[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 201 (Thursday, October 17, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55547-55548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22646]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2018-0043]


Notice of Determination of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Status of 
Singapore

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our determination to recognize 
Singapore as being free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Based on our 
evaluation of the FMD status of Singapore, which we made available to 
the public for review and comment through a previous notice, the 
Administrator has determined that Singapore is free of FMD.

DATES: This change in Singapore's FMD status will be recognized on 
November 18, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Roberta A. Morales, Senior Staff 
Veterinarian, Regionalization Evaluation Services, Strategy and Policy, 
VS, APHIS, 920 Main Campus Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606; (919) 855-7735; 
[email protected].

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 to prevent the introduction 
of various animal diseases, including foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). The 
regulations prohibit or otherwise restrict the importation of live 
ruminants and swine, and products from these animals, from regions 
where the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) considers 
FMD to exist.
    Within part 94, Sec.  94.1 contains requirements governing the 
importation of ruminants and swine from regions where FMD exists and 
the importation of the meat of any ruminants or swine from regions 
where FMD exists to prevent the introduction of this disease into the 
United States. We consider FMD to exist in all regions except those 
listed in accordance with paragraph (a) of that section as free of FMD.
    Section 94.11 of the regulations contains requirements governing 
the importation of meat of any ruminants or swine from regions that 
have been determined to be free of FMD, but that are subject to certain 
restrictions because of their proximity to or trading relationships 
with FMD-affected regions. Such regions are listed in accordance with 
paragraph (a) of that section.
    The regulations in 9 CFR part 92, Sec.  92.2, contain requirements 
for requesting the recognition of the animal health status of a 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 indicate its intent and 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.
    In accordance with that process, Singapore requested that APHIS 
evaluate the FMD status of that country. In response to this request, 
APHIS conducted a qualitative risk assessment to evaluate the FMD 
status of Singapore. Based on the results of this evaluation, we have 
determined that Singapore is free of FMD. APHIS also determined that 
the surveillance, prevention, and control measures implemented by 
Singapore are sufficient to minimize the likelihood of introducing FMD 
into the United States via imports of species susceptible to this 
disease or products of those species.
    Accordingly, we published a notice \1\ in the Federal Register on 
March 19, 2019 (84 FR 10024-10025, Docket No. APHIS-2018-0043), in 
which we announced the availability, for review and comment, of a risk 
assessment that evaluated the risk of introduction of FMD into the 
United States through the importation of animals and animal products 
from Singapore.
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    \1\ To view the notice and supporting documents, go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=APHIS-2018-0043.
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    We solicited comments on the notice for 60 days ending May 20, 
2019. We did not receive any comments. Therefore, in accordance with 
the regulations, we are announcing our

[[Page 55548]]

decision to recognize Singapore as free of FMD. The list of regions 
recognized as free of FMD can be found on the APHIS website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animalhealth/disease-status-of-regions. Copies of 
the lists are also available via postal mail, fax, or email upon 
request to Regionalization Evaluation Services, Strategy and Policy, 
Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, 4700 
River Road Unit 39, Riverdale, MD 20737.

Congressional Review Act

    Pursuant to the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), 
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs designated this action 
as not a major rule, as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1633, 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 10th day of October 2019.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-22646 Filed 10-16-19; 8:45 am]
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