[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 9, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 9CFR590.160]

[Page 686-687]
 
                  TITLE 9--ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS
 
     CHAPTER III--FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF 
                               AGRICULTURE
 
PART 590_INSPECTION OF EGGS AND EGG PRODUCTS 
(EGG PRODUCTS INSPECTION ACT)--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 590.160  Refusal, suspension, or withdrawal of service.

    (a) The Administrator (for such period, or indefinitely, as he deems 
necessary to effectuate the purposes of the Act) may refuse to provide 
or may withdraw inspection service under this part with respect to any 
plant if he determines after opportunity for a hearing (following the 
procedures of 7 CFR, part 1, subpart H) is accorded to the applicant 
for, or recipient of, such service, that such applicant or recipient is 
unfit to engage in any business requiring inspection under the Act or 
this part, because the applicant or recipient or anyone responsibly 
connected with such person has been convicted in any Federal or State 
court, within the previous 10 years, of (1) any felony or more than one 
misdemeanor under any law based upon the acquiring, handling, or 
distributing of adulterated, mislabeled, or deceptively packaged food or 
fraud in connection with transactions in food or (2) any felony, 
involving, fraud, bribery, extortion, or any other act or circumstances 
indicating a lack of the integrity needed for the conduct of operations 
affecting the public health.
    (b) For the purpose of this section, a person shall be deemed to be 
responsibly connected with the business if he is a partner, officer, 
director, holder, or owner of 10 percentum or more of its voting stock, 
or employee in a managerial or executive capacity.
    (c) The determination and order of the Administrator with respect 
thereto under this section shall be final and conclusive unless the 
affected applicant for, or recipient of, inspection service files 
application for judicial review within 30 days after the effective date 
of such order in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the circuit in which such 
applicant or recipient has its principal place of business or in the 
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Judicial 
review of any such order shall be upon the record upon which the 
determination and order are based. The provisions of section 204 of the 
Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, as amended (7 U.S.C. 194) shall be 
applicable to appeals taken under this section. This section shall not 
affect in any way other provisions of the Act or these regulations for 
refusal of inspection services.
    (d) Any applicant for inspection at a plant where the operations 
thereof may result in any discharge into the navigable waters in the 
United States is required by subsection 401(a)(1) (33 U.S.C. 1341) of 
the Clean Water Act as amended (86 Stat. 816, 91 Stat. 1566; 33 U.S.C. 
1251 et seq.), to provide the Administrator with a certification, as 
prescribed in said subsection, that any such discharge will comply with 
the applicable provisions of sections 301, 302, 303, 306, and 307 of the 
Act (33 U.S.C. 1311, 1312, 1313, 1316, and 1317). No grant of inspection 
can be issued unless such certification has been obtained, or is waived, 
because of failure or refusal of the State, interstate agency, or the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to act on a request 
for certification within a reasonable period (which shall not exceed 1 
year after receipt of such request). Further, upon receipt of an 
application for inspection and a certification as required by subsection 
401(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act, the Administrator (as defined in Sec. 
590.5) is required by subparagraph (2) of said subsection to notify the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for proceedings in 
accordance with that subsection. No grant of inspection can be made 
until the requirements of 401(a) (1) and (2) have been met.
    (e) Inspection may be suspended or revoked and plant approval 
terminated as provided in subsection 401(a) (4) and (5) of the Clean 
Water Act, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1341(a) (4) and (5)).
    (f) Suspension of plant approval and withdrawal of service:

[[Page 687]]

    (1) Any plant approval given pursuant to these regulations may be 
suspended by the Administrator for (i) failure to maintain premises, 
facilities, and equipment in a satisfactory state of repair; (ii) the 
use of operating procedures or practices which are not in accordance 
with the regulations; (iii) the alterations of buildings, facilities, or 
equipment which have not been approved in accordance with the 
regulations; or (iv) assaulting, intimidating, impeding, obstructing, or 
interfering with any person engaged in or on account of the performance 
of his official duties.
    (2) During such period of suspension, no processing of egg products 
for commerce shall be carried on in the official plant. If the plant 
facilities or methods of operation are not brought into compliance 
within a reasonable period of time, to be specified by the 
Administrator, inspection service shall be withdrawn from the official 
plant. Upon withdrawal of inspection service in an official plant, the 
plant approval for processing egg products shall also become terminated.
    (3) The operator shall be notified of the withdrawal action and the 
reasons therefor and afforded an opportunity to present his views 
informally prior to the effective date of such withdrawal, and upon 
written request, he shall be afforded an opportunity for a hearing in 
accordance with the applicable rules of practice (7 CFR, part 1, subpart 
H), with respect to the merits or validity of the withdrawal, but such a 
suspension or other withdrawal shall continue in effect pending the 
outcome of any such hearing unless otherwise ordered by the 
Administrator.
    (4) In any case where inspection service is suspended under this 
paragraph (f) of this section, such service, after appropriate 
corrective action is taken, will be restored immediately, or as soon 
thereafter as an inspector can be made available. In any case where 
inspection service is withdrawn for a specified period under this 
paragraph (f) of this section, the person concerned may, after said 
specified period has expired, apply for inspection service as provided 
in Sec. Sec. 590.140 through 590.146.

[36 FR 9814, May 28, 1971, as amended at 37 FR 6657, Apr. 1, 1972. 
Redesignated at 42 FR 32514, June 27, 1977, as amended at 43 FR 60138, 
Dec. 26, 1978; 45 FR 23640, Apr. 8, 1980. Redesignated at 46 FR 63203, 
Dec. 31, 1981]