82 FR 37043 - Notice of Availability of an Evaluation of the Classical Swine Fever Status of Mexico

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 151 (August 8, 2017)

Page Range		37043-37044
FR Document		2017-16675

We are advising the public that we are proposing to recognize Mexico as free of classical swine fever, subject to conditions in the regulations governing the importation of live swine, pork, and pork products from certain regions into the United States. We are proposing this action based on a risk evaluation that we have prepared in connection with this action and that we are making available to the public for review and comment.

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 151 (Tuesday, August 8, 2017)

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 8, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37043-37044]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-16675]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2016-0038]


Notice of Availability of an Evaluation of the Classical Swine 
Fever Status of Mexico

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we are proposing to recognize 
Mexico as free of classical swine fever, subject to conditions in the 
regulations governing the importation of live swine, pork, and pork 
products from certain regions into the United States. We are proposing 
this action based on a risk evaluation that we have prepared in 
connection with this action and that we are making available to the 
public for review and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
October 10, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2016-0038.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2016-0038, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may 
be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2016-
0038 or in our reading room, which 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) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Chip Wells, Senior Staff 
Veterinarian, Regionalization Evaluation Services, National Import 
Export Services, VS, APHIS, USDA, 4700 River Road, Unit 38, Riverdale, 
MD 20737-1231; [email protected]; (301) 851-3317.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
regulates the importation of animals and animal products into the 
United States

[[Page 37044]]

to guard against the introduction of animal diseases not currently 
present or prevalent in this country. The regulations in 9 CFR part 94 
(referred to below as the regulations) prohibit or restrict the 
importation of specified animals and animal products to prevent the 
introduction into the United States of various animal diseases, 
including classical swine fever (CSF), foot-and-mouth disease, swine 
vesicular disease, and rinderpest. These are dangerous and communicable 
diseases of ruminants and swine.
    APHIS currently recognizes nine Mexican States as free of CSF: Baja 
California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chihuahua, Nayarit, Quintana 
Roo, Sinaloa, Sonora, and Yucatan. Because of the proximity of those 
nine States to CSF-affected regions and/or other risk factors, however, 
their live swine, pork, and pork products may only be imported into the 
United States under the conditions specified in Sec.  94.32. These 
conditions include, among others, a requirement for certification by a 
full-time salaried veterinary officer of the national government of the 
region of export that the pork or pork products originated in a CSF-
free region, requirements that the pork or pork products be derived 
only from swine that were born and raised in such a region and never 
lived in a CSF-affected region, a prohibition against the comingling of 
the pork or pork products with pork or pork products that have been in 
an affected region, and a requirement that any processing of the pork 
or pork products be done in a federally inspected processing plant in a 
CSF-free region.
    The regulations in 9 CFR part 92, Sec.  92.2, contain requirements 
for requesting the recognition of the animal health status of a region 
(as well as for the approval of the export of a particular type of 
animal or animal product to the United States from a foreign region). 
If, after review and evaluation of the information submitted in support 
of the request, APHIS believes the request can be safely granted, APHIS 
will make its evaluation available for public comment through a 
document published in the Federal Register. Following the close of the 
comment period, APHIS will review all comments received and will make a 
final determination regarding the request that will be detailed in 
another document published in the Federal Register.
    Between 2007 and 2009, the Government of Mexico submitted a series 
of requests to APHIS seeking recognition of additional States as CSF-
free. The last of those requests, submitted in January 2009, after the 
Government of Mexico had declared that CSF had been eradicated in the 
country, was for APHIS to recognize all of Mexico as CSF-free.
    In response to these requests, we conducted a qualitative risk 
evaluation to evaluate the CSF status of the Mexican States not already 
recognized by APHIS as CSF-free. This evaluation included site visits 
to farms and diagnostic laboratories, as well as examinations of 
Mexico's capabilities with respect to veterinary control and oversight, 
disease history and vaccination, livestock demographics and 
traceability, epidemiological separation from potential sources of 
infection, disease surveillance, diagnostic laboratory capabilities, 
and emergency preparedness and response. The resulting risk evaluation 
document, ``APHIS Evaluation of the CSF Status of a Region in Mexico'' 
(referred to below as the ``2013 risk evaluation''), did not support 
CSF-free recognition of all of Mexico; however, it did support access 
to the U.S. domestic market under certain risk-mitigating conditions.
    Based on the findings of the 2013 risk evaluation, on July 29, 
2014, we published in the Federal Register (79 FR 43974-43980, Docket 
No. APHIS-2013-0061) a proposal \1\ to amend the regulations by 
recognizing a new APHIS-defined low-risk CSF region consisting of all 
Mexican States except the nine CSF-free States and the State of 
Chiapas, which we did not recognize as CSF-free.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ To view the 2013 risk evaluation, the proposed rule, and the 
comments we received, go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0061.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In February 2015, Mexico received notice that the World 
Organization for Animal Health (OIE) recognized the country as CSF-
free. Citing the OIE decision, the Government of Mexico then requested 
that APHIS suspend its rulemaking and instead continue evaluating 
Mexico for CSF-free status.
    In response to this request, APHIS reopened its evaluation of the 
CSF status of Mexico. This reevaluation incorporated findings from a 
2015 APHIS site visit report, along with updated surveillance data and 
information submitted by Mexico. These findings are documented in an 
April 2016 addendum to the 2013 risk evaluation.
    Based on improved conditions observed through the end of 2015, 
APHIS has determined that concerns identified in the 2013 risk 
evaluation that had supported the July 2014 proposed rule have been 
addressed and that conditions now support CSF-free recognition for all 
of Mexico. Additionally, our determinations support including the 
entire country of Mexico on the Web-based list \2\ of regions that are 
considered to be free of CSF but from which live swine, pork, and pork 
products may only be imported into the United States under the 
conditions specified in Sec.  94.32. As stated in the April 2016 
addendum to the 2013 risk evaluation, we consider the risk of the 
introduction of CSF into the United States via the importation of live 
swine, pork, and pork products from Mexico to be very low. We would 
note, however, that this determination applies only to Mexico's CSF 
status and that any existing restrictions on the importation of live 
swine, pork, and pork products from that country into the United States 
due to other animal diseases will remain in place.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The list is located on the APHIS Web site at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/import-live-animals/ct_classical_swine_fever_information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  92.2(e), we are announcing the 
availability of our updated risk evaluation of the CSF status of Mexico 
for public review and comment. The risk evaluation may be viewed on the 
Regulations.gov Web site or in our reading room. (Instructions for 
accessing Regulations.gov and information on the location and hours of 
the reading room are provided under the heading ADDRESSES at the 
beginning of this notice.)
    Information submitted in support of Mexico's request is available 
by contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our 
decision regarding the CSF status of Mexico and the import status of 
live swine, pork, and pork products from that country in a subsequent 
notice.

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 450, 7701-7772, 7781-7786, 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 2nd day of August 2017.
Michael C. Gregoire,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-16675 Filed 8-7-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P

Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 151 / Tuesday, August 8, 2017 / Notices 37043

Avenue SW., Washington, DC. Normal In accordance with § 305.3(b)(1), we DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 are providing notice that we have
p.m., Monday through Friday, except determined that it is necessary to add Animal and Plant Health Inspection
holidays. To be sure someone is there to two new treatments to the PPQ Service
help you, please call (202) 799–7039 Treatment Manual: T409–a, a surface [Docket No. APHIS–2016–0038]
before coming. spray with deltamethrin 4.75 percent
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. active ingredient to mitigate the risk of Notice of Availability of an Evaluation
George Balady, Senior Regulatory Policy Khapra beetle on aircraft; and T409–b– of the Classical Swine Fever Status of
Specialist, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River 3, an aerosol spray with ‘1-Shot’ Mexico
Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737– treatment containing 2 percent d- AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health
1231; (301) 851–2240. phenothrin and 2 percent permethrin to Inspection Service, USDA.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The mitigate the risk of Japanese beetle and ACTION: Notice of availability.
regulations in 7 CFR chapter III are other hitchhiking pests, except Khapra
intended, among other things, to beetle, on aircraft. SUMMARY: We are advising the public
prevent the introduction or To accommodate the addition of that we are proposing to recognize
dissemination of plant pests and Mexico as free of classical swine fever,
treatment T409–b–3, we have
noxious weeds into or within the United subject to conditions in the regulations
redesignated treatment schedule T409–
States. Under the regulations, certain governing the importation of live swine,
plants, fruits, vegetables, and other b as T409–b–1.
pork, and pork products from certain
articles must be treated before they may The reasons for these additions to the regions into the United States. We are
be moved into the United States or treatment manual are described in detail proposing this action based on a risk
interstate. The phytosanitary treatments in the treatment evaluation document evaluation that we have prepared in
regulations contained in part 305 of 7 (TED) we have prepared to support this connection with this action and that we
CFR chapter III (referred to below as the action. The TED may be viewed on the are making available to the public for
regulations) set out standards for Regulations.gov Web site or in our review and comment.
treatments required in parts 301, 318, reading room (see ADDRESSES above for DATES: We will consider all comments
and 319 of 7 CFR chapter III for fruits, instructions for accessing that we receive on or before October 10,
vegetables, and other articles. Regulations.gov and information on the 2017.
In § 305.2, paragraph (b) states that location and hours of the reading room). ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
approved treatment schedules are set You may also request paper copies of by either of the following methods:
out in the Plant Protection and the TED by calling or writing to the • Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
Quarantine (PPQ) Treatment Manual.1 person listed under FOR FURTHER http://www.regulations.gov/
Section 305.3 sets out the processes for INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the #!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2016-0038.
adding, revising, or removing treatment subject of the TED when requesting • Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:
schedules in the PPQ Treatment
copies. Send your comment to Docket No.
Manual. In that section, paragraph (b)
After reviewing the comments we APHIS–2016–0038, Regulatory Analysis
sets out the process for adding, revising,
receive, we will announce our decision and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station
or removing treatment schedules when
regarding the new treatment schedules 3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118,
there is an immediate need to make a
Riverdale, MD 20737–1238.
change. The circumstances in which an described in the TED in a subsequent
Supporting documents and any
immediate need exists are described in notice. If we do not receive any
comments we receive on this docket
§ 305.3(b)(1). They are: comments, or the comments we receive may be viewed at http://
• PPQ has determined that an do not change our determination that www.regulations.gov/
approved treatment schedule is the proposed changes are effective, we #!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2016-0038 or
ineffective at neutralizing the targeted will affirm these changes to the PPQ in our reading room, which is located in
plant pest(s). Treatment Manual and make available a Room 1141 of the USDA South
• PPQ has determined that, in order new version of the PPQ Treatment Building, 14th Street and Independence
to neutralize the targeted plant pest(s), Manual reflecting these changes. If we Avenue SW., Washington, DC. Normal
the treatment schedule must be receive comments that cause us to reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30
administered using a different process determine that additional changes need p.m., Monday through Friday, except
than was previously used. to be made to one or more of the holidays. To be sure someone is there to
• PPQ has determined that a new treatment schedules discussed above, help you, please call (202) 799–7039
treatment schedule is effective, based on we will make available a new version of before coming.
efficacy data, and that ongoing trade in
the PPQ Treatment Manual that reflects FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
a commodity or commodities may be
the changes. Chip Wells, Senior Staff Veterinarian,
adversely impacted unless the new
treatment schedule is approved for use. Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701–7772 and 7781– Regionalization Evaluation Services,
• The use of a treatment schedule is 7786; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, National Import Export Services, VS,
no longer authorized by the U.S. 2.80, and 371.3. APHIS, USDA, 4700 River Road, Unit
38, Riverdale, MD 20737–1231;
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES

Environmental Protection Agency or by Done in Washington, DC, this 2nd day of
any other Federal entity. Chip.J.Wells@aphis.usda.gov; (301) 851–
August 2017. 3317.
Michael C. Gregoire,
1 The Treatment Manual is available at http:// SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/ Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Animal and Plant Health Inspection
manuals/index.shtml or by contacting the Animal Inspection Service. Service (APHIS) of the United States
and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant [FR Doc. 2017–16676 Filed 8–7–17; 8:45 am]
Protection and Quarantine, Manuals Unit, 92
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 200, Frederick, MD BILLING CODE 3410–10–P regulates the importation of animals and
21702. animal products into the United States

VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:16 Aug 07, 2017 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\08AUN1.SGM 08AUN1

Document Created: 2017-08-08 00:17:42
Document Modified: 2017-08-08 00:17:42

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice of availability.
Dates		We will consider all comments that we receive on or before October 10, 2017.
Contact		Dr. Chip Wells, Senior Staff Veterinarian, Regionalization Evaluation Services, National Import Export Services, VS, APHIS, USDA, 4700 River Road, Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; [email protected]; (301) 851-3317.
FR Citation		82 FR 37043

82 FR 37043 - Notice of Availability of an Evaluation of the Classical Swine Fever Status of Mexico

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 151 (August 8, 2017)

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service