[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 20, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 7138]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-03369]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2017-0098]


Notice of Availability of an Evaluation of the Classical Swine 
Fever and Swine Vesicular Disease Status of Japan

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we are proposing to recognize 
Japan as being free of classical swine fever and swine vesicular 
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 March 
22, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2017-0098.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2017-0098, 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-2017-
0098 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: [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 classical swine 
fever (CSF) and swine vesicular disease (SVD). These are dangerous and 
communicable diseases of swine.
    Within part 94, Sec.  94.9 contains requirements governing the 
importation of pork and pork products from regions where CSF exists. 
Section 94.10 contains importation requirements for swine from regions 
where CSF is considered to exist. Section 94.12 contains requirements 
governing the importation of pork or pork products from regions where 
SVD exists. Section 94.14 prohibits the importation of domestic swine 
which are moved from or transit any region in which SVD is known to 
exist.
    In accordance with Sec. Sec.  94.9(a)(1) and 94.10(a)(1), the 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) maintains a web-
based list of regions which the Agency considers free of CSF. Sections 
94.9(a)(2) and 94.10(a)(2) state that APHIS will add a region to this 
list after it conducts an evaluation of the region and finds that CSF 
is not present.
    Similarly, in accordance with Sec.  94.12(a)(1), APHIS maintains a 
web-based list of regions which the Agency considers free of SVD. 
Paragraph (a)(2) of this section states that APHIS will add a region to 
this list after it conducts an evaluation of the region and finds that 
SVD is not present.
    The regulations in 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 CSF 
and SVD disease status of the country. In response to Japan's request, 
we have prepared an evaluation, titled ``APHIS Evaluation of the 
Classical Swine Fever and Swine Vesicular Disease Status of Japan'' 
(September 2017). Based on the evaluation, we have determined that 
Japan is free of both CSF and SVD. APHIS has also determined that the 
surveillance, prevention, and control measures implemented by Japan are 
sufficient to minimize the likelihood of introducing CSF and SVD into 
the United States via imports of species or products susceptible to 
these diseases. Our determination supports adding Japan to the web-
based lists of regions which APHIS considers free of CSF and SVD.
    Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  92.2(e), we are announcing the 
availability of our evaluation of the CSF and SVD 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 website 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 CSF and 
SVD 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 14th day of February 2018.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-03369 Filed 2-16-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P