[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 124 (Friday, June 27, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 34677-34679]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-16866]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

9 CFR Parts 92 and 98

[Docket No. 97-014-1]


Canadian Border Ports; Champlain, NY, and Derby Line, VT

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: We are proposing to amend the animal and animal product 
importation regulations by removing Champlain, NY, and Derby Line, VT, 
as land border ports of entry for animals and animal germ plasm 
imported from Canada into the United States. We want to improve the 
efficiency of our animal inspection operations along the U.S.-Canada 
border, and we do not believe that the current level of use of the 
animal importation facilities at these two ports justifies the cost of 
keeping them open. Importers may continue to use other ports along the 
U.S-Canada border, including Highgate Springs, VT, and Buffalo and 
Alexandria Bay, NY, to import animals and animal germ plasm from 
Canada. We believe that new livestock inspection facilities and 
extended hours of operation at the port at Highgate Springs, VT, will 
enable us to handle any additional needs for inspection services caused 
by closing the ports at Champlain, NY, and Derby Line, VT, which are 
currently open on a part-time basis only.

DATES: Consideration will be given only to comments received on or 
before August 26, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Please send an original and three copies of your comments to 
Docket No. 97-014-1, 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. 97-014-1. 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, Import/Export Animals, National Center for Import and 
Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 39, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231, 
(301) 734-3276.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The regulations in 9 CFR parts 92 and 98 (referred to below as the 
regulations) restrict the importation of specified animals and animal 
products into the United States to prevent the introduction of 
communicable animal diseases. The regulations designate land border 
ports along the U.S.-Canada border having inspection facilities for the 
importation of certain animals and animal germ plasm that require 
inspection. Section 92.203(b) lists the border ports through which 
poultry from Canada may be imported; Sec. 92.303(b) lists the border 
ports through which horses from Canada may be imported; Sec. 92.403(b) 
lists the border ports through which ruminants from Canada may be 
imported;Sec. 92.418(c)(2) lists the border ports through which cattle 
from Canada may be imported; and Sec. 92.503(b) lists the border ports 
through which swine from Canada may be imported. Section 98.33(b) lists 
the border ports through which certain animal semen from Canada may be 
imported, and Sec. 98.6 provides that

[[Page 34678]]

embryos regulated under subpart A of part 98 may be imported at ports 
of entry listed in Sec. 92.303 for horses, Sec. 92.403 for ruminants, 
and Sec. 92.503 for swine.
    The ports of Champlain, NY, and Derby Line and Highgate Springs, 
VT, are currently listed in all of the sections of parts 92 and 98 
listed above and, therefore, are authorized ports of entry for the 
importation of poultry, horses, swine, cattle, other ruminants, and 
certain animal germ plasm from Canada. The animal importation 
facilities at these ports are open on a part-time basis only: The 
facilities at Champlain are open 1 day a week for 8 hours, the 
facilities at Derby Line are open 1 day a week for 4 hours, and the 
facilities at Highgate Springs are open 4 days a week for a total of 32 
hours. Along the U.S.-Canada border, Highgate Springs is located 
between Champlain and Derby Line; Champlain is approximately 18 miles 
west of Highgate Springs, and Derby Line is approximately 48 miles east 
of Highgate Springs.
    The amount of animals and animal germ plasm imported annually 
through Derby Line, VT, is extremely low compared to the amount 
imported annually through other U.S.-Canada border ports. The amount of 
animals and animal germ plasm imported annually through Highgate 
Springs, VT, and Champlain, NY, are roughly similar to each other and, 
although higher than the amount imported annually through Derby Line, 
still relatively low when compared to other ports. To illustrate, in 
fiscal years (FY) 1995 and 1996 and the first 4 months of FY 1997, the 
three ports processed a total of 245,588 poultry (chicks and hatching 
eggs)--a far higher number of importations than any other species. 
Bovine importations (cattle and bison) were next highest with 19,236 
bovines imported through the three ports during the same 28-month 
period. By comparison, the port at Alexandria Bay, NY, processed 
457,607 imported poultry and 122,607 imported bovines during that 
timeframe. Therefore, the total number of poultry imported through 
Derby Line, Highgate Springs, and Champlain combined was about 54 
percent the number imported through Alexandria Bay. The total number of 
bovines imported through these three ports was less than 16 percent the 
number imported through Alexandria Bay.
    We do not believe that the level of use of these three ports 
justifies the cost of keeping all of them open. The Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) funds import activities through user 
fees. In recent years, the user fees generated through these three 
ports have not covered their operating expenses. Moreover, we do not 
believe that the relatively low level of use of these ports can be 
attributed solely to the fact that they are open on a part-time basis 
only. Over the years, we have found that the scheduled hours of 
operation at these ports have met the needs of the local industry who 
use them. In other words, we do not believe that increasing the hours 
of operation at these ports would greatly increase their use by 
importers.
    As a result, we are considering closing the animal importation 
facilities at Derby Line, VT, and Champlain, NY, and extending the 
hours of operation at Highgate Springs, VT, so that the animal 
importation facilities there are open full time during normal business 
hours Monday through Friday. We anticipate that the port at Highgate 
Springs operating on a full-time basis would be able to handle all 
animal importations that would otherwise have gone through Derby Line 
and Champlain. Therefore, we are proposing to amend 9 CFR parts 92 and 
98 to remove Champlain, NY, and Derby Line, VT, from the lists of land 
border ports for the importation of animals and animal germ plasm from 
Canada.
    The Federal Government and U.S. taxpayers would benefit from the 
positive budgetary effect of closing these ports. The physical plants 
in Champlain and Derby Line are old and becoming expensive to maintain. 
A new livestock inspection facility at Highgate Springs is expected to 
open in August 1997. Veterinary medical officers travel from other 
official duty stations to these three ports to conduct inspections of 
imported animals on the days the animal importation facilities are 
open. Total travel time for the veterinary medical officers is 7\1/2\ 
hours per week. We plan to establish a full-time position for a 
veterinary medical officer at Highgate Springs when the new livestock 
inspection facility opens, so the travel time and expenses for our 
employees will be eliminated. In addition to Highgate Springs, VT, the 
land border ports of Alexandria Bay and Buffalo, NY, and two land 
border ports in Maine would continue to serve livestock importers in 
the Northeastern United States.

Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This proposed 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.
    In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 603, we have performed an Initial 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, which is set out below, regarding the 
impact of this proposed rule on small entities. However, we do not 
currently have all of the data necessary for a comprehensive analysis 
of the effects of this proposed rule on small entities. Therefore, we 
are inviting comments on potential effects. In particular, we are 
interested in determining the number and kind of small entities that 
may incur benefits or costs from the implementation of this proposed 
rule.
    The Secretary of Agriculture has the authority under 21 U.S.C. 102-
105, 111, 134a, 134c, 136a, and 31 U.S.C. 9701 to regulate the 
importation of animals and animal germ plasm to prevent the 
introduction of foreign animal diseases and to collect user fees to 
cover the costs of conducting associated inspection services.
    The proposed rule would close the land border ports of Derby Line, 
VT, and Champlain, NY, for the importation of animals and animal germ 
plasm from Canada. APHIS uses these facilities primarily for conducting 
inspections of animals and animal germ plasm imported from Canada, 
although minimal export services are also performed at these 
facilities. These ports are being considered for closure because the 
cost of keeping them open does not appear justified by the minimal 
level of import activity they support. If the two facilities are 
closed, U.S. importers would still have access to import inspection 
services at other entry points from Canada, including Highgate Springs, 
VT, Buffalo and Alexandria Bay, NY, and Houlton and Jackman, ME. 
Highgate Springs is 18 miles from Champlain and 48 miles from Derby 
Line along the U.S.-Canada border.
    The proposed rule is intended to improve APHIS' operating 
efficiency. APHIS currently maintains part-time inspection facilities 
at Champlain, Derby Line, and Highgate Springs. These facilities are 
within close proximity of one another, and none is self-supporting; at 
each facility, user fees generated from import and export services are 
inadequate to cover the costs of providing those services. The total 
user fee deficit (including both import and export user fees) in New 
England for FY 1996 was $85,296. Of that amount, $73,795 was attributed 
to Vermont. The fact that the facilities are open on a part-time basis 
only is not considered to be a factor in the level of import activity. 
In other words, increasing the facilities' hours would not increase 
their use by importers. Nor are future user fee increases likely to 
eliminate the deficit.
    APHIS is currently considering closing the Champlain and Derby Line

[[Page 34679]]

facilities and opening the Highgate Springs facility on a full-time 
basis. It is estimated that by closing both the Champlain and Derby 
Line facilities, APHIS will be able to cut its operating costs by 
approximately $24,000 annually. In 1996, a total of $1.4 million was 
collected in user fees for entry of live animals at ports (excluding 
Mexican border ports, which have different fees.) Presumably, the lost 
user fee revenue at Champlain and Derby Line would be made up at the 
other nearby ports, especially Highgate Springs.
    APHIS considered several alternatives to the proposed rule to help 
reduce the user fee deficit and increase operating efficiency at these 
ports, including increasing import user fees and staffing the ports 
with lesser paid employees than veterinary medical officers. These 
alternatives were rejected because of the potential for adverse 
economic impacts on small entities and increased risk to the health of 
the U.S. animal population. In addition, APHIS originally considered 
closing only the port at Derby Line, VT, but that alternative was 
rejected because the cost savings achieved would not be significant 
enough to increase operating efficiency greatly at the ports.
    In proposing to keep one of the three facilities open, APHIS is 
attempting to strike a balance between the agency's needs for cost 
savings and the industry's needs for continued nearby inspection 
services. The proposal to keep the Highgate Springs facility open and 
not one of the others is due to cost considerations. The cost of 
maintaining the physical plant at Highgate Springs is lower than the 
costs associated with maintaining the facilities at Champlain or Derby 
Line, where the physical plants are aging. Moreover, because Highgate 
Springs is located between Champlain and Derby Line, it is the logical 
choice to keep open in trying to inconvenience the fewest number of 
importers in the area.
    The proposed rule should have little or no impact on U.S. consumers 
because animals and animal germ plasm that currently enter the United 
States at Champlain and Derby Line would still be available through 
alternative ports of entry. The proposed rule would not restrict or 
otherwise limit those imports.
    The Champlain and Derby Line facilities are used mostly by 
livestock dealers. It is estimated that about 25 dealers use the Derby 
Line facility on a regular basis. The number of livestock dealers using 
Champlain is not available, but combined data for Champlain and 
Highgate Springs is available and show that about 50 dealers regularly 
use Champlain or Highgate Springs. The number of these livestock 
dealers who are considered small entities under the U.S. Small Business 
Administration's (SBA) standards is unknown because information as to 
the size of the dealers' businesses (in terms of the number of 
employees) is not available. However, it is reasonable to assume that 
most are small, based on aggregate data for providers of the same or 
similar services in the United States. In 1992, 99 percent of all 1,992 
firms in SIC 5154 (which includes livestock dealers) had fewer than 100 
employees, the SBA's current small-entity size standard.
    In terms of driving distance, Champlain and Derby Line are 
approximately 31 miles and 55 miles, respectively, from Highgate 
Springs. Therefore, as a result of the proposed rule, dealers who use 
Champlain and Derby Line would have to travel at most an additional 62 
miles and 110 miles per round-trip, respectively. And, assuming 
Champlain and Derby Line users make one round-trip per week, they would 
incur additional transportation costs of, at most, $967 and $1,716 
annually, assuming a per-mile cost of $0.30. These costs are relatively 
insignificant, given that the per-firm average receipts for all firms 
in SIC 5154 in 1992 was $13.8 million. The additional transportation 
costs ($967 and $1,716) represent less than 1 percent of the per-firm 
average receipts.
    As mentioned previously, comments on the economic impact of the 
proposed rule on small entities are invited. There are no reporting or 
recordkeeping requirements associated with this proposed rule.

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 7 CFR part 3015, subpart V.)

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 inconsistent 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

    This proposed rule contains no information collection or 
recordkeeping requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

List of Subjects

9 CFR Part 92

    Animal diseases, Imports, Livestock, Poultry and poultry products, 
Quarantine, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

9 CFR Part 98

    Animal diseases and Imports.

    Accordingly, 9 CFR parts 92 and 98 would be amended as follows:

PART 92--IMPORTATION OF CERTAIN ANIMALS, BIRDS, AND POULTRY, AND 
CERTAIN ANIMAL, BIRD, AND POULTRY PRODUCTS; REQUIREMENTS FOR MEANS 
OF CONVEYANCE AND SHIPPING CONTAINERS

    1. The authority citation for part 92 would continue to read as 
follows:

    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).

Secs. 92.203, 92.303, 92.403, 92.418, and 92.503  [Amended]

    2. Sections 92.203(b), 92.303(b), 92.403(b), 92.418(c)(2), and 
92.503(b) would be amended by removing the words ``,Buffalo, and 
Champlain,'' and adding ``and Buffalo,'' in their place; and removing 
the words ``Derby Line and''.

PART 98--IMPORTATION OF CERTAIN ANIMAL EMBRYOS AND ANIMAL SEMEN

    3. The authority citation for part 98 would continue to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1622; 19 U.S.C. 1306; 21 U.S.C. 103-105, 
111, 134a, 134b, 134c, 134d, 134f, 136, and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 
CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.2(d).

Sec. 98.33  [Amended]

    4. In Sec. 98.33, paragraph (b) would be amended by removing the 
words ``, Buffalo, and Champlain,'' and adding ``and Buffalo,'' in 
their place; and removing the words ``Derby Line and''.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 23rd day of June 1997.
Terry L. Medley,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 97-16866 Filed 6-26-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P