[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 24, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 17789]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08430]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2018-0012]


Concurrence With OIE Risk Designations for Bovine Spongiform 
Encephalopathy

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our preliminary concurrence with 
the World Organization for Animal Health's (OIE) bovine spongiform 
encephalopathy (BSE) risk designations for four regions. The OIE 
recognizes these regions as being of negligible risk for BSE. We are 
taking this action based on our review of information supporting the 
OIE's risk designations for these regions.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before June 
25, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2018-0012.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2018-0012, 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-2018-
0012 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. Rebecca Gordon, Senior Staff 
Veterinarian, Regionalization Evaluation Services, National Import 
Export Services, VS, APHIS, 920 Main Campus Drive, Suite 200, Raleigh, 
NC 27606; (919) 855-7741.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 9 CFR part 92 subpart B, 
``Importation of Animals and Animal Products; Procedures for Requesting 
BSE Risk Status Classification With Regard To Bovines'' (referred to 
below as the regulations), set forth the process by which the Animal 
and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) classifies regions for 
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk. Section 92.5 of the 
regulations provides that all countries of the world are considered by 
APHIS to be in one of three BSE risk categories: Negligible risk, 
controlled risk, or undetermined risk. These risk categories are 
defined in Sec.  92.1. Any region that is not classified by APHIS as 
presenting either negligible risk or controlled risk for BSE is 
considered to present an undetermined risk. The list of those regions 
classified by APHIS as having either negligible risk or controlled risk 
can be accessed on the APHIS website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/import-live-animals/ct_bovine_spongiform_encephalopathy. 
The list can also be obtained by writing to APHIS at National Import 
Export Services, 4700 River Road, Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737.
    Under the regulations, APHIS may classify a region for BSE in one 
of two ways. One way is for regions that have not received a risk 
classification from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to 
request classification by APHIS. The other way is for APHIS to concur 
with the classification given to a country or region by the OIE.
    If the OIE has classified a region as either BSE negligible risk or 
BSE controlled risk, APHIS will seek information to support concurrence 
with the OIE classification. This information may be publicly available 
information, or APHIS may request that regions supply the same 
information given to the OIE. APHIS will announce in the Federal 
Register, subject to public comment, its intent to concur with an OIE 
classification.
    In accordance with this process, we are giving notice in this 
document that APHIS intends to concur with the OIE risk classifications 
of the following regions:
     Regions of negligible risk for BSE: Croatia, Poland, 
Northern Ireland (region of United Kingdom), and Scotland (region of 
United Kingdom).
    The OIE recommendations regarding each of the above regions can be 
viewed at http://www.oie.int/animal-health-in-the-world/official-disease-status/bse/list-of-bse-risk-status/. The conclusions of the OIE 
scientific commission for these regions can be viewed at:
    Croatia: http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Internationa_Standard_Setting/docs/pdf/SCAD/A_SCAD_Feb2014.pdf (page 
88).
    Poland: http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Internationa_Standard_Setting/docs/pdf/SCAD/A_SCAD_Feb2017.pdf (page 
71).
    Northern Ireland: http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Internationa_Standard_Setting/docs/pdf/SCAD/A_SCAD_Feb2017.pdf (page 
74).
    Scotland: http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Internationa_Standard_Setting/docs/pdf/SCAD/A_SCAD_Feb2017.pdf (page 
76).
    After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our final 
determination regarding the BSE classification of these countries in 
the Federal Register, along with a discussion of and response to 
pertinent issues raised by commenters. If APHIS recognizes a region as 
either negligible risk or controlled risk for BSE, the Agency will 
include that region on the list of regions of negligible risk or 
controlled risk for BSE, as applicable, that is available to the public 
on the Agency's website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/import-live-animals/ct_bovine_spongiform_encephalopathy.

    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 18th day of April 2018.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-08430 Filed 4-23-18; 8:45 am]
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