[Federal Register: May 5, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 86)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 23809-23810]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05my05-15]
========================================================================
Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
========================================================================
[[Page 23809]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
9 CFR Part 94
[Docket No. 02-089-2]
Availability of a Risk Analysis Evaluating the Exotic Newcastle
Disease Status of Denmark
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are advising the public that a risk analysis has been
prepared by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service concerning
the exotic Newcastle disease status of Denmark, and the related disease
risks associated with importing poultry carcasses, parts or products of
poultry carcasses, and eggs (other than hatching eggs) of poultry,
game, or other birds from Denmark. This evaluation will be used as a
basis for determining whether to relieve certain restrictions on the
importation of those articles into the United States from Denmark. We
are making this evaluation available to the public for review and
comment.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before July
5, 2005.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
EDOCKET: Go to http://www.epa.gov/feddocket to submit or
view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the
official public docket, and to access those documents in the public
docket that are available electronically. Once you have entered
EDOCKET, click on the ``View Open APHIS Dockets'' link to locate this
document.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies
of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. 02-089-2,
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700
River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your
comment refers to Docket No. 02-089-2.
Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on the
evaluation in our reading room. The reading room is located in room
1141 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue
SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to
help you, please call (202) 690-2817 before coming.
Other Information: You may view APHIS documents published in the
Federal Register and related information on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html
.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Chip Wells, Senior Staff
Veterinarian, Regionalization Evaluation Services, National Center for
Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, MD
20737-1231; (301) 734-4356.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred to below as the
regulations) govern the importation of specified animals and animal
products into the United States in order to prevent the introduction of
various animal diseases. The regulations in Sec. 94.6 govern, among
other things, the importation of poultry carcasses, parts or products
of poultry carcasses, and eggs (other than hatching eggs) of poultry,
game birds, or other birds from regions where exotic Newcastle disease
(END) is considered to exist. END is considered to exist in all regions
not listed in Sec. 94.6(a)(2).
Under Sec. 94.6, poultry carcasses, and parts and products of
poultry carcasses may be imported into the United States from regions
where END exists only if they have been cooked or are consigned
directly to an approved establishment in the United States. Eggs (other
than hatching eggs) of poultry, game birds, or other birds from regions
where END exists may be imported into the United States only if: (1)
They are accompanied by a health certificate regarding the flock of
origin and meet certain other conditions; (2) they are consigned
directly to an approved establishment for breaking and pasteurization;
(3) they are imported under permit for scientific, educational, or
research purposes; or (4) they are imported under permit and have been
cooked or processed and will be handled in a manner that prevents the
introduction of END into the United States.
Further, poultry carcasses, parts or products of poultry carcasses,
and eggs (other than hatching eggs) of poultry, game birds, or other
birds that do not qualify for entry into the United States under one of
these conditions may transit the United States via air and sea ports
under the conditions set out in Sec. 94.15(d).
In an interim rule effective July 16, 2002, and published in the
Federal Register on September 20, 2002 (67 FR 59136-59137, Docket No.
02-089-1), we amended the regulations by removing Denmark from the list
of regions considered to be free of END. That action was necessary
because END had been confirmed in that region. The effect of the
interim rule was to restrict the importation of poultry carcasses,
parts or products of poultry carcasses, and eggs (other than hatching
eggs) of poultry, game birds, or other birds into the United States
from Denmark.
Although we removed Denmark from the list of regions considered
free of END, we recognized that Denmark immediately responded to the
outbreak of END by imposing restrictions on the movement of poultry and
poultry products within its borders and initiating measures to
eradicate the disease. We stated that we intended to reassess the
situation in the region at a future date, and that as part of that
reassessment process, we would consider all comments received regarding
the interim rule.
Additionally, we stated that the future assessment would enable us
to determine whether it was necessary to continue to restrict the
importation of poultry and poultry products from Denmark, whether we
could restore Denmark to the list of regions in which END is not known
to exist, or whether we could restore portions of Denmark as free of
END.
In this notice, we are announcing the availability for review and
comment of a document titled ``APHIS Risk Analysis on Importation of
Exotic Newcastle Disease (END) Virus from Denmark.'' This evaluation
assesses the END status
[[Page 23810]]
of Denmark and the related disease risks associated with importing
poultry and poultry products into the United States from Denmark. This
risk analysis will serve as a basis for our determination whether to
relieve certain restrictions on the importation of poulty and poultry
products into the United States from Denmark. We are making the risk
analysis available for public comment for 60 days.
You may view the document on the APHIS Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ncie/reg-request.html.
At the bottom of that
APHIS page, click on ``Information previously submitted by Regions
requesting export approval and supporting documentation.'' At the next
screen, click on the triangle beside ``European Union/Poultry and
Poultry Products/Newcastle Disease,'' then click on the triangle beside
``Response by APHIS,'' which will reveal a link to the risk analysis.
You may also view the evaluation in our reading room (information on
the location and hours of the reading room is provided under the
heading ADDRESSES at the beginning of this notice). You may also
request a copy by calling or writing to the person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the title of the
evaluation when requesting copies.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701-7772, and 8301-8317; 21 U.S.C. 136
and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.
Done in Washington, DC, this 29th day of April 2005.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 05-8954 Filed 5-4-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P