Importation of Animals and Animal Products

SUMMARY: We are extending the comment period for our proposed rule that

would amend the regulations regarding the importation of animals and

animal products by establishing criteria for foreign ``regions'' based

on risk class levels. We are also announcing the availability, through

the World Wide Web and in our comment reading room, of information

concerning public comments received on the proposed rule, transcripts

of public hearings held on the proposed rule, and other documents that

are part of the administrative record for the proposed rule.

DATES: Consideration will be given only to comments on the proposed

rule received on or before September 16, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted as paper copies or by electronic

mail. If you submit paper copies, please send an original and three

copies of your comments to Docket No. 94-106-1, 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 No. 94-106-1. We encourage the submission of copies by

electronic mail, since this both facilitates our analysis of the

comments and allows us to make the text of comments available to the

public via the Internet. The e-mail address for comments on this

proposed rule is [email protected]. Please be sure to include

your full name and organization in any comments you submit by e-mail.

If your e-mail comment is a duplicate of a paper copy you have

submitted, please state this in the first line of your e-mail message.

Comments submitted by e-mail will be posted to the APHIS

Regionalization Proposal Web Page within a few days after receipt. This

Web page also contains copies of the proposed rule in several formats,

lists of persons who have submitted comments, transcripts of public

hearings held on the proposed rule, and other background information

from the administrative record of the proposed rule. The Web page URL

is http://www.aphis.usda.gov/PPD/region. Both paper and e-mail 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Gary Colgrove, Chief Staff

Veterinarian, National Center for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700

River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231, (301) 734-8590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 18, 1996, we published in the

Federal Register (61 FR 16978-17105, Docket No. 94-106-1), a proposal

to amend the regulations in title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations

regarding the importation of animals and animal products. We proposed

to establish criteria for foreign ``regions'' based on risk class

levels that would apply to the importation of ruminants and swine and

the products of these animals. We also proposed to allow, under certain

conditions, the unloading and reloading at the port of arrival of meat

and other animal products otherwise prohibited entry into the United

States.

Comments on the proposed rule were required to be received on or

before July 17, 1996. We have received four requests to extend the

period during which comments will be accepted. These requests were

received from an advisory committee to the Secretary of Agriculture, a

livestock institute, a veterinary association, and an animal health

association.

In response to these requests, we are extending the comment period

on Docket No. 94-106-1 for an additional 60 days. We believe this

action, along with the series of four public hearings that we have held

regarding the proposal, will allow the organizations requesting

extension of the comment period and all other interested persons

adequate opportunity to prepare and submit comments.

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, and 371.2(d).

Done in Washington, DC, this 3rd day of July 1996.

Terry L. Medley,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 96-17672 Filed 7-10-96; 8:45 am]

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