[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 113 (Thursday, June 12, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33714-33715]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-13786]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2014-0013]


Notice of Availability of an Evaluation of the African Horse 
Sickness Status of Saudi Arabia

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have determined that Saudi 
Arabia is free of African horse sickness (AHS). After reviewing the 
documentation submitted by Saudi Arabia in support of its request and 
considering other factors, the Administrator of the Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service has determined that AHS is not present in 
Saudi Arabia. We are making that determination, as well as an 
evaluation we have prepared in connection with this action, available 
for review and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
August 11, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0013.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2014-0013, 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-2014-
0013 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. Chip Wells, Senior Staff 
Veterinarian, Regionalization Evaluation Services, Sanitary Trade 
Issues Team, National Import Export Services, VS, APHIS, 4700 River 
Road, Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 851-3317.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The regulations in 9 CFR part 93 (referred to below as the 
regulations) prescribe the conditions for the importation into the 
United States of specified animals to prevent the introduction of 
various animal diseases, including African horse sickness (AHS). AHS is 
a fatal viral equine disease that is not known to exist in the United 
States.
    Part 93, Sec.  93.308 contains requirements governing the 
importation of horses, mules, zebras, and other equids from regions 
where AHS exists in order to prevent the introduction of

[[Page 33715]]

AHS into the United States. Equids from countries where AHS exists are 
eligible for importation into the United States only after undergoing a 
60-day quarantine.
    The regulations in 9 CFR part 92, Sec.  92.2, contain requirements 
for requesting the recognition of the animal health status of a region 
or for the approval of the export of a particular type of animal or 
animal product to the United States from a foreign region. If, after 
review and evaluation of the information submitted in support of the 
request the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) believes 
the request can be safely granted, APHIS will make its evaluation 
available for public comment through a notice published in the Federal 
Register. Following the close of the comment period, APHIS will review 
all comments received and will make a final determination regarding the 
request that will be detailed in another notice published in the 
Federal Register.
    In March 2009, the Government of Saudi Arabia submitted 
documentation to APHIS seeking recognition of the entire country of 
Saudi Arabia as a region free of AHS. In response to Saudi Arabia's 
request, APHIS evaluated the risk of introducing AHS into the United 
States via the importation of equids from Saudi Arabia in accordance 
with 9 CFR part 92. Based on this evaluation, APHIS concluded that AHS 
is not known to be present in Saudi Arabia and that the surveillance, 
prevention, and control measures implemented by Saudi Arabia are 
sufficient to minimize the likelihood of introducing AHS into the 
United States via imports of equids.
    Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  92.2(e), we are announcing the 
availability of our evaluation of the AHS status of Saudi Arabia for 
public review and comment. The evaluation may be viewed on the 
Regulations.gov Web site or in our reading room. (Instructions for 
accessing Regulations.gov and information on the location and hours of 
the reading room are provided under the heading ADDRESSES at the 
beginning of this notice.) The evaluation, as well as the information 
evaluated, may also be viewed at https://web01.aphis.usda.gov/db/mtaddr.nsf/WebView?OpenView.
    After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our 
decision regarding the disease status of Saudi Arabia with respect to 
AHS and the import status of susceptible animals in a subsequent 
notice.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1622 and 8301-8317; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 
31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 6th day of June 2014.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-13786 Filed 6-11-14; 8:45 am]
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