Addition of Armenia to the List of Regions Where African Swine Fever Exists

Federal Register: March 27, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 60)

Rules and Regulations

Page 16179

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Page 16179

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 9 CFR Part 94

Docket No. APHIS-2007-0142

Addition of Armenia to the List of Regions Where African Swine

Fever Exists

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Affirmation of interim rule as final rule.

SUMMARY: We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the regulations concerning the importation of animals and animal products by adding Armenia to the list of regions where

African swine fever exists. We took that action because outbreaks of

African swine fever had been confirmed in various locations in the northern portion of Armenia. The interim rule was necessary to prevent the introduction of African swine fever into the United States.

DATES: Effective on March 27, 2008, we are adopting as a final rule the interim rule published at 73 FR 1043-1044 on January 7, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Javier Vargas, Animal Scientist,

Regionalization Evaluation Services Staff, National Center for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737- 1231; (301) 734-0756.

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 to prevent the introduction into the United States of various animal diseases, including rinderpest, foot-and-mouth disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, swine vesicular disease, classical swine fever, and African swine fever (ASF). These are dangerous and destructive diseases of ruminants and swine.

Section 94.8 of the regulations lists regions of the world where

ASF exists or is reasonably believed to exist and imposes restrictions on the importation of pork and pork products into the United States from those regions.

In an interim rule \1\ effective and published in the Federal

Register on January 7, 2008 (73 FR 1043-1044, Docket No. APHIS-2007- 0142), we amended the regulations by adding Armenia to the list in

Sec. 94.8 of regions where ASF exists or is reasonably believed to exist. As a result of that action, the importation into the United

States of pork and pork products from Armenia is restricted.

\1\ To view the interim rule, go to http://www.regulations.gov/ fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2007-0142.

Comments on the interim rule were required to be received on or before March 7, 2008. We did not receive any comments. Therefore, for the reasons given in the interim rule, we are adopting the interim rule as a final rule without change.

This action also affirms the information contained in the interim rule concerning Executive Order 12866 and the Regulatory Flexibility

Act, Executive Order 12988, and the Paperwork Reduction Act. Further, for this action, the Office of Management and Budget has waived its review under Executive Order 12866.

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.

PART 94--RINDERPEST, FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE, FOWL PEST (FOWL

PLAGUE), EXOTIC NEWCASTLE DISEASE, AFRICAN SWINE FEVER, CLASSICAL

SWINE FEVER, AND BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY: PROHIBITED AND

RESTRICTED IMPORTATIONS 0

Accordingly, we are adopting as a final rule, without change, the interim rule that amended 9 CFR part 94 and that was published at 73 FR 1043-1044 on January 7, 2008.

Done in Washington, DC, this 21st day of March 2008.

Kevin Shea,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

FR Doc. E8-6242 Filed 3-26-08; 8:45 am

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