[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 13, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 77771-77773]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31868]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
9 CFR Part 94
[Docket No. 00-111-1]
Change in Disease Status of Artigas, Uruguay, Because of
Rinderpest and Foot-and-Mouth Disease
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
[[Page 77772]]
ACTION: Interim rule and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We are amending the regulations governing the importation of
certain animals, meat, and other animal products by removing Artigas, a
department in Uruguay, from the list of regions considered to be free
of rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease. We are taking this action
because the existence of foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed
there. The effect of this action is to prohibit or restrict the
importation of any ruminant or swine and any fresh (chilled or frozen)
meat and other products of ruminants or swine into the United States
from Artigas.
DATES: This interim rule was effective October 1, 2000. We invite you
to comment on this docket. We will consider all comments that we
receive by February 12, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Please send four copies of your comment (an original and
three copies) to: Docket No. 00-111-1, Regulatory Analysis and
Development, PPD, APHIS, Suite 3C03, 4700 River Road, Unit 118,
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to
Docket No. 00-111-1.
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.
APHIS documents published in the Federal Register, and related
information, including the names of organizations and individuals who
have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.
Furthermore, an evaluation in support of this action is available
for review in our reading room and on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/reg-request.html, or by contacting the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Glen Garris, Supervisory Staff
Officer, Regionalization Evaluation Services Staff, 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 including rinderpest, foot-and-mouth disease
(FMD), African swine fever, hog cholera, and swine vesicular disease.
These are dangerous and destructive communicable diseases of ruminants
and swine. Section 94.1 of the regulations lists regions of the world
that are declared free of rinderpest or free of both rinderpest and
FMD. Rinderpest or FMD exists in all other regions of the world not
listed. Section 94.11 of the regulations lists regions of the world
that have been declared to be free of rinderpest and FMD, but are
subject to certain restrictions because of their proximity to or
trading relationships with rinderpest- or FMD-affected regions.
Prior to the effective date of this interim rule, Uruguay was among
the listed regions in Secs. 94.1 and 94.11 considered to be free of
rinderpest and FMD. However, on October 23, 2000, a suspected outbreak
of FMD was detected in the Uruguayan department of Artigas, a region in
northern Uruguay. On October 26, 2000, Uruguay's Ministry of
Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries notified us with clinical
confirmation of the FMD diagnosis. On November 20, 2000, Uruguay sent a
team of veterinary officials to the United States to provide us with
detailed information on the outbreak history, measures taken to
eradicate the disease, movement controls, monitoring and surveillance,
and other relevant activities. Based on our discussions with Uruguay's
team of veterinary officials and our own evaluation) \1\ we have
determined that: (1) FMD is not known to exist outside the department
of Artigas; (2) Uruguay maintains strict control over the importation
and movement of animals and animal products from regions of higher risk
and has established barriers to the spread of FMD from the department
of Artigas; (3) Uruguay maintains a surveillance system capable of
detecting FMD should the disease be introduced into other regions of
the country; and (4) Uruguay has the laws, policies, and infrastructure
to detect, respond to, and eliminate any occurrence of FMD.
Consequently, we have decided to remove the portion of Uruguay
encompassing the department of Artigas from the list of regions
recognized as free of FMD.
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\1\ An evaluation has been prepared for this action and is
available from the sources listed under ADDRESSES.
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Therefore, to protect the livestock of the United States from FMD,
we are amending the regulations in Sec. 94.1 by removing the department
of Artigas from the list of regions considered to be free of rinderpest
and FMD. We are also removing Artigas from the list of regions in
Sec. 94.11 that are considered to be free of these diseases, but are
subject to certain restrictions because of their proximity to or
trading relationships with rinderpest- or FMD-affected regions. Other
regions of Uruguay will remain on the list of regions considered to be
free of rinderpest and FMD. As a result of this action, the importation
into the United States of any ruminant or swine and any fresh (chilled
or frozen) meat and other products of ruminants or swine that left
Artigas on or after October 1, 2000, is prohibited or restricted.
Because the disease may have been present in Artigas for some time
prior to its detection on October 23, 2000, we are making these
amendments effective on October 1, 2000. The date of October 1, 2000,
takes into account the approximate incubation period for FMD of 14
days, and includes an additional margin of safety based on uncertainty
as to how long the affected animals experienced clinical signs of the
disease prior to discovery.
Although we are removing the department of Artigas from the list of
regions considered to be free of rinderpest and FMD, we recognize that
Uruguay's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries responded
immediately to the detection of the disease by imposing restrictions on
the movement of ruminants, swine, and ruminant and swine products into
and from the affected area and initiating measures to eradicate the
disease. At the time of publication of this interim rule, it appears
that the outbreak is well controlled. Because of the efforts of the
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries to ensure that FMD
does not spread beyond the department of Artigas, we intend to reassess
the situation in accordance with the standards of the Office
International des Epizooties. Additionally, as part of our reassessment
process, over the next 12 months we will conduct periodic inspections
of Uruguayan slaughtering establishments and their operations and
records, as well as review relevant documentation maintained by the
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. We will also consider
all comments received on this interim rule. This reassessment will
determine whether it is necessary to continue to prohibit or restrict
the importation of
[[Page 77773]]
ruminants or swine and any fresh (chilled or frozen) meat and other
products of ruminants or swine from Artigas, or whether we can restore
the department of Artigas to the list of regions considered free of
rinderpest and FMD.
Emergency Action
This rulemaking is necessary on an emergency basis to prevent the
introduction of FMD into the United States. Under these circumstances,
the Administrator has determined that prior notice and opportunity for
public comment are contrary to the public interest and that there is
good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553 for making this rule effective less than
30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
We will consider comments that are received within 60 days of
publication of this rule in the Federal Register. After the comment
period closes, we will publish another document in the Federal
Register. The document will include a discussion of any comments we
receive and any amendments we are making to the rule as a result of the
comments.
Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory Flexibility Act
This rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12866. For this
action, the Office of Management and Budget has waived its review
process required by Executive Order 12866.
This interim rule amends the regulations by removing the Uruguayan
department of Artigas from the list of regions considered free of
rinderpest and FMD. We are taking this action because Uruguay's
Ministry of Agriculture has reported cases of FMD in that region. This
action prohibits or restricts the importation into the United States of
any ruminant or swine and any fresh (chilled or frozen) meat and other
products of ruminants or swine that left the department of Artigas on
or after October 1, 2000. This action is necessary to protect the
livestock of the United States from FMD.
This emergency situation makes timely compliance with section 604
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) impracticable.
We are currently assessing the potential economic effects of this
action on small entities. Based on that assessment, we will either
certify that the rule will not have a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities or publish a final regulatory
flexibility analysis.
Executive Order 12988
This rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, Civil
Justice Reform. This rule: (1) Preempts all State and local laws and
regulations that are inconsistent with this rule; (2) has retroactive
effect to October 1, 2000; and (3) does not require administrative
proceedings before parties may file suit in court challenging this
rule.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This rule contains no new information collection or recordkeeping
requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.).
List of Subjects in 9 CFR Part 94
Animal diseases, Imports, Livestock, Meat and meat products, Milk,
Poultry and poultry products, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Accordingly, we are amending 9 CFR part 94 as follows:
PART 94--RINDERPEST, FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE, FOWL PEST (FOWL
PLAGUE), EXOTIC NEWCASTLE DISEASE, AFRICAN SWINE FEVER, HOG
CHOLERA, AND BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY: PROHIBITED AND
RESTRICTED IMPORTATIONS
1. The authority citation for part 94 continues to read as follows:
Authority: Title IV, Pub. L. 106-224, 114 Stat. 438, 7 U.S.C.
7701-7772; 7 U.S.C. 450; 19 U.S.C. 1306; 21 U.S.C. 111, 114a, 134a,
134b, 134c, 134f, 136, and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 42 U.S.C. 4331 and
4332; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.
Sec. 94.1 [Amended]
2. In Sec. 94.1, paragraph (a)(2) is amended by adding the words
``except the department of Artigas'' immediately after the word
``Uruguay''.
Sec. 94.11 [Amended]
3. In Sec. 94.11, paragraph (a), the first sentence is amended by
adding the words ``except the department of Artigas'' immediately after
the word ``Uruguay''.
Done in Washington, DC, this 11th day of December 2000.
Bobby R. Acord,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 00-31868 Filed 12-12-00; 8:45 am]
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