Swine Health Protection Act; Amendments to Garbage Feeding Regulations

Published date20 June 2019
Citation84 FR 28774
Record Number2019-13154
SectionProposed rules
CourtAnimal And Plant Health Inspection Service
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 119 (Thursday, June 20, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 119 (Thursday, June 20, 2019)]
                [Proposed Rules]
                [Pages 28774-28775]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2019-13154]
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                Proposed Rules
                 Federal Register
                ________________________________________________________________________
                This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
                the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
                notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
                the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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                Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 119 / Thursday, June 20, 2019 /
                Proposed Rules
                [[Page 28774]]
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                DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
                Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
                9 CFR Part 166
                [Docket No. APHIS-2018-0067]
                RIN 0579-AE50
                Swine Health Protection Act; Amendments to Garbage Feeding
                Regulations
                AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
                ACTION: Proposed rule.
                -----------------------------------------------------------------------
                SUMMARY: We are proposing to amend the Swine Health Protection Act
                regulations by removing the State status lists from the regulations in
                order to maintain these lists on the Agency's website. These changes
                would allow us to use a notice-based, streamlined approach to update
                the lists while continuing to protect swine health in the United
                States.
                DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before
                August 19, 2019.
                ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
                 Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2018-0067.
                 Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
                Docket No. APHIS-2018-0067, 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-2018-
                0067 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. John Korslund, DVM, Staff Officer,
                Veterinary Services, Surveillance, Preparedness, and Response Services,
                APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 46, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; email:
                [email protected]; phone: (301) 851-3468.
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                Background
                 The Swine Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 3801 et seq., referred to
                below as the Act) is intended to protect the commerce, health, and
                welfare of the people of the United States by ensuring that food waste
                fed to swine does not contain active disease organisms that pose a risk
                to domestic swine. The regulations in 9 CFR part 166 regarding swine
                health protection (referred to below as the regulations) were
                promulgated in accordance with the Act.
                 The regulations contain provisions that regulate food waste
                containing any meat products fed to swine. Compliance with these
                regulations ensures that all food waste fed to swine is properly
                treated to kill disease organisms. Raw or undercooked meat may transmit
                numerous infectious or communicable diseases to swine, including exotic
                viral diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease, African swine fever,
                classical swine fever, and swine vesicular disease. Under the
                regulations, food waste containing meat may be fed to swine only if it
                has been treated to kill disease organisms.
                 Section 166.15 of the regulations contains provisions regarding
                garbage feeding and enforcement responsibility, with lists of States
                that are subject to each provision. Paragraph (a) lists States
                prohibiting feeding garbage to swine, paragraph (b) lists States
                permitting the feeding of treated garbage to swine, paragraph (c) lists
                States with primary enforcement responsibility under the Act, and
                paragraph (d) lists States without primary enforcement responsibility
                under the Act issuing licenses under a cooperative agreement with the
                Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Paragraph (e)
                provides contact information for persons with questions about the
                feeding of garbage to swine.
                 The last change to a State's status in Sec. 166.15 was made in
                2004. Historically, changes to State statuses have been announced
                through a final rule published in the Federal Register. These final
                rules, published without an initial proposed rule or comment period,
                affirmed changes already made by a State to its laws governing the
                feeding of garbage to swine. We determined that, because these rules
                reflected already completed State actions to their garbage feeding
                laws, soliciting public comments would not yield additional relevant
                information.
                 We are proposing to revise Sec. 166.15 by moving the State status
                lists in Sec. 166.15(a) through (d) from the regulations to the APHIS
                website. As a result of this move, any subsequent changes to a State's
                status would be communicated through a notice, i.e., we would publish a
                notice in the Federal Register announcing the change to the State's
                status in conjunction with updating the lists maintained on the APHIS
                website. This action would allow us to provide more timely and up-to-
                date information about State and territory statuses to our stakeholders
                and the public.
                 As revised, proposed Sec. 166.15 would list the categories of
                States currently described in paragraphs (a) through (d) while
                referencing the location of the State lists in a website address. We
                would also retain the contact information found in paragraph (e).
                 These changes would allow us to use a notice-based, streamlined
                approach to update the lists while continuing to protect swine health
                in the United States.
                Executive Orders 12866 and 13771 and Regulatory Flexibility Act
                 This proposed rule has been determined to be not significant for
                the purposes of Executive Order 12866 and, therefore, has not been
                reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget. This proposed rule is
                not expected to be an Executive Order 13771 regulatory action because
                this proposed rule is not significant under Executive Order 12866.
                 In accordance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act, we have analyzed
                the potential economic effects of this action on small entities. The
                analysis is summarized below. Copies of the full analysis are available
                by contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER
                [[Page 28775]]
                INFORMATION CONTACT or on the Regulations.gov website (see ADDRESSES
                above for instructions for accessing Regulations.gov).
                 In accordance with the Swine Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 3801
                et seq.), APHIS regulates food waste containing any meat products fed
                to swine. Raw or undercooked meat may transmit numerous infectious or
                communicable diseases. Compliance with these regulations ensures that
                all food waste fed to swine is properly treated to kill disease
                organisms.
                 We are proposing to revise the regulations by moving the State
                status lists in Sec. 166.15(a) through (d) from the regulations to the
                APHIS website. As a result of this proposed move, any subsequent
                additions, deletions, and other changes to a State's status would be
                made using a notice-based process.
                 The proposed rule, while facilitating changes to the State status
                lists, is not expected to have an economic impact on hog and pig farms.
                 Under these circumstances, the Administrator of the Animal and
                Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that this action would
                not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
                entities.
                Executive Order 12372
                 This program/activity is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic
                Assistance under No. 10.025 and is subject to Executive Order 12372,
                which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local
                officials. (See 2 CFR chapter IV.)
                Executive Order 12988
                 This proposed rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988,
                Civil Justice Reform. If this proposed rule is adopted: (1) All State
                and local laws and regulations that are in conflict with this rule will
                be preempted; (2) no retroactive effect will be given to this rule; and
                (3) administrative proceedings will not be required before parties may
                file suit in court challenging this rule.
                Paperwork Reduction Act
                 In accordance with section 3507(d) of the Paperwork Reduction Act
                of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the information collection
                requirements included in this proposed rule have already been approved
                by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB control number
                0579-0065.
                E-Government Act Compliance
                 The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is committed to
                compliance with the E-Government Act to promote the use of the internet
                and other information technologies, to provide increased opportunities
                for citizen access to Government information and services, and for
                other purposes. For information pertinent to E-Government Act
                compliance related to this proposed rule, please contact Ms. Kimberly
                Hardy, APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 851-2483.
                List of Subjects in 9 CFR Part 166
                 Animal diseases, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Swine.
                 Accordingly, we propose to amend 9 CFR part 166 as follows:
                PART 166--SWINE HEALTH PROTECTION
                0
                1. The authority citation for part 166 continues to read as follows:
                 Authority: 7 U.S.C. 3801-3813; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.
                0
                2. Section 166.12 is amended by:
                0
                a. Removing the phrase ``listed in Sec. 166.15(d) of this part'' each
                time it appears and adding the phrase ``referenced in Sec. 166.15(a)''
                in its place;
                0
                b. Revising footnote 1; and
                0
                c. Removing the words ``of this part'' in paragraph (c).
                 The revision reads as follows:
                Sec. 166.12 Cancellation of licenses.
                * * * * *
                \1\ To find the name and address of the Area Veterinarian in Charge,
                go to https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/contacts/field-operations-districts.pdf.
                0
                 3. Section 166.15 is revised to read as follows:
                Sec. 166.15 State status.
                 (a) The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will
                maintain on its website \2\ the following lists of States:
                 (1) States that prohibit the feeding of garbage to swine;
                 (2) States that allow the feeding of treated garbage to swine;
                 (3) States that have primary enforcement responsibility under the
                Act; and
                 (4) States that issue licenses under cooperative agreements with
                APHIS, but do not have primary responsibility under the Act.
                 (b) For information concerning the feeding of garbage to swine, the
                public may contact the APHIS Area Veterinarian in Charge, the State
                animal health official, or Veterinary Services, 4700 River Road Unit
                37, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231.
                \2\ https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/swine-disease-information.
                 Done in Washington, DC, this 14th day of June 2019.
                Kevin Shea,
                Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
                [FR Doc. 2019-13154 Filed 6-19-19; 8:45 am]
                 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
                

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