The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a proposed rule to amend the regulations governing the importation of animals and animal products to add Liechtenstein and Switzerland to the region of Europe that are recognized as low risk for classical swine fever (CSF). APHIS is also proposing to add Liechtenstein to the list of regions we consider free from swine vesicular disease (SVD) and to the list of regions considered free from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and rinderpest. These proposed actions would relieve some restrictions on the importation of certain animals and animal products from those regions. Comments are due by July 18, 2011.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has announced the following recent updates in its Animal Export Regulations History:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is issuing a technical amendment to its December 15, 2009 final rule (effective on January 14, 2010), which amended the regulations governing the importation of animal byproducts to, among other things, provide specific conditions under which deer and other ruminant hides and skins from Mexico could be imported into the U.S. It was APHIS' intent to indicate that deer and ruminant hides and skins from Mexico may not go to an approved establishment upon importation into the U.S. rather than comply with the specific conditions established in the final rule, and it is correcting that error.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has announced the following recent updates in its Animal Export Regulations History:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is advising the public it has prepared a plant pest risk assessment and a draft environmental assessment to address a request from the Monsanto Company seeking a determination of nonregulated status for corn (MON 87460). APHIS’ analysis indicates that MON 87460 is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk. APHIS' FR notice of its plant pest risk assessment and Mosanto’s petition is available here. Comments are due by July 11, 2011.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announces two meetings on May 13 and July 22, 2011 of the advisory committee on animal health to discuss matters of animal health, including the pending proposed rule implementing USDA’s traceability framework and establishing an aquaculture subcommittee. The meetings will be conducted as a multisite teleconference. Members of the public who wish to join the teleconferences may do so by dialing 1-888-790-3291, followed by a public passcode, 1411045.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a revised Federal Order for the Importation of Host Material of Anoplophora chinensis (Forster), the Citrus Longhorned Beetle and Anoplophora glabripennis, Asian Longhorned Beetle, which revises and replaces the FO for these plant pests previously issued on January 16, 2009. Among other things, the revision changes the requirements for importation of plants for planting from the European Union Member States because the status and distribution of the Citrus and Asian Longhorned Beetles in those countries is not sufficiently known. The date of issuance of the order is April 1, 2011. This order is effective on May 11, 2011.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is advising the public it has prepared a draft environmental assessment to address a petition from Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc. seeking a determination of nonregulated status for its genetically engineered cotton that is resistant to lepidopteran insect damage (Event COT67B). APHIS’ plant pest risk assessment concluded that Event COT67B is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk. APHIS' FR notice of its plant pest risk assessment and Sygenta’s petition is available here. Comments are due by July 11, 2011.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has updated the following PPQ electronic manuals as of May 12, 2011 (since May 5, 2011):
Various U.S. government agencies are seeking comments on the following information collections for which they have requested or intend to request Office of Management and Budget approval or extension of approval (see notices for specific details):