[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 120 (Friday, June 25, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 33635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13552]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2021-0007]


Concurrence With OIE Risk Designation for Bovine Spongiform 
Encephalopathy

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our preliminary concurrence with 
the World Organization for Animal Health's (OIE) bovine spongiform 
encephalopathy (BSE) risk designation for Bolivia and the United 
Kingdom's zone of Jersey. The OIE recognizes this country and this zone 
as being of negligible risk for BSE. We are taking this action based on 
our review of information supporting the OIE's risk designation for 
Bolivia and the United Kingdom's zone of Jersey.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
August 24, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov. 
Enter APHIS-2021-0007 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-2021-0007, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    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: Mr. Javier Vargas, Senior Staff 
Officer, Regionalization Evaluation Services, Veterinary Services, 
APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 851-
3316; email: [email protected].

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/animal-health-status-of-regions. The list can also be 
obtained by writing to APHIS at Regionalization Evaluation Services, 
4700 River Road, Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.
    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 classification 
of the country of Bolivia and the United Kingdom's zone of Jersey as 
regions of negligible risk for BSE.
    The OIE recommendation regarding Bolivia and the United Kingdom's 
zone of Jersey can be viewed at https://www.oie.int/en/disease/bovine-spongiform-encephalopathy/. The conclusions of the OIE scientific 
commission for Bolivia and the United Kingdom's zone of Jersey can be 
viewed at https://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Internationa_Standard_Setting/docs/pdf/SCAD/A_SCAD_Feb2020.pdf (pages 
53 for Bolivia and 56 for the United Kingdom's zone of Jersey).
    After reviewing any comments that we receive, we will announce our 
final determination regarding the BSE classification of Bolivia and the 
United Kingdom's zone of Jersey in the Federal Register, along with a 
discussion of and response to pertinent issues raised by commenters. If 
APHIS recognizes Bolivia and the United Kingdom's zone of Jersey as 
negligible risk for BSE, the Agency will include this country and zone 
on the list of regions of negligible risk for BSE 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/animal-health-status-of-regions.

    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 21st day of June 2021.
Jack Shere,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-13552 Filed 6-24-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P