[Federal Register: January 13, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 8)]
[Rules and Regulations]               
[Page 1889]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13ja98-1]






Rules and Regulations
                                                Federal Register
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

9 CFR Parts 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, and 130

[Docket No. 94-106-11]
RIN 0579-AA71

 
Importation of Animals and Animal Products; Correction

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Final rule; correction.

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SUMMARY: We are correcting an error in the Supplementary Information 
section of a final rule that amended the regulations regarding the 
importation of animals and animal products. The final rule was 
published in the Federal Register on October 28, 1997 (62 FR 56000-
56026, Docket No. 94-106-9), and was made effective on November 28, 
1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Gary Colgrove, Chief Staff 
Veterinarian, National Center for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231, (301) 734-8590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 28, 1997, we published in the 
Federal Register a final rule that amended the regulations regarding 
the importation of animals and animal products, to establish procedures 
for recognizing regions, rather than only countries, for the purpose of 
such importations. We also established procedures by which regions may 
request permission to export animals and animal products to the United 
States under certain conditions. Additionally, we provided for the 
unloading and reloading at the port of arrival, under certain 
conditions, of meat and other animal products otherwise prohibited 
entry into the United States; we removed the requirement that cattle 
from Canada be tested for brucellosis before being imported into the 
United States; we removed the requirement that dry milk products from 
countries where rinderpest or foot-and-mouth disease exists be 
processed for human food; and we made several other minor changes to 
clarify our intent or to remove provisions that were no longer being 
applied.
    In the Supplementary Information section of the final rule, under 
the heading ``National Environmental Policy Act,'' we stated that the 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) had prepared an 
environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact for the 
rule. However, in our discussion of the environmental assessment and 
finding of no significant impact, we did not indicate that we had 
assessed the potential impact only of the miscellaneous changes 
effected by the final rule, and not of the implementation of a 
framework for requesting recognition as a region and for requesting 
permission to export animals and animal products to the United States. 
Because this framework will not be fully implemented until we receive 
requests to allow the importation of animals or animal products into 
the United States, and because we could not estimate the number or 
sources of requests we will receive in the future, it was not 
appropriate or possible to prepare an assessment regarding the 
framework. Any necessary assessments of individual requests will be 
done on a case-by-case basis.

Correction

    In FR Doc 97-28473 (62 FR 56000-56026), at page 56011, third 
column, the statement under the heading ``National Environmental Policy 
Act'' will be corrected to read as follows:

National Environmental Policy Act

    An environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact 
have been prepared for the miscellaneous changes to the regulations 
contained in this final rule on the importation of animals and animal 
products. This environmental analysis analyzed the impacts of the 
following miscellaneous changes to the regulations: The removal of 
requirements for the testing of cattle from Canada for brucellosis; the 
provision for the transiting at the port of arrival of certain animal 
products; the removal of the requirement that dry milk products 
imported from regions where foot-and-mouth disease or rinderpest exists 
be processed for human food; and clarifications of intent or removal of 
inactive regulations regarding the movement of pork or pork products, 
the disposal of animals, and casings. This environmental assessment did 
not analyze the implementing of a framework for requesting recognition 
as a region or for requesting permission to export animals and animal 
products to the United States; i.e., ``regionalization.'' The 
assessment provides the basis for the conclusion that the miscellaneous 
changes in this rule will not present a significant risk of introducing 
or disseminating animal disease agents into the United States and will 
not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment.
    The environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact 
were prepared in accordance with: (1) The National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), (2) Regulations of the 
Council on Environmental Quality for implementing the procedural 
provisions 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).
    Copies of the environmental assessment and finding of no 
significant impact are available for public inspection at USDA, room 
1141, South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue, SW, 
Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except holidays. Persons wishing to inspect copies are requested to 
call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to facilitate entry into the reading room. 
In addition, copies may be obtained by writing to the individual listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 7th day of January 1998.
Craig A. Reed,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 98-774 Filed 1-12-98; 8:45 am]
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