[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 198 (Monday, October 16, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48050-48051]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-22382]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 198 / Monday, October 16, 2017 / 
Notices  

[[Page 48050]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2016-0053]


Notice of Determination of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza 
and Newcastle Disease Status of Japan

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we are recognizing Japan as 
being free of highly pathogenic avian influenza and Newcastle disease. 
This recognition is based on a risk evaluation we prepared and made 
available for public review and comment.

DATES: This change of disease status will be recognized on October 16, 
2017.

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 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.
    In 9 CFR part 92, Sec.  92.2 contains 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.
    In accordance with that process, we published a notice \1\ in the 
Federal Register on June 30, 2017 (82 FR 29822-29823, Docket No. APHIS-
2016-0053) announcing the availability for review and comment of our 
evaluation of the HPAI and Newcastle disease status of Japan. Based on 
this evaluation, we determined that Japan is free of both HPAI and 
Newcastle disease.
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    \1\ To view the notice, risk evaluation, environmental 
assessment, finding of no significant impact, and the comments we 
received, go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-
2016-0053.
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    We solicited comments on the notice for 30 days ending July 31, 
2017. We received two comments by that date, both from private 
citizens. One commenter supported the action. The second commenter 
stated that our assessment did not seem to include the most recent 
occurrence of HPAI in Japan and requested that we explain why we made 
the determination that no HPAI has occurred when HPAI was reported in 
Japan in early 2017.
    The risk evaluation that we made available for public review and 
comment explained that seven outbreaks of HPAI occurred in November and 
December of 2016, followed by five outbreaks from January through May 
2017. The risk evaluation examined the biosecurity and surveillance 
measures that Japan employs to prevent and detect HPAI outbreaks, 
respectively. There was no evidence that HPAI virus is circulating in 
domestic poultry in Japan. Each HPAI outbreak appeared to be a point 
source introduction from infected wild birds, with no other 
epidemiological connections. These findings support our conclusion that 
Japan is free of HPAI. Although infection in migratory wild birds 
presents an ongoing risk of introduction, Japan has effective systems 
in place to detect and investigate potential HPAI outbreaks and a 
highly successful rapid response scheme.
    Based on the evaluation and the reasons given in this document in 
response to comments, we are recognizing Japan as being free of HPAI 
and Newcastle disease and will add Japan to the Web-based list of 
regions in which Newcastle disease is not considered to exist and 
remove Japan from the web-based list of regions in which HPAI is 
considered to exist. These lists are available on the APHIS Web site at 
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/ct_animal_disease_status.
    An environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant 
impact (FONSI) have been prepared for this action. Based on the FONSI, 
the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has 
determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.
    The EA and FONSI were 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 provisions 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 EA and FONSI may be viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site (see 
footnote 1). Copies of the EA and FONSI are also available for public 
inspection at USDA, Room 1141, South Building, 14th Street and 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m.

[[Page 48051]]

and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Persons wishing 
to inspect copies are requested to call ahead on (202) 799-7039 to 
facilitate entry into the reading room. In addition, copies may be 
obtained by writing to the individual listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

    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 11th day of October 2017.
Michael C. Gregoire,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-22382 Filed 10-13-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P