[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 134 (Thursday, July 11, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 36520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-17672]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 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. 61, No. 134 / Thursday, July 11, 1996 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 36520]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

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

[Docket No. 94-106-4]
RIN 0579-AA71


Importation of Animals and Animal Products

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: We are extending the comment period for our proposed rule that 
would amend the regulations regarding the importation of animals and 
animal products by establishing criteria for foreign ``regions'' based 
on risk class levels. We are also announcing the availability, through 
the World Wide Web and in our comment reading room, of information 
concerning public comments received on the proposed rule, transcripts 
of public hearings held on the proposed rule, and other documents that 
are part of the administrative record for the proposed rule.

DATES: Consideration will be given only to comments on the proposed 
rule received on or before September 16, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted as paper copies or by electronic 
mail. If you submit paper copies, please send an original and three 
copies of your comments to Docket No. 94-106-1, Regulatory Analysis and 
Development, PPD, APHIS, suite 3C03, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comments refer to 
Docket No. 94-106-1. We encourage the submission of copies by 
electronic mail, since this both facilitates our analysis of the 
comments and allows us to make the text of comments available to the 
public via the Internet. The e-mail address for comments on this 
proposed rule is [email protected]. Please be sure to include 
your full name and organization in any comments you submit by e-mail. 
If your e-mail comment is a duplicate of a paper copy you have 
submitted, please state this in the first line of your e-mail message. 
Comments submitted by e-mail will be posted to the APHIS 
Regionalization Proposal Web Page within a few days after receipt. This 
Web page also contains copies of the proposed rule in several formats, 
lists of persons who have submitted comments, transcripts of public 
hearings held on the proposed rule, and other background information 
from the administrative record of the proposed rule. The Web page URL 
is http://www.aphis.usda.gov/PPD/region. Both paper and e-mail comments 
received may be inspected at USDA, room 1141, South Building, 14th 
Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Persons wishing to 
inspect comments are requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to 
facilitate entry into the comment reading room.

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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 18, 1996, we published in the 
Federal Register (61 FR 16978-17105, Docket No. 94-106-1), a proposal 
to amend the regulations in title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
regarding the importation of animals and animal products. We proposed 
to establish criteria for foreign ``regions'' based on risk class 
levels that would apply to the importation of ruminants and swine and 
the products of these animals. We also proposed to allow, under certain 
conditions, the unloading and reloading at the port of arrival of meat 
and other animal products otherwise prohibited entry into the United 
States.
    Comments on the proposed rule were required to be received on or 
before July 17, 1996. We have received four requests to extend the 
period during which comments will be accepted. These requests were 
received from an advisory committee to the Secretary of Agriculture, a 
livestock institute, a veterinary association, and an animal health 
association.
    In response to these requests, we are extending the comment period 
on Docket No. 94-106-1 for an additional 60 days. We believe this 
action, along with the series of four public hearings that we have held 
regarding the proposal, will allow the organizations requesting 
extension of the comment period and all other interested persons 
adequate opportunity to prepare and submit comments.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 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; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.2(d).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 3rd day of July 1996.
Terry L. Medley,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 96-17672 Filed 7-10-96; 8:45 am]
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