[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 162 (Wednesday, August 23, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57407-57408]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-18112]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2023-0028]


Swine Vesicular Disease Status of the Regions of Tuscany and 
Umbria, Italy

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

[[Page 57408]]


ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we are proposing to recognize 
the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, Italy as being free of swine 
vesicular disease. This proposed recognition is based on a risk 
evaluation 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 
October 23, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov. 
Enter APHIS-2023-0028 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-2023-0028, 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. Chip Wells, Senior Veterinary 
Medical Officer, Regionalization Evaluation Services (RES), Strategy & 
Policy, Veterinary Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 38, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 851-3317; email: 
[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 in order to prevent the 
introduction of various animal diseases, including swine vesicular 
disease (SVD). This is a dangerous and communicable disease of swine.
    Within part 94, Sec.  94.12 contains requirements governing the 
importation of pork or pork products from regions where SVD exists. 
Section 94.14 prohibits the importation of domestic swine that are 
moved from or transit any region in which SVD is known to exist.
    In accordance with Sec.  94.12(a)(1), the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS) maintains a web-based list of regions which 
the Agency considers free of SVD. Paragraph (a)(2) of this section 
states that APHIS will add a region to this list after it conducts an 
evaluation of the region and finds that SVD is not present.
    The regulations in Sec.  92.2 contain requirements for requesting 
the recognition of the animal health status of a region (as well as for 
the approval of the export of a particular type of animal or animal 
product to the United States from a foreign 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 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.
    The Government of Italy has requested that APHIS evaluate the SVD 
disease status of the regions of Tuscany and Umbria. In response to 
Italy's request, we have prepared an evaluation, titled ``APHIS 
Evaluation of Toscana and Umbria, Italy for Swine Vesicular Disease'' 
(November 2022).\1\ Based on the evaluation, we have determined that 
the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, Italy are free of SVD. APHIS has 
also determined that the surveillance, prevention, and control measures 
implemented by Italy are sufficient to minimize the likelihood of 
introducing SVD into the United States via imports of species or 
products susceptible to these diseases. Our determination supports 
adding the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, Italy to the web-based list 
of regions that APHIS considers free of SVD.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Tuscany and Toscana are equivalent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  92.2(g), we are announcing the 
availability of our evaluation of the SVD status of the regions of 
Tuscany and Umbria, Italy for public review and comment. We are also 
announcing the availability of an environmental assessment (EA), which 
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 evaluation 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 Italy's request is available by 
contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our 
decision regarding the disease status of the regions of Tuscany and 
Umbria, Italy with respect to SVD in a subsequent notice.

    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 17th day of August 2023.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-18112 Filed 8-22-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P