[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11218-11219]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-03773]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2020-0071]


Classify Canada as Level I for Bovine Tuberculosis and 
Brucellosis

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 classify 
Canada as Level I for both bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis. This 
proposed recognition is based on evaluations 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 April 
26, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov. 
Enter APHIS-2020-0071 in the Search field. Select the Documents tab, 
then select the Comment button in the list of documents.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2020-0071, 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 regulations.gov or in our reading room, which is located 
in room 1620 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, Strategy and Policy, 
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 93, subpart D 
(Sec. Sec.  93.400 through 93.442, referred to below as part 93 or the 
subpart), contain requirements for the importation of ruminants into 
the United States to address the risk of introducing or disseminating 
diseases of livestock within the United States. Part 93 currently 
contains provisions that address the risk that imported bovines (cattle 
or bison) may introduce or disseminate bovine tuberculosis or 
brucellosis within the United States. Within part 93, Sec.  93.437 
contains the requirements for classification of foreign regions for 
bovine tuberculosis and Sec.  93.438 contains the process for 
requesting regional classification for bovine tuberculosis. In 
accordance with Sec.  93.437(f), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) maintains lists of all Level I, Level II, Level III, 
Level IV, and Level V regions for bovine tuberculosis and adds foreign 
regions classified in accordance with Sec.  93.438 to these lists.
    Section 93.440 contains the requirements for classification of 
foreign regions for brucellosis and Sec.  93.441 contains the process 
for requesting regional classification for brucellosis. In accordance 
with Sec.  93.440(d), APHIS maintains lists of all Level I, Level II, 
and Level III regions for brucellosis and adds regions classified in 
accordance with Sec.  93.441 to these lists.
    Paragraph (a) of Sec.  93.438 provides that a representative of a 
national government with authority to make such a request may request 
that APHIS classify a region for bovine tuberculosis; paragraph (a) of 
Sec.  93.441 has a similar provision with respect to requests for 
brucellosis classification. Within those same sections, paragraph (b) 
provides that if, after reviewing and evaluating the request for bovine 
tuberculosis or brucellosis classification, respectively, APHIS 
believes the region can be accurately classified, APHIS will publish a 
notice in the Federal Register with the proposed classification and 
make its evaluation available for public comment. 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 Canada has requested that APHIS evaluate and 
classify Canada for bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis. In response to 
Canada's request, we have prepared two evaluations, titled ``APHIS 
Evaluation of Canada for Bovine Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) 
Classification'' (April 2020) and ``APHIS Evaluation of Canada for 
Bovine Brucellosis (Brucella abortus) Classification'' (May 2020). The 
evaluations conclude that Canada meets the conditions to be classified 
as Level I for both bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis, which supports 
adding Canada to the web-based list of Level I regions for bovine 
tuberculosis and the web-based list of Level I regions for brucellosis.

[[Page 11219]]

    Therefore, in accordance with Sec. Sec.  93.438(b) and 93.441(b), 
we are announcing the availability of our evaluations of Canada for 
bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis classification, for public review 
and comment. We are also announcing the availability of an 
environmental assessment (EA) that 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 evaluations 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 Canada's request is available 
by contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our final 
determination regarding classification of Canada with respect to bovine 
tuberculosis and brucellosis in a subsequent notice.

    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 February 2021.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-03773 Filed 2-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P