This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

3741 

Vol. 79, No. 15 

Thursday, January 23, 2014 

1To view the proposed rule and the comments 

we received, go to http://www.regulations.gov/#

!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2005-0096. 

2See http://www. regulations.gov/

#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2009-0035. 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

9 CFR Part 94 

[Docket No. APHIS–2005–0096] 

Change in Disease Status of the 

Patagonia South Region of Argentina 

With Regard to Rinderpest and Footand-Mouth Disease 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Proposed rule; withdrawal. 

SUMMARY: We are withdrawing a 

proposed rule that would have added 

that portion of the Patagonia region of 

Argentina located south of latitude 42° 

south (Patagonia South) to the list of 

regions considered free of rinderpest 

and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). The 

proposed rule would also have added 

that region to the list of regions that are 

subject to certain import restrictions on 

meat and meat products because of their 

proximity to or trading relationships 

with rinderpest- or FMD-affected 

regions. We are taking this action 

because we have prepared an updated 

risk analysis relative to Argentina that is 

being made available in accordance 

with a newer process for recognizing the 

animal health status of regions. 

DATES: The proposed rule published on 

January 5, 2007 (72 FR 475) is 

withdrawn, effective January 23, 2014. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Silvia Kreindel, Senior Staff 

Veterinarian, Regionalization Evaluation 

Services, National Import Export 

Services, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road 

Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737–1231; 

(301) 851–3308. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On January 5, 2007, we published in 

the Federal Register (72 FR 475–480, 

Docket No. APHIS–2005–0096) a 

proposal 1 to amend the regulations in 

§ 94.1 by adding that portion of the 

Patagonia region of Argentina located 

south of latitude 42° south (referred to 

below as Patagonia South) to the list of 

regions that are considered free of both 

rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease 

(FMD). We proposed this because there 

had been no outbreak of FMD in the 

Patagonia South region of Argentina 

since 1976 and there was no evidence 

that there were any species infected 

with FMD in Patagonia South at that 

time. In addition, because rinderpest 

has never been diagnosed in Argentina 

and is not endemic to that region of the 

world, we also proposed to recognize 

Patagonia South as free of rinderpest. 

Finally, we proposed to amend the 

regulations in § 94.11 by adding 

Patagonia South to the list of regions 

that are subject to certain import 

restrictions on meat and other animal 

products because of their proximity to 

or trading relationships with rinderpestor FMD-affected regions. 

We solicited comments concerning 

our proposal for 60 days ending March 

6, 2007. We received 45 comments by 

that date. Based on the comments we 

received and other considerations, we 

concluded that it was necessary to 

reexamine the risk analysis. We have 

completed an updated risk analysis 

covering the Patagonia South region, as 

well as the Patagonia North B region, in 

Argentina that we will be making 

available for review and comment. 

However, as discussed in more detail 

below, since the publication of the 

proposed rule, we have changed the 

process by which we recognize the 

animal health status of regions. 

Therefore, we are withdrawing the 

January 5, 2007, proposed rule and will 

make the new risk analysis available in 

accordance with the current process. 

In a final rule 2 published in the 

Federal Register on January 10, 2012 

(77 FR 1388–1396, Docket No. APHIS– 

2009–0035), we removed lists of regions 

classified with respect to certain animal 

diseases and pests from our animal and 

animal product import regulations in 9 

CFR parts 92, 93, 94, 96, and 98. The 

lists are now posted on APHIS’ Web 

site, rather than published in the Code 

of Federal Regulations. These lists are 

maintained on the APHIS Web site at 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_

export/animals/animal_disease_

status.shtml. Copies of the lists are also 

available via postal mail, fax, or email 

upon request to National Import and 

Export Services, Veterinary Services, 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service, 4700 River Road Unit 38, 

Riverdale, Maryland 20737. 

The regulations in 9 CFR 92.2 contain 

requirements for requesting the 

recognition of the animal health status 

of a foreign region or 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, the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) believes the 

request can be safely granted, APHIS 

will make the evaluation available for 

public comment through a notice 

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 notice 

published in the Federal Register. 

In accordance with this process, we 

are announcing the availability of an 

evaluation of the FMD status of a region 

of Patagonia, Argentina, in a notice 

published today in the Federal Register 

(Docket No. APHIS–2013–0105). The 

concerns and recommendations of all 

the commenters on the January 5, 2007, 

proposed rule have been considered in 

the development of the new evaluation. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 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 16th day of 

January 2014. 

Kevin Shea, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–01231 Filed 1–21–14; 4:15 pm] 

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