Exportation and importation of animals and animal products: Regions recognized for exportation purposes and disease risk of specific commodities assessed; requests availability through World Wide Web,

[Federal Register: November 10, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 217)]

[Rules and Regulations]

[Page 62927]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr10no98-5]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

9 CFR Parts 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, and 98

[Docket No. 94-106-14]

RIN 0579-AA11

Importation of Animals and Animal Products

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: We are announcing the availability through the World Wide Web of requests received by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to recognize regions for the purpose of exporting animals or animal products to the United States and to assess the disease risk presented by specific commodities exported from those regions.

ADDRESSES: To review requests received by APHIS, along with information submitted to support those requests, go to the APHIS Regionalization Request page on the World Wide Web. The Web page URL is http:// www.aphis. usda.gov/vs/reg-request.html. Once you have reached the Web page, click on the box labeled ``Click Here.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Gary Colgrove, Chief Staff Veterinarian, National Center for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231. (301) 734-8590; or e- mail: gary.s.colgrove@usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 28, 1997, we published in the Federal Register (62 FR 56000-56026, Docket No. 94-106-9) a final rule establishing procedures for recognizing regions, rather than only countries, for the purpose of exporting animals and animal products to the United States. The final rule also established procedures by which regions may request permission to export animals and animal products to the United States under specified conditions, based on the regions disease status.

In the final rule, we stated that we will, in general, process applications and risk assessments according to the following procedures:

1. The official of the national government of any country who has the authority in that country to request such a change may submit a request to the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) that all or part of the country be recognized as a region, be included within an adjacent previously recognized region, or be made part of a region larger than the country.

2. Each request for approval to export a particular type of animal or animal product to the United States from a foreign region must be made to the Administrator, and must include information regarding the following: The veterinary services organization in the region; the disease and vaccination status of the region; the disease status of adjacent regions and the degree of separation from those regions; the control of the movement of animals and products from regions of higher risk; policies and infrastructure for disease control in the region; surveillance practices and diagnostic laboratory capabilities in the region; and livestock demographics and marketing practices in the region.

In the final rule, we also stated that the above information would be made available to the public prior to our initiating any rulemaking action on the request. We are giving notice that this information may be viewed at the Web page described under the heading ADDRESSES.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 147a, 150ee, 161, 162, 450, and 1622; 19 U.S.C. 1306; 21 U.S.C. 102-105, 111, 114a, 134a, 134b, 134c, 134d, 134f, 135, 136, and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 42 U.S.C. 4331 and 4332; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.2(d).

Done in Washington, DC, this 3rd day of November, 1998. John R. Clifford, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 98-30136Filed11-9-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-34-P