional programmatic environmental assessment relative to requests to allow the interstate movement of municipal solid waste from Hawaii to landfills in the States of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The environmental assessment contains a general assessment of the potential environmental effects associated with moving garbage interstate from Hawaii to Idaho, Oregon, and Washington subject to certain pest risk mitigation measures and documents our review and analysis of the environmental impacts associated with, and alternatives to, such movements. 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 regulations for the payment of indemnity due to infectious salmon anemia.

We are advising the public that we have received a request from the Government of Brazil to recognize 7 municipalities in the State of Cear[aacute] and 13 municipalities in the State of Rio Grande do Norte as pest-free areas for the South American cucurbit fly. After reviewing the documentation submitted in support of that request, the Administrator has determined that those municipalities meet the criteria in our regulations for recognition as pest-free areas. We are making that determination, as well as an evaluation document we have prepared in connection with this action, available for review and comment.

We are amending the fruits and vegetables regulations by eliminating a treatment requirement for Ya pears imported from Shandong Province, China; clarifying the conditions that apply to the importation of sand pears from the Republic of Korea and Japan; and clarifying the distinction between plant parts that would be considered plant litter or debris and those that would not. These changes eliminate a treatment requirement that we have determined is no longer necessary and clarify some existing provisions in order to make the regulations easier to understand and implement.

We are amending brucellosis regulations by providing an exception in the definition of herd for animals held within a federally approved brucellosis research facility, in order to facilitate research on brucellosis-exposed or infected animals in those facilities. Prior to this rule, such animals constituted a herd, and the presence of brucellosis-positive herds within a State can adversely affect that State's brucellosis classification. By providing an exception for brucellosis-exposed or infected animals held within federally approved research facilities, this rule will enable initiation of necessary brucellosis research in Class Free States.

We are amending the Mediterranean fruit fly regulations by adding a portion of Los Angeles County, CA, to the list of quarantined areas and by restricting the interstate movement of regulated articles from that area. This action is necessary to prevent the artificial spread of Mediterranean fruit fly.

The International Cooperation on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for the Registration of Veterinary Medicinal Products (VICH) has developed a draft guideline titled ``Target Animal Safety for Veterinary Live and Inactivated Vaccines.'' This draft guideline provides guidance for designing and executing studies to evaluate the safety of the final formulation of veterinary live and inactivated vaccines in animals. Because the draft guideline may have an effect on the requirements for vaccines that are regulated by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service under the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act, we are requesting comments on the scope of the guideline and its provisions so that we may include any relevant public input on the draft in the Agency's comments to the VICH Steering Committee.

We are advising the public that we have prepared an environmental assessment for a proposed field release involving a Nicotiana hybrid line that has been genetically engineered to produce an antimicrobial antibody that binds to a bacterium (Streptococcus mutans) associated with tooth decay in humans. The purpose of this field release is to generate plant biomass from which the antibody will be extracted after harvest. The environmental assessment provides a basis for our conclusion that this field release will not present a risk of introducing or disseminating a plant pest and will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. 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 for this field release.

We are advising the public that an environmental assessment has been prepared for a proposed controlled field release of genetically engineered (transgenic) clones of Populus species and hybrids. The purpose of this controlled field release is to examine the effects of the genetic constructs on the intended traits of reproductive sterility, reduced stature, reduced light response, and modified lignin content. After assessing the application, reviewing pertinent scientific information, and considering public comments, we have concluded that this field release will not present a plant pest risk, nor will it have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. Based on the environmental analysis that there are no significant impacts associated with this controlled field release, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that a finding of no significant impact is appropriate and therefore an environmental impact statement need not be prepared for this field release.

We are proposing to amend the domestic quarantine regulations to establish regulations to restrict the interstate movement of South American cactus moth host material, including nursery stock and plant parts for consumption, from infested areas of the United States. This action would help prevent the artificial spread of South American cactus moth into noninfested areas of 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 regulations for pork and poultry products from Mexico transiting the United States.

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the regulations for the importation of unmanufactured wood articles to bring the methyl bromide treatment schedule into alignment with current international phytosanitary standards. The interim rule was necessary because international phytosanitary standards had changed, and our regulations needed to be updated to reflect the current standards.

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 and extension of approval of an information collection for self-certification medical statements.

We are amending the brucellosis regulations concerning the interstate movement of cattle by changing the classification of Texas from Class A to Class Free. We have determined that Texas meets the standards for Class Free status. This action relieves certain restrictions on the interstate movement of cattle from Texas.

We are amending the regulations governing the importation of certain animals, meat, and other animal products by removing Surrey County, England, from the list of regions considered to be free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). We are taking this action because the existence of FMD has been confirmed in that area. This action is necessary to prevent the introduction of FMD into the United States. As a result of this interim rule the importation of ruminants and swine and the fresh meat and other animal products of ruminants and swine from Surrey County, England, is restricted.

We are proposing to amend the regulations regarding the importation of cattle from Mexico by adding San Luis, AZ, as a port through which cattle that have been infested with fever ticks or exposed to fever ticks or tick-borne diseases may be imported into the United States. A new facility for the handling of animals is to be constructed on the Mexican side of the border at the port of San Luis, AZ, that will be equipped with facilities necessary for the proper chute inspection, dipping, and testing that are required for such cattle under the regulations. We would also amend the regulations to remove provisions that limit the admission of cattle that have been infested with fever ticks or exposed to fever ticks or tick-borne diseases to the State of Texas. The statutory requirement that limited the admission of those cattle to the State of Texas has been repealed. These proposed changes would make an additional port of entry available and relieve restrictions on the movement of imported Mexican cattle within 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 gypsy moth program.

We are giving notice of a meeting of the General Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan.

We are amending the regulations concerning the importation of animals and animal products by adding Armenia to the list of regions where African swine fever exists. We are taking this action because outbreaks of African swine fever have been confirmed in various locations in the northern portion of Armenia. This action will restrict the importation of pork and pork products into the United States from Armenia and is necessary to prevent the introduction of African swine fever into the United States.

We are proposing to amend the Animal Welfare Act regulations regarding transportation of live animals other than marine mammals by removing the current ambient temperature requirements for various stages in the transportation of those animals. We would replace those requirements with a single performance standard under which the animals would be transported under climatic and environmental conditions that are appropriate for their welfare. The regulations currently require that ambient temperatures be maintained within certain ranges during transportation, but animals may be transported at ambient temperatures below the minimum temperatures if their consignor provides a certificate signed by a veterinarian certifying that the animals are acclimated to temperatures lower than the minimum temperature. This proposal would make acclimation certificates for live animals other than marine mammals unnecessary. This proposal replaces a previously published proposed rule, which we are withdrawing as part of this document, that would have required that the acclimation certificate for a dog or cat be signed by the owner of the dog or cat being transported rather than by a veterinarian. This proposal does not address marine mammals due to their unique requirements for care and handling. These changes would remove potentially confusing temperature requirements and acclimation certificate provisions from the regulations governing the transportation of animals other than marine mammals and focus those regulations on ensuring that climatic and environmental conditions are maintained appropriately during transportation of those animals.