[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 133 (Monday, July 13, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 37483]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18436]
[[Page 37483]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
9 CFR Part 93
[Docket No. 98-070-1]
Harry S Truman Animal Import Center
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Cancellation of lottery for HSTAIC.
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SUMMARY: In anticipation that the Harry S Truman Animal Import Center
(HSTAIC) in Fleming Key, FL, may be closed, we are giving notice that
we do not plan to hold a lottery in December 1998 for exclusive use of
HSTAIC in calendar year 1999. In addition, we do not intend to enter
into any more cooperative-service agreements with prospective importers
for exclusive use of the facility unless it is certain the animals can
enter HSTAIC on or before December 31, 1998. Ensuring that no animals
enter HSTAIC after this date would allow us to close HSTAIC before the
end of fiscal year l999 if a decision is made to close the facility.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 13, 1998.
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) 734-3276; or e-mail
gcolgrove@aphis.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 9 CFR part 93 (referred
to below as the regulations) govern the importation of animals into the
United States to prevent the introduction of serious communicable
diseases of livestock and poultry. Under the regulations, certain
animals may only be imported into the United States if, among other
things, they are quarantined upon arrival at the Harry S Truman Animal
Import Center (HSTAIC), a Federal facility in Fleming Key, FL, that
provides maximum biosecurity.
Importers pay the costs of using HSTAIC while their animals are in
the facility. However, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) must pay for staff, electricity, telephone, and other overhead
costs when the facility is not occupied, as well as for general
maintenance and repairs. HSTAIC has been consistently underutilized
since it opened in 1979, and demand for use of the facility has been
falling. Consequently, APHIS is losing an average of $220,000 annually
keeping HSTAIC available to importers. In addition, HSTAIC urgently
needs approximately $4.5 million worth of repairs and upgrades for
which APHIS does not have an appropriation. This would significantly
increase the already substantial fees for use of HSTAIC if the cost of
the repairs and upgrades were to be recovered from users. In addition,
the purpose for a facility such as HSTAIC, to import new bloodlines
from countries with exotic diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease and
rinderpest, can now be accomplished more cheaply and more easily by
importing germplasm, such as semen and embryos.
Under these circumstances, we are considering closing HSTAIC and
plan to publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register for public
comment on this issue in the near future. If we decide to close the
facility following this rulemaking, we would like to do so before the
end of fiscal year l999 to minimize expenses we are incurring to keep
the facility operating. To close by then, all animals would have to be
out of the facility by about April of l999. Even if a decision is made
to try to keep HSTAIC open for use, and funding can be obtained for the
needed repairs and upgrades, it will take many months to complete the
needed repairs and upgrades. To allow for these possible actions, we
are announcing that we do not plan to hold a lottery in December 1998
for exclusive use of HSTAIC in calendar year 1999. (Under Sec. 93.430
of the regulations, APHIS enters into a cooperative agreement with only
one importer at a time for use of HSTAIC. We refer to this arrangement
as ``exclusive use.'') This notice also announces our intention not to
enter into any more cooperative agreements with prospective importers
for exclusive use of the facility unless it is certain the animals can
enter HSTAIC on or before December 31, 1998.
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 6th day of July 1998.
Charles P. Schwalbe,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 98-18436 Filed 7-10-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
