[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 72 (Thursday, April 14, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22168-22169]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-08027]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2022-0005]


Concurrence With World Organization for Animal Health's Risk 
Designation for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy for Ireland

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 designation for Ireland. The OIE recognizes 
Ireland 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 Ireland.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before June 
13, 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov. 
Enter APHIS-2022-0005 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-2022-0005, 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

[[Page 22169]]

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 
Officer, Regionalization Evaluation Services, Veterinary Services, 
APHIS, 920 Main Campus Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606; (919) 855-7741; 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, 
Veterinary Services, APHIS, 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 Ireland as a region of negligible risk for BSE.
    The OIE recommendation regarding Ireland can be viewed at https://www.oie.int/en/disease/bovine-spongiform-encephalopathy/. The 
conclusions of the OIE Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases, with 
regard to Ireland, can be viewed in the ``Report of the Meeting of the 
OIE Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases, February 1-11, 2021'' at 
https://www.oie.int/app/uploads/2021/05/a-scad-feb2021.pdf (page 41).
    After reviewing any comments that we receive, we will announce our 
final determination regarding the BSE classification of Ireland in the 
Federal Register, along with a discussion of and response to pertinent 
issues raised by commenters. If APHIS recognizes Ireland as negligible 
risk for BSE, the Agency will include this country 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 8th day of April 2022.
Anthony Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-08027 Filed 4-13-22; 8:45 am]
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