[Federal Register: July 21, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 140)]
[Notices]
[Page 42313]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21jy08-20]
========================================================================
Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
========================================================================
[[Page 42313]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2008-0012]
Notice of Determination of the High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza
Subtype H5N1 Status of Denmark and France
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our determination regarding the
high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1 status of
Denmark and France. Based on assessments of the animal health status of
the two countries, which we made available to the public for review and
comment through a previous notice, the Administrator has determined
that the importation of live birds, poultry carcasses, parts or
products of poultry carcasses, and eggs (other than hatching eggs) of
poultry, game birds, and other birds from either Denmark or France
presents a low risk of introducing HPAI H5N1 into the United States.
DATES: Effective Date: August 5, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Julia Punderson, Regionalization
Evaluation Services-Import, Sanitary Trade Issues Team, National Center
for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 38, Riverdale,
MD 20737-1231, (301) 734-4356.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On March 27, 2008, we published in the Federal Register (73 FR
16245-16246) a notice \1\ in which we announced the availability for
review and comment of assessments of the animal health status of
Denmark and France relative to high pathogenicity avian influenza
(HPAI) subtype H5N1. In the assessments, titled ``APHIS Analysis of the
Status of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza H5N1 in Denmark''
(December 2007) and ``APHIS Analysis of the Status of High
Pathogenicity Avian Influenza H5N1 in France'' (December 2007), we
presented the results of our evaluation of the prevalence of HPAI H5N1
in domestic poultry in the two countries in light of the actions taken
by Danish and French animal health authorities during and since the
outbreaks of HPAI H5N1 that occurred in those two regions in 2006.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ To view the notice, the assessments, and the comment we
received, go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/
main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2008-0012.
_____________________________________-
Our assessments concluded that both Denmark and France had adequate
detection and control measures in place at the time of the outbreak,
that they have been able to effectively control and eradicate HPAI H5N1
in their domestic poultry populations since that time, and that both
Danish and French animal health authorities have control measures in
place to rapidly identify, control, and eradicate the disease should it
be reintroduced into Denmark or France in either wild birds or domestic
poultry.
We solicited comments on the notice for 30 days ending on April 28,
2008. We received one comment on our assessments, from the chief
veterinary officer of Denmark. The commenter agreed with our findings,
but suggested several nonsubstantive changes to our assessment of
Denmark. We concur with the points raised by the commenter, and have
updated the assessment accordingly. The updated assessment may be
viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ See footnote 1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In our March 2008 notice we stated that, if we could identify no
additional risk factors that would indicate that domestic poultry in
either Denmark or France continue to be affected with HPAI H5N1 by the
end of the comment period, we would conclude that the importation of
live birds, poultry carcasses, parts or products of poultry carcasses,
and eggs (other than hatching eggs) of poultry, game birds, or other
birds from either Denmark or France presents a low risk of introducing
HPAI H5N1 into the United States. Based on the absence of adverse
comments received during the comment period, we have decided that no
additional risk factors exist.
Therefore we are removing our prohibition on the importation of
these products from Denmark and France into the United States.
Specifically:
We are no longer requiring that processed poultry products
from Denmark and France be accompanied by a VS import permit and
government certification confirming that the products have been treated
according to APHIS requirements;
We are allowing unprocessed poultry products from Denmark
and France to enter the United States in passenger luggage; and
We are removing restrictions regarding the regions in
Denmark and France from which processed poultry products may originate
in order to be allowed entry into the United States in passenger
luggage.
However, live birds from Denmark and France are still subject to
the inspections at ports of entry and post-importation quarantines set
forth in 9 CFR part 93, unless granted an exemption by the
Administrator or destined for diagnostic purposes and accompanied by a
limited permit.
Done in Washington, DC, this 15th day of July 2008.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E8-16586 Filed 7-18-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P