Source: http://cwdfoundation.com/library/library2.cfm?articleID=11
Timestamp: 2020-02-28 15:47:55
Document Index: 480266556

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 50', 'art 51', 'art 52', 'art 54', 'art 53', 'art 55', 'art 55', 'art 55', 'art 54', 'art 52']

Chronic Wasting Disease in Cervids; Payment of Indemnity
[Page 5925-5934]
[DOCID:fr08fe02-2]
[Docket No. 00-108-1]
RIN 0579-AB35
SUMMARY: We are establishing animal health regulations to provide for the payment of indemnity by the United States Department of Agriculture for the voluntary depopulation of captive cervid herds known to be infected with chronic wasting disease. The payment of indemnity will encourage depopulation of infected herds, and therefore will reduce the risk of other cervids becoming infected with the disease. We have determined that this action, which will accelerate existing chronic wasting disease eradication efforts, is necessary to protect cervids not infected with chronic wasting disease from the disease.
DATES: This interim rule was effective February 5, 2002. We invite you to comment on this docket. We will consider all comments we receive that are postmarked, delivered, or e-mailed by April 9, 2002.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by postal mail/commercial delivery or by e-mail. If you use postal mail/commercial delivery, please send four copies (an original and three copies) to: Docket No. 00-108-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. 00-108-1. If you use e-mail, address your comment to regulations@aphis.usda.gov. Your comment must be contained in the body of your message; do not send attached files. Please include your name and address in your message and ``Docket No. 00-108-1'' on the subject line.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Lynn Creekmore, Staff Veterinarian, VS, APHIS, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521, (970) 266-6128.
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of cervids (elk, deer, and other members of the deer family) that to date has only been found in North America. First recognized as a clinical ``wasting'' syndrome in 1967, it is typified by chronic weight loss leading to death. Species that have been affected with CWD include Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, and black-tailed deer. Other ruminant species, including wild ruminants and domestic cattle, sheep, and goats, have been housed in wildlife facilities in direct or indirect contact with CWD-affected deer and elk, and to date there has been no evidence of transmission of CWD to these other species.
In the United States, CWD has been confirmed in free-ranging deer and elk in a limited number of counties in northeastern Colorado, southeastern Wyoming, and western Nebraska. CWD has also been diagnosed in fewer than 20 captive (farmed) elk herds in South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Montana, and Colorado.
Research is being conducted to develop live-animal diagnostic tests for CWD. Currently, definitive diagnosis is based on postmortem examination (necropsy) and testing of postmortem samples. On microscopic examination, lesions of CWD in the central nervous system resemble those of other TSE's. In addition, using a technique called immunohistochemistry, scientists test brain tissues for the presence of the protease-resistant prion protein.
The origin and mode of transmission of CWD is unknown. Animals born in captivity and those born in the wild have been affected with the disease. Based on epidemiology, transmission is thought to be lateral, or from animal to animal. Although maternal transmission may also occur, it appears to be relatively unimportant in maintaining epidemics. These facts about CWD transmission, in conjunction with the small number of captive herds currently affected by CWD, suggest that prompt action now may control the CWD problem in captive herds, but lack of such action would allow more movement of CWD-infected animals to new herds, escalating the CWD problem.
Surveillance for CWD in free-ranging deer and elk in Colorado and Wyoming has been ongoing since 1983, and, to date, has confirmed the limits of the endemic areas in those States. CWD in free-ranging deer in Nebraska was detected in 2000/2001; more intensive surveillance to better define the prevalence and distribution of the disease in free- ranging deer in Nebraska is underway. An extensive nationwide surveillance effort was started in 1997-98 to better define the geographic distribution of CWD in free-ranging cervids in the United States. This surveillance effort is a two-pronged approach consisting of hunter-harvest cervid surveys conducted in many States, as well as surveillance throughout the entire country targeting deer and elk exhibiting clinical signs suggestive of CWD. Surveillance for CWD in captive elk began in 1997 and has been a cooperative effort involving State agriculture and wildlife agencies and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (the Department). Farmed cervid surveillance has been increasing each year since 1997 and will be an integral part of the Department's program to eliminate CWD from captive cervids.
The presence of CWD in cervids causes significant economic and market losses to U.S. producers. Recently, Canada has begun to require, as a condition for importing U.S. elk into Canada, that the animals be accompanied by a certificate stating that the herd of origin is not located in Colorado or Wyoming, and CWD has never been diagnosed in the herd of origin. South Korea and Japan recently suspended the importation of deer and elk and their products from the United States and Canada. The domestic prices for elk are severely affected by fear of CWD; it is extremely difficult to sell elk that have any history of exposure to CWD.
APHIS's regulations in 9 CFR subchapter B govern cooperative programs to control and eradicate communicable diseases of livestock. In accordance with 21 U.S.C. 111-113, 114a, 115, 117, 120, 123, and 134a, the Secretary of Agriculture has the authority to promulgate regulations and take measures to prevent the introduction into the United States and the interstate dissemination within the United States of communicable diseases of livestock and poultry, and to pay claims growing out of the destruction of animals. Animal health regulations promulgated by the Department under this authority include those specifically addressing control programs and indemnity payments for tuberculosis (part 50), brucellosis (part 51), pseudorabies (part 52), and scrapie (part 54), and regulations in part 53 regarding payment of claims for other diseases.
This interim rule establishes a new part 55, ``Control of Chronic Wasting Disease.''
We are establishing the following new definitions for part 55. We also define a number of other terms in part 55 that are not discussed below, because they are already defined in other parts of 9 CFR subchapter B with respect to other APHIS animal disease control programs.
Captive is defined to distinguish captive cervids, the class eligible for indemnity, from other cervids. This term includes animals that are privately or publicly maintained or held for economic or other purposes within a perimeter fence or confined space. Animals that are held for research purposes are not included, because research animals will not be eligible for indemnity, and because we expect that future rulemaking affecting captive cervids will include interstate movement restrictions or other requirements that will not be necessary or suitable for research animals.
Cervid is defined as all members of the family Cervidae and hybrids, including deer, elk, moose, caribou, reindeer, and related species.
Chronic wasting disease is defined as a TSE of cervids.
A CWD exposed animal is defined as an animal that is part of a CWD positive herd, or that was part of a herd within 5 years prior to that herd's designation as CWD positive, or an animal that has been housed with or been in direct contact with a positive animal, or an animal that has been on a contaminated premises.
A CWD positive animal is defined as an animal that has had a diagnosis of CWD confirmed by means of an official CWD test.
A CWD positive herd is defined as any herd in which a CWD positive animal resided at the time it was diagnosed and which has not been released from quarantine.
A CWD suspect animal is defined as an animal for which an APHIS employee has determined that laboratory evidence or clinical signs suggest a diagnosis of CWD.
A herd plan is defined as a written herd management agreement developed by APHIS with input from the herd owner, State representatives, and other affected parties. A herd plan sets out the steps to be taken to eradicate CWD from a CWD positive herd, or to prevent introduction of CWD into another herd. A herd plan will require: specified means of identification for each animal in the herd; regular examination of animals in the herd by a veterinarian for signs of disease; reporting to a State or APHIS representative of any signs of central nervous system disease in herd animals; maintaining records of the acquisition and disposition of all animals entering or leaving the herd, including the date of acquisition or removal, name and address of the person from whom the animal was acquired or to whom it was disposed, cause of death, if the animal died while in the herd. A herd plan may also contain additional requirements to prevent or control the possible spread of CWD, depending on the particular condition of the herd and its premises, including but not limited to: specifying the time for which a premises must not contain cervids after CWD positive, exposed, or suspect animals are removed from the premises; fencing requirements; depopulation or selective culling of animals; restrictions on sharing and movement of possibly contaminated livestock equipment; cleaning and disinfection requirements, or other requirements. APHIS may review and revise a herd plan at any time in response to changes in the situation of the herd or premises or improvements in understanding of the nature of CWD epidemiology or techniques to prevent its spread.
Materials is defined to identify types of articles on a premises that may spread CWD if exposed to a CWD positive animal. The definition of materials includes parts of barns or other structures, straw, hay, and other feed for animals, farm products or equipment, clothing, and any other articles on the premises that have been in contact with captive cervids.
An official appraiser is a person authorized by APHIS (an APHIS official appraiser) or a State (a State official appraiser) to appraise animals for the purposes of this part. The official appraiser may be an APHIS employee, a State employee, or a professional livestock appraiser working under contract to APHIS or a State.
An official CWD test is defined as any test for the diagnosis of CWD approved by the Administrator and conducted in a laboratory approved by the Administrator in accordance with Sec. 55.8, ``Official CWD tests and approval of laboratories to conduct official CWD tests.''
The requirements of Sec. 55.8 regarding how APHIS will authorize official tests and approve laboratories to conduct them is essentially the same as requirements APHIS has established for this purpose in other animal disease programs, e.g., scrapie (9 CFR part 54) and pseudorabies (9 CFR part 52). They include requirements such as using test protocols provided by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories, and demonstrating that laboratories have the necessary equipment and personnel skills to properly conduct the tests listed in Sec. 55.8(a) and properly record and preserve test results data.
We have determined that all of the factors discussed above--the danger of further spread of CWD, the relatively small number of herds currently infected with CWD, and the opportunity to limit the CWD problem before it escalates--make this an appropriate time to accelerate the CWD eradication effort by swift and thorough elimination of infected herds. Coordinated action at the Federal level will accelerate the efforts toward removal of infected cervids already underway at the State level. Therefore, in this interim rule, we are establishing regulations that will allow the Department to pay indemnity to owners of herds who destroy positive, exposed, or suspect animals. We are also authorizing payments to reimburse State animal health agencies that have paid indemnity to owners prior to the effective date of this rule, in accordance with cooperative agreements between the States and APHIS and the maximum indemnity amounts in this rule, to purchase and destroy positive, exposed, or suspect animals. APHIS has used such cooperative agreements with States to enhance the ability of State programs to contribute to the control of CWD. States will be reimbursed for their costs for indemnity payments to owners, and for associated carcass disposal and cleaning and disinfecting costs, as authorized in a cooperative agreement. These cooperative agreements will be quite restrictive, as our intent is not to reimburse States for all of the CWD indemnity payments they may choose to make in the future. This provision will only provide reimbursement for certain payments States made in support of Federal efforts to control CWD before Federal indemnity funds were available.
Although the regulations being established will allow for the payment of indemnity by the Department, participation in the indemnity program will be entirely voluntarily for producers. Producers who choose not to have an eligible herd depopulated will not be required by APHIS to do so. However, State quarantines on CWD positive herds will probably serve as a strong incentive for participation.
We intend to pay indemnity primarily for whole-herd depopulation of herds of captive cervids that are determined to be CWD positive. Given CWD's long incubation period, the absence of a live animal, pre- clinical test, and our incomplete knowledge of CWD transmission, whole herd depopulation with no restocking on depopulated premises without APHIS approval appears to be the best option to prevent further spread of the disease once a positive diagnosis has been made. However, in the future we may develop alternative approaches to address situations where whole-herd depopulation is impractical or unnecessary. For example, better understanding of modes of transmission of CWD might make it possible to remove selected high risk animals rather than depopulating entire herds.
We will also pay indemnity when APHIS removes individual animals from herds to euthanize them and test for CWD. We do this when animals have been identified as CWD suspect or exposed; e.g., we might remove and test animals from a herd that received animals from another herd that was later determined to be CWD positive.
Indemnity Program Guidelines for Producers
Cervid producers who choose to take part in the indemnity program may apply for participation as of the effective date of this interim rule. The indemnity program will extend from the effective date of this interim rule until funds allocated for the program are depleted.
The owner of any herd that is determined to be a CWD positive herd will be eligible to apply for payment of indemnity for depopulation.
Amount of Indemnity Payments and Conditions for Receiving Indemnity
Subject to the availability of funding, the amount of indemnity payments for eligible animals will be determined by appraisal, with the indemnity payment set at 95 percent of the appraised value, with a cap on payments of $3,000 per animal. CWD positive herds will be appraised by an APHIS official appraiser and a State official appraiser jointly, or, if APHIS and State authorities agree that both appraisers are not needed for a given situation, by either a State official appraiser or an APHIS official appraiser alone. The appraised value of the cervids will be their fair market value as determined by the meat or breeding value of the animals. Animals may be appraised in groups, provided that where appraisal is by the head, each animal in the group is the same value per head, and where appraisal is by the pound, each animal in the group is the same value per pound.
To make this indemnity program equitable for producers in all the States that might participate, we will reduce the Federal indemnity payment for an animal when indemnity payments for the same animal from non-Federal sources exceed 5 percent of its appraised value. The reduction in the Federal payment will equal the amount by which the non-Federal payments exceed 5 percent of the animal's appraised value. We are taking this action to prevent inequities that could reduce participation by owners who believe that the total Federal and non- Federal payments offered to them is unfairly lower than payments offered in other States.
Appraisals of cervids must be reported on forms furnished by APHIS and signed by the appraisers and the owner of the cervids. Reports of appraisals must show the number of cervids and the value per head or the weight and value by pound. We will not pay indemnity unless the owners have signed the appraisal form, indicating their agreement with the appraisals.
As a condition of receiving indemnity, producers must sign a written agreement with APHIS in which they agree that if they maintain cervids in the future on their premises, they will maintain the animals in accordance with a herd plan developed by APHIS, and they will not introduce cervids to the premises until after the date specified in that herd plan. We are currently evaluating research to determine how to effectively clean and disinfect premises, and how long to wait before reintroducing cervids in order to minimize risks of CWD transmission through the premises environment. We particularly seek public comments on these two points.
After cervids are destroyed, their premises must be cleaned and disinfected. All structures on the premises, including barns, stockyards, and pens used to house the cervids, all cars and other conveyances used to transport the cervids, and the materials on those premises or conveyances must be cleaned and disinfected under the supervision of an APHIS employee or a State representative, using methods specified by the APHIS employee or a State representative, before being reused to house or convey cervids. Generally, the owners of the cervids for which indemnity is paid will be responsible for the costs of all cleaning and disinfection, except that APHIS or a State will pay for the cleaning and disinfection of conveyances used to transport the cervids to the disposal location. APHIS may also decide to pay the cost of cleaning and disinfecting premises when the procedures needed to conduct effective cleaning and disinfection are unusually extensive and require methods that are not normally available on a premises. For example, normal procedures would include washing surfaces with high-pressure hoses and disinfectants and burying or burning contaminated materials. Unusually extensive procedures would include, but are not limited to, disposing of contaminated materials by digestive disposal or high-temperature incineration.
Owners who receive indemnity but then fail to comply with the cleaning and disinfection requirements, or the requirement not to reintroduce cervids to the premises for a period defined in the herd plan, will be in violation of the regulations and may be subject to civil or criminal penalties under 18 U.S.C. 1001, 21 U.S.C. 117 and 122, or other statutory authorities. In addition, State governments are prepared to cooperate with APHIS to ensure compliance by using appropriate State quarantine authorities to prevent movement of cervids onto or from premises that have been exposed to CWD and have not been cleaned and disinfected. Such State cooperation will also help address situations where a premises exposed to CWD is sold to a new owner who has not signed a herd plan with APHIS; in such cases, many State animal health statutes allow States to exercise authority over the premises.
Claims for indemnity for the value of animals destroyed must be documented on a form furnished by APHIS and presented to an APHIS employee or a State representative authorized to accept the claims. The owner of the animals must certify on the form that the animals covered either are or are not subject to any mortgage. If the owner states that there is a mortgage, the owner, and each person holding a mortgage on the animals, must sign forms furnished by APHIS consenting to the payment of indemnity to the owner or lienholder.
APHIS will pay the reasonable costs of destruction and carcass disposal for animals that are indemnified. To obtain reimbursement for disposal costs, animal owners must obtain written approval of the disposal costs from APHIS, prior to disposal. Except in cases where APHIS or a State directly arranges for disposal, the owner of the animals must present an APHIS employee with a written contract or estimate of disposal costs. Prior to receiving reimbursement the owner must also present an APHIS employee with a copy of either a receipt for expenses paid by the owner or a bill for services rendered to the owner. Any bill for services rendered presented by the owner must not be greater than the normal fee for similar services provided by a commercial entity. APHIS does not intend to allow owners to personally dispose of carcasses on their premises, so this provision does not allow claims from owners for their own labor.
This interim rule provides that no indemnity will be paid if the eligible animals have been moved or handled by the owner in violation of a law or regulation administered by the Secretary regarding animal disease, or in violation of a law or regulation for which the Secretary has entered into a cooperative agreement.
At the option of APHIS, cervids for which we pay indemnity will be destroyed on their premises, moved to another location for destruction under conditions specified by APHIS, or moved to an approved research facility under conditions specified by APHIS.
The carcasses of any cervids destroyed in accordance with this rule must be incinerated, destroyed in an alkaline hydrolysis tissue digestor, or disposed of by another method authorized by an APHIS employee and in accordance with local, State, and Federal laws. The carcasses may not be sold to be processed for human or animal food, including dietary supplements.
This rulemaking is necessary on an emergency basis to ensure that the CWD indemnity program is implemented as soon as possible to prevent the spread of CWD. Under these circumstances, the Administrator has determined that prior notice and opportunity for public comment are contrary to the public interest and that there is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553 for making this rule effective less than 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
Below is a summary of the economic analysis for the chronic wasting disease indemnity program described in this document. The economic analysis provides a cost-benefit analysis as required by Executive Order 12866 and an analysis of the potential economic effects on small entities as required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act. A copy of the full economic analysis is available for review in our reading room (information on the location and hours of the reading room is listed under the heading ADDRESSES at the beginning of this document).
CWD is recognized to cause considerable and growing economic losses. The Secretary of Agriculture has authorized the transfer of $2.65 million in funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation to begin conducting a CWD indemnity program. Most of this money will be used for indemnity costs, and the remainder will be used for euthanasia, transport, disposal, cleanup, and surveillance. Payment of indemnity will be based on fair market value, and the amount paid per cervid will likely fluctuate during the course of the CWD indemnity program. Participation may be limited if funds are exhausted due to increases in the fair market value above our current estimates. Since this is a voluntary indemnity program, some eligible producers may not choose to participate.
This interim rule provides Federal indemnification of up to $3,000 per animal for the depopulation of CWD positive, CWD exposed, or CWD suspect captive cervids. Previously, there was no such indemnification program.
The number of deer and elk in the United States that have died as a result of contracting CWD is unknown, largely because there is no way to track deaths among the free-ranging segment of the cervid population. However, sampling in a limited area where CWD is known to exist in wildlife--i.e., northern Colorado, southern Wyoming, and southwestern Nebraska--has suggested an infection rate of 15 percent among wild mule deer and 2 percent among wild elk. For captive cervids, the number of deaths to date has been relatively low. Based on nonmandatory stock sale and disease report records kept by industry associations, it is estimated that fewer than 50 farmed elk, and no farmed deer, have died as a result of contracting CWD.\1\ The number of captive elk that have died is equivalent to less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the current U.S. captive elk population, estimated at 110,000. However, for every infected animal, far more have been exposed to the disease.
\1\ Source: NADeFA and NAEBA.
Limited hard statistical data exist on the deer and elk farming industries, mostly compiled by the two major industry associations--the North American Elk Breeders Association (NAEBA) and the North American Deer Farmers Association (NADeFA). Deer and elk farms are not included as a separate line item in the most recent agricultural census data.
NAEBA estimates that there are about 110,000 elk on 2,300 U.S. farms. The number of elk per farm varies, from a high of about 700 (for commercial farms) to a low of about 10 (for hobby farms). The value of each elk held also varies, depending on the type of animal (e.g., bull, heifer, calf), market conditions, and other factors. NAEBA, which maintains detailed records of average sale prices to assist their members in business planning, estimates that the average value of each elk is $2,000, with the typical high-end value at about $5,000.\2\ Based on the average of $2,000 per animal, the value of all 110,000 elk on U.S. farms is estimated at $220 million (110,000 x $2,000). In 1999, gross receipts for the elk farming and velvet antler industry in North America totaled an estimated $150 million.\3\
\2\ Gross receipts data for the United States, as a separate entity within North America, are not available.
\3\ Source: NAEBA.
NADeFA estimates that there are between 100,000 and 150,000 deer on approximately 2,000 U.S. farms. The number of deer per farm varies, from a high of about 3,000 (for commercial farms) to a low of about 5 (for hobby farms). The value of each deer also varies, depending on such factors as the type of animal (e.g., wapiti, white-tailed, fallow). NADeFA estimates the value of all 66,172 deer on its member farms at $111.6 million, an average of $1,687 per animal. At the high end, wapiti deer are valued at $4,000 each; fallow deer are at the low end, with a value of $375 each. NADeFA-member revenues from deer or deer products are estimated at $5.4 million annually, with sales of livestock comprising 41 percent, or $2.2 mil