Permanent Private Quarantine Facilities for Horses

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

9 CFR Part 92

[Docket No. 95-084-2]

Permanent Private Quarantine Facilities for Horses

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting; reopening and extension of comment

period.

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

SUMMARY: On February 26, 1996, we published an advance notice of

proposed rulemaking requesting public comment on the need for and

appropriate standards for the establishment of permanent, private

quarantine facilities for horses imported into the United States. To

provide additional opportunity for public comment, this notice

announces our intention to hold a public meeting, and to reopen and

extend the comment period on the advance notice. We are also announcing

the availability of a risk assessment related to the establishment of

permanent, private quarantine

[[Page 20190]]

facilities for horses imported into the United States.

DATES: Consideration will be given only to comments received on or

before June 5, 1996. We will also consider comments made at a public

meeting to be held in Riverdale, MD, on Friday, May 17, 1996, from 8

a.m. to 4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Please send an original and three copies of your comments to

Docket No. 95-084-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS,

Suite 3C03, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please

state that your comments refer to Docket 95-095-1. Comments received

may be inspected 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

comments are requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to facilitate

entry into the comment reading room. The public meeting will be held at

the USDA Center, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Joyce Bowling, Staff Veterinarian,

National Center for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit

39, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231, (301) 734-6479; or e-mail:

J[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 9 CFR part 92 (referred

to below as the regulations) govern the importation into the United

States of specified animals and animal products in order to prevent the

introduction into the United States of various communicable diseases.

The regulations require that certain animals be quarantined upon

arrival in the United States as a condition of importation. There are

two types of quarantine facilities for animals being imported into the

United States: government operated facilities and privately operated

facilities. The regulations contain requirements for the approval of

temporary private quarantine facilities for horses; however, the

regulations do not provide for the approval of permanent private

quarantine facilities for horses.

In an advance notice of proposed rulemaking published in the

Federal Register on February 26, 1996 (61 FR 7079, Docket No. 95-084-

1), we requested public comment on the need for and appropriate

standards for the establishment of permanent private quarantine

facilities for horses imported into the United States.

To provide additional opportunity for public comment, we will hold

a public meeting on Friday, May 17, 1996. The meeting will be held from

8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the offices of the Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service (APHIS), 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD. We are

seeking recommendations concerning the need for permanent, private

quarantine facilities, locations where such additional facilities may

be needed, potential standards for building the facilities, and

regulatory oversight. Copies of a risk assessment related to the

establishment of permanent, private horse quarantine facilities will be

available at the meeting, or may be obtained from Dr. Joyce Bowling

(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

The meeting will be divided into three sessions dealing with the

following issues:

1. Equine diseases of concern to the U.S. Department of Agriculture

(USDA).

2. Requirements for building USDA owned and operated facilities and

the costs involved.

3. The risk assessment.

Each session will start with a short presentation by an APHIS

representative. Afterward, members of the public will be provided an

opportunity to ask questions and make comments concerning that session.

It is anticipated that 90 minutes will be alotted for each session.

A representative of APHIS will preside at the public meeting. The

presiding officer may limit the time for each presentation so that

everyone is accommodated and all interested persons have an opportunity

to participate. Any written statements submitted will be made part of

the record. A transcript will be made of the public meeting and will be

placed in the rulemaking record and will be available for public

inspection.

Any persons wishing to make presentations longer than 5 minutes, or

presentations that will require audiovisual equipment, should contact

Dr. Bowling in advance of the meeting.

APHIS will consider the comments and recommendations from the

meeting in making a decision about whether to propose approval of

permanent, private horse quarantine facilities and, if so, the

standards to be proposed. Any such proposal would be published in the

Federal Register for public comment.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1622; 19 U.S.C. 1306; 21 U.S.C. 102-105,

111, 114a, 134a, 134b, 134c, 134d, 134f, 135, 136, and 136a; 31

U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, 371.2(d).

Done in Washington, DC, this 1st day of May 1996.

Terry L. Medley,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 96-11212 Filed 5-3-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-34-P