Notice2022-04720
Classify the State of Sonora, Mexico, as Level I for Brucellosis
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Published
March 7, 2022
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Abstract
We are advising the public of our decision to classify the State of Sonora, Mexico as Level I for brucellosis. This recognition is based on an evaluation we prepared in connection with this action, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 44 (Monday, March 7, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 44 (Monday, March 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12656-12657]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-04720]
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Notices
Federal Register
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 44 / Monday, March 7, 2022 /
Notices
[[Page 12656]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2020-0070]
Classify the State of Sonora, Mexico, as Level I for Brucellosis
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our decision to classify the
State of Sonora, Mexico as Level I for brucellosis. This recognition is
based on an evaluation we prepared in connection with this action,
which we made available to the public for review and comment through a
previous notice.
DATES: Imports under this classification may be authorized beginning
March 7, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Kelly Rhodes, Senior Staff
Veterinarian, Regionalization Evaluation Services, Strategy and Policy,
VS, APHIS, USDA, 4700 River Road, Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231;
(301) 851-3315; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2667554d087443414f4948474a4f5c47524f4948665355424708414950"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b8f9cbd396eadddfd1d7d6d9d4d1c2d9ccd1d7d6f8cdcbdcd996dfd7ce">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 9 CFR part 93, subpart D
(Sec. Sec. 93.400 through 93.442, referred to below as part 93 or the
subpart), contain requirements for the importation of ruminants into
the United States to address the risk of introducing or disseminating
diseases of livestock within the United States. Part 93 currently
contains provisions that address the risk that imported bovines (cattle
or bison) may introduce or disseminate bovine tuberculosis or
brucellosis within the United States. Within part 93, Sec. 93.440
contains the requirements for classification of foreign regions for
brucellosis and Sec. 93.441 contains the process for requesting
regional classification for brucellosis. In accordance with Sec.
93.440(d), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
maintains lists of all Level I, Level II, and Level III regions for
brucellosis and adds regions classified in accordance with Sec. 93.441
to these lists.
Paragraph (a) of Sec. 93.441 provides that a representative of a
national government with authority to make such a request may request
that APHIS classify a region for brucellosis. Within the same section,
paragraph (b) provides that if, after reviewing and evaluating the
request for brucellosis classification, APHIS believes the region can
be accurately classified, APHIS will publish a notice in the Federal
Register with the proposed classification and make its evaluation
available for public comment. 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
document published in the Federal Register.
In accordance with that process, we published a notice \1\ in the
Federal Register on February 24, 2021 (86 FR 11219-11220, Docket No.
APHIS-2020-0070), in which we announced the availability, for review
and comment, of an evaluation of the State of Sonora, Mexico for
brucellosis classification, as well as an environmental assessment
(EA). The notice proposed to classify Sonora as Level I for
brucellosis.
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\1\ To view the notice, evaluation, environmental assessment,
and comments we received go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> and enter APHIS-
2020-0070 in the Search field.
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We solicited comments on the notice for 60 days ending April 26,
2021. We received two comments by that date. The comments were from
private citizens.
One commenter stated that it was difficult to know what the
different classification levels for disease status meant and asked that
we explain what they meant. The other commenter asked why we wanted to
classify Sonora as Level I for brucellosis and what evidence we had to
support that decision.
As we explained in the notice, Sec. 93.440 of the regulations
contains the requirements for classification of foreign regions for
brucellosis and Sec. 93.441 contains the process for requesting
regional classification for brucellosis. As part of the process for
requesting regional classification, the national government of the
region must submit an application to APHIS that defines the boundaries
of the region, specifies the prevalence level for brucellosis within
the region, and demonstrate that, among other things:
<bullet> There is effective veterinary control and oversight within
the region;
<bullet> That brucellosis is a notifiable disease within the
region;
<bullet> The region has a program for brucellosis in place that
includes epidemiological investigations, management of affected herds,
diagnostic testing, and disease surveillance.
When the application is complete, APHIS will review and evaluate
the request for classification. If, based on that evaluation, we
believe the region can be accurately classified for brucellosis, we
will publish a notice in the Federal Register proposing to classify the
region according to Sec. 93.440, and make available to the public the
information upon which this proposed classification is based.
The specific requirements for classification as a Level I region
for brucellosis are set out in paragraph (a) of Sec. 93.440. To
receive Level I classification for brucellosis, a region must meet
APHIS requirements for brucellosis classification in accordance with
Sec. 93.441, and also have a prevalence of brucellosis in their
domestic bovine herds of less than 0.001 percent over at least the
previous 2 years (24 consecutive months).
In the evaluation titled ``APHIS Evaluation of the State of Sonora,
Mexico for Bovine Brucellosis (Brucella abortus) Classification''
(September 2017) that accompanied our February 24, 2021 notice,\2\ we
set forth the results of our evaluation of the State of Sonora, Mexico
for bovine brucellosis. APHIS concluded that Sonora fully meets the
APHIS requirements for classification and that brucellosis has not been
confirmed in a bovine animal in Sonora since 2009, qualifying Sonora
for Level I classification for brucellosis.
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\2\ See footnote 1.
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One commenter asked about the significance of classifying Sonora as
a Level I region compared to the impact of Level II or Level III
classifications, and how the classification as Level I, II, and III
would impact Sonora economically.
[[Page 12657]]
As we explained above, the requirements for classification as a
region for brucellosis are set out in Sec. 93.440 of the regulations.
To receive Level I or II classification for brucellosis, a region must
meet APHIS requirements for brucellosis classification in accordance
with Sec. 93.441. Level I regions must also have a prevalence of
brucellosis in their domestic bovine herds of less than 0.001 percent
over at least the previous 2 years (24 consecutive months). Level II
regions must have a prevalence of brucellosis in their domestic bovine
herds equal to or greater than 0.001 percent, but less than 0.01
percent over at least the previous 2 years (24 consecutive months).
Level III regions do not meet APHIS requirements for brucellosis
classification in accordance with Sec. 93.441, have a prevalence of
brucellosis in their domestic bovine herds equal to or greater than
0.01 percent, or are unassessed by APHIS with regard to brucellosis
prevalence.
The requirements for importation of ruminants from any part of the
world with respect to brucellosis are linked to the classification
levels, as described in Sec. 93.442 of the regulations. The
regulations provide that steers and spayed heifers may be imported into
the United States from anywhere in the world without additional
restrictions. Sexually intact cattle from Level I regions may also be
imported into the United States without additional restrictions.
However, sexually intact cattle from Level II and Level III regions are
subject to restrictions, such as originating in accredited herds, or
whole herd and individual testing requirements.
Consequently, classification as Level I will effectively exempt
sexually intact cattle from Sonora from brucellosis testing prior to
export, saving Sonoran producers the cost of testing or the cost of
castrating bulls and spaying heifers to avoid the testing requirement.
Under Level II or III, producers would still bear those costs.
One commenter asked if brucellosis posed an immediate threat to the
people of the United States.
As we explained in the evaluation that accompanied the initial
notice, bovine brucellosis is caused by the bacterium Brucella abortus.
Infection with B. abortus causes abortions and stillbirths in cattle.
B. abortus also affects other species including bison, buffalo, and
elk. In addition, B. abortus is a human pathogen that can cause serious
disease. Human cases of brucellosis in the United States are rare, can
be treated with antibiotics, and can be prevented with appropriate food
safety measures.
One commenter asked what efforts will be taken to stop the spread
of brucellosis, and if the export of beef would still be allowed.
In the event that the prevalence of brucellosis in Sonora rises to
above 0.001 percent, APHIS will take action to reclassify the region as
Level II or III, as appropriate, and impose the corresponding
restrictions on imported bovines. Reclassification would not result in
changes to the requirements for exporting beef to the United States
from Sonora.
One commenter asked what effect brucellosis would have on the
production of food in the area and how this could hurt the citizens.
As we explained in the evaluation that accompanied the initial
notice, Sonora has averaged 28 cases of brucellosis in humans annually
since 2002, primarily due to B. abortus. Public health officials in
Sonora attribute the majority of cases to exposure through soft cheeses
and/or raw milk from other Mexican States. Animal and public health
officials in Sonora work closely to monitor the incidence of
brucellosis in humans and investigate any potential connection to
Sonoran livestock. For example, a case rate spike in humans in 2010 led
to detection of an infected goat herd that produced cheese and milk for
local consumption.
Therefore, in accordance with the regulations in Sec. Sec. 93.440
and 93.441, we are announcing our decision to classify the State of
Sonora, Mexico as Level I for brucellosis, and to add the State of
Sonora to the web-based list of Level I regions for brucellosis.
Bovines from the State of Sonora may be imported under the conditions
listed in Sec. Sec. 93.439 and 93.442 for the appropriate
classification level.
National Environmental Policy Act
On December 27, 2022, we published in the Federal Register a notice
(86 FR 73238-73239, Docket No. APHIS-2020-0071) announcing that we were
classifying Canada as Level I for brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis.
That final notice was accompanied by a final environmental assessment
and finding of no significant impact (FONSI). The final environmental
assessment and FONSI also evaluated the possible environmental impacts
associated with classifying Sonora as Level I for brucellosis.
Accordingly, we direct the public to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/docket/APHIS-2020-0071">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/APHIS-2020-0071</a> to view those documents, and are not
republishing them for this action.
Congressional Review Act
Pursuant to the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.),
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs designated this action
as not a major rule, as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1622 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 1st day of March 2022.
Anthony Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-04720 Filed 3-4-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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