[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 125 (Friday, June 30, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29822-29823]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13783]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2016-0053]


Notice of Availability of an Evaluation of the Highly Pathogenic 
Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease Status of Japan

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we are proposing to recognize 
Japan as being free of highly pathogenic avian influenza and Newcastle 
disease. This proposed recognition is based on a risk evaluation we 
have prepared in connection with this action, which we are making 
available for review and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before July 
31, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2016-0053.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2016-0053, 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-2016-
0053 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. Kelly Rhodes, Senior Staff 
Veterinarian, Regionalization Evaluation Services, National Import 
Export Services, VS, APHIS, USDA, 4700 River Road, Unit 38, Riverdale, 
MD 20737-1231; [email protected]; (301) 851-3315.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    The regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred to below as the 
regulations) govern the importation of certain animals and animal 
products into the United States in order to prevent the introduction of 
various animal diseases, including highly pathogenic avian

[[Page 29823]]

influenza (HPAI) and Newcastle disease. Within part 94, Sec.  94.6 
contains requirements governing the importation of carcasses, meat, 
parts or products of carcasses, and eggs (other than hatching eggs) of 
poultry, game birds, or other birds from regions where HPAI and 
Newcastle disease is considered to exist.
    In accordance with Sec.  94.6(a)(1)(i) the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS) maintains a list of regions in which 
Newcastle disease is not considered to exist. Paragraph (a)(1)(ii) 
states that APHIS will add a region to this list after it conducts an 
evaluation of the region and finds that Newcastle disease is not likely 
to be present in its commercial bird or poultry populations.
    In accordance with Sec.  94.6(a)(2)(i), APHIS maintains a list of 
regions in which HPAI is considered to exist. Paragraph (a)(2)(ii) 
states that APHIS will remove a region from this list only after it 
conducts an evaluation of the region and finds that HPAI is not likely 
to be present in its commercial bird or poultry populations.
    The regulations in 9 CFR part 92, Sec.  92.2 contain requirements 
for requesting the recognition of the animal health status of a region 
(as well as 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, APHIS believes the request can be safely granted, APHIS 
will make its evaluation available for public comment through a 
document 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 document published in the Federal Register.
    The Government of Japan has requested that APHIS evaluate the HPAI 
and Newcastle disease status of the country. In response to Japan's 
request, we have prepared an evaluation, titled ``APHIS Evaluation of 
the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease Status of 
Japan'' (May 2017). Based on this evaluation, we have determined that 
Japan is free of both HPAI and Newcastle disease. APHIS has also 
determined that the surveillance, prevention, and control measures 
implemented by Japan are sufficient to minimize the likelihood of 
introducing HPAI and Newcastle disease into the United States via 
imports of species or products susceptible to these diseases. Our 
determination supports adding Japan to the Web-based list of regions in 
which Newcastle disease is not considered to exist and removing Japan 
from the Web-based list of regions in which HPAI is considered to 
exist.
    Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  92.2(e), we are announcing the 
availability of our risk evaluation of the HPAI and Newcastle disease 
status of Japan for public review and comment. We are also announcing 
the availability of an environmental assessment (EA) which has been 
prepared in accordance with: (1) The National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), (2) regulations of 
the Council on Environmental Quality for implementing the procedural 
provision of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), (3) USDA regulations 
implementing NEPA (7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS' NEPA Implementing 
Procedures (7 CFR part 372). The evaluation and EA 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 documents are also available by 
contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Information submitted in support of Japan's request is available by 
contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our 
decision regarding the disease status of Japan with respect to HPAI and 
Newcastle disease in a subsequent notice.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701-7772, 7781-7786, 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 26th day of June 2017.
Michael C. Gregoire,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-13783 Filed 6-29-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P