[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 210 (Wednesday, October 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 86340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-25198]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Docket No. CDC-2024-0090]


Availability of Draft Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) 
Environmental Public Health Standards and VSP Construction Standards

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces the opening of 
a docket to obtain comment on the draft Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) 
Environmental Public Health Standards and VSP Construction Standards. 
Information about locating these documents can be found in the 
supporting materials section. VSP established these public health 
standards to target the control and prevention of environmentally 
associated illnesses and hazards on cruise ships. VSP inspectors use 
these standards to conduct operational public health inspections on 
cruise ships under the program's jurisdiction and to complete cruise 
ship construction activities at industry request.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before December 30, 
2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2024-
0090 by either of the methods listed below. Do not submit comments by 
email. CDC does not accept comments by email.
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov/. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    <bullet> Mail: Vessel Sanitation Program, National Center for 
Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 
Buford Highway NE, MS S106-6, Atlanta, Georgia 30341.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket Number. All relevant comments received will be posted 
without change to https://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal 
information provided. For access to the docket to read background 
documents or comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Captain Luis Rodriguez, Vessel 
Sanitation Program, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, MS S106-6, 
Atlanta, Georgia 30341; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#681e1b18280b0c0b460f071e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6a1c191a2a090e09440d051c">[email protected]</span></a>; phone: (800) 323-2132.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Participation

    Interested persons or organizations are invited to participate by 
submitting written views, recommendations, and data.
    Please note that comments received, including attachments and other 
supporting materials, are part of the public record and are subject to 
public disclosure. Comments will be posted on https://www.regulations.gov/. Therefore, do not include any information in your 
comment or supporting materials that you consider confidential or 
inappropriate for public disclosure. If you include your name, contact 
information, or other information that identifies you in the body of 
your comments, that information will be on public display. CDC will 
review all submissions and may choose to redact, or withhold, 
submissions containing private or proprietary information such as 
Social Security numbers, medical information, inappropriate language, 
or duplicate/near duplicate examples of a mass-mail campaign. Do not 
submit comments by email. CDC does not accept comment by email.

Background

    HHS/CDC established the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) in the 
1970s as a cooperative activity with the cruise ship industry. VSP 
helps the cruise ship industry prevent and control the introduction and 
spread of environmentally associated illnesses and hazards on cruise 
ships. VSP operates under the authority of the Public Health Service 
Act (Section 361 of the Public Health Service Act; 42 U.S.C. 264, 
``Control of Communicable Diseases''). Regulations found at 42 CFR 
71.41 (Foreign Quarantine--Requirements Upon Arrival at U.S. Ports: 
Sanitary Inspection; General Provisions) state that carriers arriving 
at U.S. ports from a foreign area are subject to sanitary inspections 
to determine whether potential rodent, insect, or other vermin 
infestations; contaminated food or water; or other sanitary conditions 
require measures to prevent introduction or spread of communicable 
diseases.
    New requirements are not the focus for the VSP Environmental Public 
Health Standards (formerly the VSP Operations Manual) and VSP 
Construction Standards (formerly the VSP Construction Guidelines). 
Updates only clarify content or correct errors in the 2018 editions or 
address inconsistencies between the 2018 editions and the Food and Drug 
Administration 2022 Food Code.
    The draft VSP Environmental Public Health Standards and VSP 
Construction Standards are available online at https://www.regulations.gov/, Docket No. CDC-2024-0090, under Supplemental 
Materials. All public comments will be reviewed and considered when 
finalizing these documents. Once finalized, documents will be available 
both in docket CDC-2024-0090 and on CDC's website at https://www.cdc.gov/vessel-sanitation/about/index.html.

Noah Aleshire,
Chief Regulatory Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2024-25198 Filed 10-29-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P


</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>