[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 201 (Thursday, October 17, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55547-55548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22646]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2018-0043]
Notice of Determination of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Status of
Singapore
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our determination to recognize
Singapore as being free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Based on our
evaluation of the FMD status of Singapore, which we made available to
the public for review and comment through a previous notice, the
Administrator has determined that Singapore is free of FMD.
DATES: This change in Singapore's FMD status will be recognized on
November 18, 2019.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Roberta A. Morales, Senior Staff
Veterinarian, Regionalization Evaluation Services, Strategy and Policy,
VS, APHIS, 920 Main Campus Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606; (919) 855-7735;
[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 to prevent the introduction
of various animal diseases, including foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). The
regulations prohibit or otherwise restrict the importation of live
ruminants and swine, and products from these animals, from regions
where the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) considers
FMD to exist.
Within part 94, Sec. 94.1 contains requirements governing the
importation of ruminants and swine from regions where FMD exists and
the importation of the meat of any ruminants or swine from regions
where FMD exists to prevent the introduction of this disease into the
United States. We consider FMD to exist in all regions except those
listed in accordance with paragraph (a) of that section as free of FMD.
Section 94.11 of the regulations contains requirements governing
the importation of meat of any ruminants or swine from regions that
have been determined to be free of FMD, but that are subject to certain
restrictions because of their proximity to or trading relationships
with FMD-affected regions. Such regions are listed in accordance with
paragraph (a) of that section.
The regulations in 9 CFR part 92, Sec. 92.2, contain requirements
for requesting the recognition of the animal health status of a 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 indicate its intent and 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.
In accordance with that process, Singapore requested that APHIS
evaluate the FMD status of that country. In response to this request,
APHIS conducted a qualitative risk assessment to evaluate the FMD
status of Singapore. Based on the results of this evaluation, we have
determined that Singapore is free of FMD. APHIS also determined that
the surveillance, prevention, and control measures implemented by
Singapore are sufficient to minimize the likelihood of introducing FMD
into the United States via imports of species susceptible to this
disease or products of those species.
Accordingly, we published a notice \1\ in the Federal Register on
March 19, 2019 (84 FR 10024-10025, Docket No. APHIS-2018-0043), in
which we announced the availability, for review and comment, of a risk
assessment that evaluated the risk of introduction of FMD into the
United States through the importation of animals and animal products
from Singapore.
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\1\ To view the notice and supporting documents, go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=APHIS-2018-0043.
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We solicited comments on the notice for 60 days ending May 20,
2019. We did not receive any comments. Therefore, in accordance with
the regulations, we are announcing our
[[Page 55548]]
decision to recognize Singapore as free of FMD. The list of regions
recognized as free of FMD can be found on the APHIS website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animalhealth/disease-status-of-regions. Copies of
the lists are also available via postal mail, fax, or email upon
request to Regionalization Evaluation Services, Strategy and Policy,
Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, 4700
River Road Unit 39, Riverdale, MD 20737.
Congressional Review Act
Pursuant to the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.),
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs designated this action
as not a major rule, as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
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 10th day of October 2019.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-22646 Filed 10-16-19; 8:45 am]
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