[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 13, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 77771-77773]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31868]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

9 CFR Part 94

[Docket No. 00-111-1]


Change in Disease Status of Artigas, Uruguay, Because of 
Rinderpest and Foot-and-Mouth Disease

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

[[Page 77772]]


ACTION: Interim rule and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We are amending the regulations governing the importation of 
certain animals, meat, and other animal products by removing Artigas, a 
department in Uruguay, from the list of regions considered to be free 
of rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease. We are taking this action 
because the existence of foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed 
there. The effect of this action is to prohibit or restrict the 
importation of any ruminant or swine and any fresh (chilled or frozen) 
meat and other products of ruminants or swine into the United States 
from Artigas.

DATES: This interim rule was effective October 1, 2000. We invite you 
to comment on this docket. We will consider all comments that we 
receive by February 12, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Please send four copies of your comment (an original and 
three copies) to: Docket No. 00-111-1, Regulatory Analysis and 
Development, PPD, APHIS, Suite 3C03, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to 
Docket No. 00-111-1.
    You may read any comments that we receive on this docket in our 
reading room. The reading room 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) 690-2817 before coming.
    APHIS documents published in the Federal Register, and related 
information, including the names of organizations and individuals who 
have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at 
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.
    Furthermore, an evaluation in support of this action is available 
for review in our reading room and on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/reg-request.html, or by contacting the person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Glen Garris, Supervisory Staff 
Officer, Regionalization Evaluation Services Staff, National Center for 
Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 
20737-1231; (301) 734-4356.

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 into the United States in order to prevent the introduction of 
various animal diseases including rinderpest, foot-and-mouth disease 
(FMD), African swine fever, hog cholera, and swine vesicular disease. 
These are dangerous and destructive communicable diseases of ruminants 
and swine. Section 94.1 of the regulations lists regions of the world 
that are declared free of rinderpest or free of both rinderpest and 
FMD. Rinderpest or FMD exists in all other regions of the world not 
listed. Section 94.11 of the regulations lists regions of the world 
that have been declared to be free of rinderpest and FMD, but are 
subject to certain restrictions because of their proximity to or 
trading relationships with rinderpest- or FMD-affected regions.
    Prior to the effective date of this interim rule, Uruguay was among 
the listed regions in Secs. 94.1 and 94.11 considered to be free of 
rinderpest and FMD. However, on October 23, 2000, a suspected outbreak 
of FMD was detected in the Uruguayan department of Artigas, a region in 
northern Uruguay. On October 26, 2000, Uruguay's Ministry of 
Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries notified us with clinical 
confirmation of the FMD diagnosis. On November 20, 2000, Uruguay sent a 
team of veterinary officials to the United States to provide us with 
detailed information on the outbreak history, measures taken to 
eradicate the disease, movement controls, monitoring and surveillance, 
and other relevant activities. Based on our discussions with Uruguay's 
team of veterinary officials and our own evaluation) \1\ we have 
determined that: (1) FMD is not known to exist outside the department 
of Artigas; (2) Uruguay maintains strict control over the importation 
and movement of animals and animal products from regions of higher risk 
and has established barriers to the spread of FMD from the department 
of Artigas; (3) Uruguay maintains a surveillance system capable of 
detecting FMD should the disease be introduced into other regions of 
the country; and (4) Uruguay has the laws, policies, and infrastructure 
to detect, respond to, and eliminate any occurrence of FMD. 
Consequently, we have decided to remove the portion of Uruguay 
encompassing the department of Artigas from the list of regions 
recognized as free of FMD.
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    \1\ An evaluation has been prepared for this action and is 
available from the sources listed under ADDRESSES.
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    Therefore, to protect the livestock of the United States from FMD, 
we are amending the regulations in Sec. 94.1 by removing the department 
of Artigas from the list of regions considered to be free of rinderpest 
and FMD. We are also removing Artigas from the list of regions in 
Sec. 94.11 that are considered to be free of these diseases, but are 
subject to certain restrictions because of their proximity to or 
trading relationships with rinderpest- or FMD-affected regions. Other 
regions of Uruguay will remain on the list of regions considered to be 
free of rinderpest and FMD. As a result of this action, the importation 
into the United States of any ruminant or swine and any fresh (chilled 
or frozen) meat and other products of ruminants or swine that left 
Artigas on or after October 1, 2000, is prohibited or restricted. 
Because the disease may have been present in Artigas for some time 
prior to its detection on October 23, 2000, we are making these 
amendments effective on October 1, 2000. The date of October 1, 2000, 
takes into account the approximate incubation period for FMD of 14 
days, and includes an additional margin of safety based on uncertainty 
as to how long the affected animals experienced clinical signs of the 
disease prior to discovery.
    Although we are removing the department of Artigas from the list of 
regions considered to be free of rinderpest and FMD, we recognize that 
Uruguay's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries responded 
immediately to the detection of the disease by imposing restrictions on 
the movement of ruminants, swine, and ruminant and swine products into 
and from the affected area and initiating measures to eradicate the 
disease. At the time of publication of this interim rule, it appears 
that the outbreak is well controlled. Because of the efforts of the 
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries to ensure that FMD 
does not spread beyond the department of Artigas, we intend to reassess 
the situation in accordance with the standards of the Office 
International des Epizooties. Additionally, as part of our reassessment 
process, over the next 12 months we will conduct periodic inspections 
of Uruguayan slaughtering establishments and their operations and 
records, as well as review relevant documentation maintained by the 
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. We will also consider 
all comments received on this interim rule. This reassessment will 
determine whether it is necessary to continue to prohibit or restrict 
the importation of

[[Page 77773]]

ruminants or swine and any fresh (chilled or frozen) meat and other 
products of ruminants or swine from Artigas, or whether we can restore 
the department of Artigas to the list of regions considered free of 
rinderpest and FMD.

Emergency Action

    This rulemaking is necessary on an emergency basis to prevent the 
introduction of FMD into the United States. Under these circumstances, 
the Administrator has determined that prior notice and opportunity for 
public comment are contrary to the public interest and that there is 
good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553 for making this rule effective less than 
30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
    We will consider comments that are received within 60 days of 
publication of this rule in the Federal Register. After the comment 
period closes, we will publish another document in the Federal 
Register. The document will include a discussion of any comments we 
receive and any amendments we are making to the rule as a result of the 
comments.

Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This 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.
    This interim rule amends the regulations by removing the Uruguayan 
department of Artigas from the list of regions considered free of 
rinderpest and FMD. We are taking this action because Uruguay's 
Ministry of Agriculture has reported cases of FMD in that region. This 
action prohibits or restricts the importation into the United States of 
any ruminant or swine and any fresh (chilled or frozen) meat and other 
products of ruminants or swine that left the department of Artigas on 
or after October 1, 2000. This action is necessary to protect the 
livestock of the United States from FMD.
    This emergency situation makes timely compliance with section 604 
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) impracticable. 
We are currently assessing the potential economic effects of this 
action on small entities. Based on that assessment, we will either 
certify that the rule will not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities or publish a final regulatory 
flexibility analysis.

Executive Order 12988

    This rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, Civil 
Justice Reform. This rule: (1) Preempts all State and local laws and 
regulations that are inconsistent with this rule; (2) has retroactive 
effect to October 1, 2000; and (3) does not require administrative 
proceedings before parties may file suit in court challenging this 
rule.

Paperwork Reduction Act

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

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.

    Accordingly, we are amending 9 CFR part 94 as follows:

PART 94--RINDERPEST, FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE, FOWL PEST (FOWL 
PLAGUE), EXOTIC NEWCASTLE DISEASE, AFRICAN SWINE FEVER, HOG 
CHOLERA, AND BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY: PROHIBITED AND 
RESTRICTED IMPORTATIONS

    1. The authority citation for part 94 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: Title IV, Pub. L. 106-224, 114 Stat. 438, 7 U.S.C. 
7701-7772; 7 U.S.C. 450; 19 U.S.C. 1306; 21 U.S.C. 111, 114a, 134a, 
134b, 134c, 134f, 136, and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 42 U.S.C. 4331 and 
4332; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.


Sec. 94.1  [Amended]

    2. In Sec. 94.1, paragraph (a)(2) is amended by adding the words 
``except the department of Artigas'' immediately after the word 
``Uruguay''.


Sec. 94.11  [Amended]

    3. In Sec. 94.11, paragraph (a), the first sentence is amended by 
adding the words ``except the department of Artigas'' immediately after 
the word ``Uruguay''.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 11th day of December 2000.
Bobby R. Acord,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 00-31868 Filed 12-12-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P