[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 24 (Friday, February 4, 2011)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 6322-6323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2507]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
9 CFR Part 78
[Docket No. APHIS-2009-0083]
RIN 0579-AD22
Brucellosis Class Free States and Certified Brucellosis-Free
Herds; Revisions to Testing and Certification Requirements
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Interim rule; extension of comment period.
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SUMMARY: We are extending the comment period for an interim rule
modifying brucellosis testing, classification, and certification
requirements for certain Class Free States. This action will allow
interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before March
11, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2009-0083 to submit or view comments and
to view supporting and related materials available electronically.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send one copy of
your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2009-0083, Regulatory Analysis and
Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118,
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to
Docket No. APHIS-2009-0083.
Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on this
docket 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: Additional information about APHIS and its
programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Debbi Donch, National Brucellosis
Program Staff, National Center for Animal Health Programs, VS, APHIS,
[[Page 6323]]
4700 River Road, Unit 43, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-6954.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 27, 2010, we published in the
Federal Register (75 FR 81090-81096, Docket No. APHIS-2009-0083) an
interim rule that amended the brucellosis regulations to reduce the
amount of testing required to maintain Class Free status for States
that have been Class Free for 5 or more years and that also have no
Brucella abortus in wildlife. The interim rule also removed the
provision for automatic reclassification of any Class Free State or
area to a lower status if two or more herds are found to have
brucellosis within a 2-year period or if a single brucellosis-affected
herd is not depopulated within 60 days. Further, the interim rule
reduced the age at which cattle are included in herd blood tests. The
interim rule also added a requirement that any Class Free State or area
with Brucella abortus in wildlife must develop and implement a
brucellosis management plan approved by the Administrator in order to
maintain Class Free status. Finally, the interim rule provided an
alternative testing protocol for maintaining the certified brucellosis-
free status of dairy herds, which will give producers more flexibility
for the herd certification process.
Comments on the interim rule were currently required to be received
on or before February 25, 2011. We are extending the comment period on
Docket No. APHIS-2009-0083 for an additional 14 days. This action will
allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit
comments.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 8301-8317; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.
Done in Washington, DC, this 31st day of January 2011.
Gregory L. Parham,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-2507 Filed 2-3-11; 8:45 am]
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